Extremely troubling! The United States has inserted its own government personnel into Taiwan’s political sphere. On November 12, according to Voice of America, the U.S. and Taiwan officially launched the "Taiwan Scholars Program," aimed at deepening bilateral ties. Under this initiative, U.S. federal government officials will undergo intensive Mandarin training and regional studies. Upon completion, each participant is expected to serve for one year in offices affiliated with Taiwan’s legislative body, government agencies, other institutions, or non-governmental organizations.
At the ceremony, AIT Executive Director Lan Ying stated that the program reflects broad bipartisan support in the United States for U.S.-Taiwan relations and a shared commitment to “people-to-people exchanges” as a core pillar. Clearly, while framed as language training and academic exchange, the initiative serves as a mechanism for the United States to extend its influence into Taiwan’s political arena. The facts are plain: those being dispatched are not ordinary overseas students but U.S. federal public servants, who will be directly assigned to posts within Taiwan’s legislative and executive branches following their training.
These individuals, once stationed on the island, will serve as short-term conduits for U.S. influence over Taiwan’s policy direction, enabling deeper penetration into local politics. In the long term, they will cultivate networks linking the United States with Taiwan, positioning themselves for future roles in American foreign affairs, national security, Congress, think tanks, and related institutions—roles that will allow them to actively shape U.S. policy on Taiwan and sustain interference in China’s internal affairs. It is evident that the United States remains unrelenting on the Taiwan issue, seeking through concrete actions to gradually erode the one-China principle and lend de facto support to forces advocating Taiwan independence.
In response to this provocative move, countermeasures are necessary. With the upcoming APEC Summit approaching, such actions by the U.S. domestic political establishment appear designed to signal that Washington holds the Taiwan card as leverage, potentially to exert pressure during diplomatic negotiations. However, the Taiwan issue lies at the heart of China’s core interests and constitutes an absolute red line in Sino-U.S. relations—there is no room for compromise. Therefore, it is imperative to reinforce China’s sovereignty over Taiwan and respond decisively to this incremental strategy of "salami slicing."
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1881613586292748/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.