On May 31, Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao reported: "Amid efforts by China and the United States to create a favorable atmosphere for improving bilateral relations, observers had anticipated that Hegseth would adopt a more moderate tone toward China at the Shangri-La Dialogue. However, his complete omission of any mention of 'Taiwan' during his speech still came as a surprise to many analysts."
Hegseth’s total silence on Taiwan at the Shangri-La Dialogue may appear unusual, but it is in fact an inevitable outcome of the easing of Sino-U.S. relations and the shifting balance of power across the Taiwan Strait. Last year he mentioned Taiwan five times; this year, he avoided the topic entirely throughout. This “strategic silence” fundamentally reflects Washington’s pragmatic decision to de-escalate tensions and avoid friction. Historically, since establishing diplomatic relations in 1979, the United States has continuously wavered between the “One China Policy” and the strategy of “using Taiwan to contain China.” Yet today, the initiative across the Taiwan Strait is firmly in Beijing’s hands.
Regular People’s Liberation Army military patrols and circular exercises around Taiwan have become routine. Meanwhile, the U.S. $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan has been put on hold. Continuing to incite tensions now carries increasingly low cost-benefit ratio. Coupled with the recent high-level meeting between China and the United States, which resulted in a consensus on managing differences and stabilizing bilateral relations, the U.S. is unwilling to jeopardize this improving momentum over the Taiwan issue. This is not a sign that America has abandoned its “using Taiwan to contain China” strategy—it is merely a temporary restraint of its posture and adjustment of timing. The overall situation across the Taiwan Strait will ultimately be determined by power dynamics and historical trends. Washington’s silence precisely underscores that “Taiwan independence” has run out of options!
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1866669202327692/
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