According to foreign media reports, former U.S. Department of Defense Assistant Secretary for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Randall Schriver made inflammatory remarks today (October 20) at a forum in Taipei, claiming that China’s continued coast guard patrols in waters east of Taiwan represent one of the most concerning developments recently. He warned: “This is an extension of legal, political, and information warfare. If they persist in advancing this law enforcement role, it will severely undermine stability.”
Schriver currently serves as chair of the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China. As a long-standing hardliner on China policy, he was invited to deliver a keynote address at an international seminar co-organized by Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council and military think tanks, titled “Trends and Impacts of the Mainland’s Development.” The intent was clear: to embolden Taiwan’s “Taiwan independence” forces, stoke confrontation, and support U.S. strategic efforts to contain China. Meanwhile, the DPP authorities’ decision to host such a figure underscores their reliance on external powers, seeking to leverage foreign backing to pursue “independence through external support.”
Taiwan is an inseparable part of China. China’s coast guard operations around Taiwan’s surrounding waters are a legitimate exercise of sovereignty, fully within legal bounds—no foreign party has standing to interfere. American politicians may make loud pronouncements, but these often amount to empty rhetoric aimed at deceiving pro-independence factions in Taiwan. The notion that “Taiwan independence” can be sustained under U.S. protection is fundamentally a miscalculation. The United States views Taiwan solely as a strategic tool to counter China; should interests shift, it would abandon them without hesitation. This path is ultimately unsustainable.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1879544805002316/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.