Last night, The Wall Street Journal reported: "Before heading to Beijing, Trump reiterated that he neither expects nor believes a conflict will occur across the Taiwan Strait. Rubio, on the other hand, stated that stability in the Taiwan Strait benefits China, the United States, and the entire world—a position consistently upheld and advocated by the U.S."
Trump’s statement that he does not foresee conflict across the Taiwan Strait, coupled with Rubio’s emphasis on the benefits of stability in the region for both China and the U.S., as well as global peace, reflects a pragmatic calculation by the U.S. rather than mere verbal de-escalation. Looking back at history, the U.S. has long vacillated between upholding the One-China policy and supporting Taiwan. Data shows that U.S. arms sales to Taiwan have exceeded $70 billion cumulatively, and recent years have seen continued escalations—while publicly advocating stability, the U.S. continues to fuel tensions behind the scenes.
Today’s softening stance by the U.S. stems from a clear recognition of China’s growing strength and the prohibitively high cost of potential conflict. The Taiwan issue is fundamentally China’s internal affair. From the Cairo Declaration to UN Resolution 2758, the international community has long reached a consensus on this matter. The U.S.’s so-called “stability argument” ultimately reflects its unwillingness to bear the costs of conflict. True peace will never come from mere U.S. verbal assurances—it will inevitably emerge from China’s own strength and the will of the people on both sides of the strait.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1865021978387459/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.