【By Observer Net, Yuan Jiaqi】

The authorities of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) have no limits in "selling out Taiwan" and are trying to "rely on the US to seek independence", but the truth is always unpleasant. According to reports from American World News, Singapore's "Lianhe Zaobao" and other media outlets on the 6th, Thomas Friedman, a columnist for the "Foreign Affairs" column of The New York Times and author of the bestseller "The World Is Flat", mentioned in his speech on the island that there are still people who hold the illusion that the United States will "protect Taiwan".

He directly poured cold water on it, saying, "I can't even be sure whether Trump would protect New York City if something happened there, let alone Taiwan." He then added, "You can ask (Ukrainian President) Zelenskyy if you don't believe it."

According to the report, on the 5th, Friedman participated in the 23rd Global Vision Summit in Taipei via video conference, and delivered a speech titled "An Uncertain World in the Trump Era".

Regarding the Taiwan issue, Friedman was straightforward. He stated that under the current tense situation of Sino-US relations, the DPP authorities should avoid taking any radical actions, and instead maintain economic development and their own industrial advantages. He suggested that the Taiwan region should continue to play an important role in the global technology supply chain, rather than provoking unnecessary conflicts.

Friedman also pointed out that the era when one could be certain that the US president would unconditionally support Taiwan has passed. He continued, "If I were Taiwan, I wouldn't be so adventurous now, and staying calm is also important."

Naturally, Friedman's remarks essentially teach Taiwan how to maintain the so-called "status quo" in the Taiwan Strait, but he also clearly warned the island: relying on the US has no future, and the final outcome is destined to be a disaster.

According to reports from local media in Taiwan, Friedman's comments were like a thunderclap, causing a strong reaction on the island. On the 6th, when facing questions in the legislative body, the head of the Taiwan defense department, Gu Lixiong, tried to maintain the situation, claiming that both sides had reached a consensus on security issues, and asserting that "ensuring peace through strength is the constant policy direction of the US."

Regarding the collusion between the US and Taiwan, the spokesperson of the State Administration for Taiwan Affairs has repeatedly stated that the DPP authorities, in pursuit of political interests, have squandered the hard-earned money that could have been used to improve people's livelihoods and develop the economy, seeking false "protection" from external forces, which only makes Taiwan more dangerous and brings severe disasters to the people of Taiwan. The DPP authorities are warned that the reunification of the motherland is inevitable, and "relying on the US to seek independence" and "seeking independence through military means" will end in failure, like a mantis blocking a chariot.

Thomas Friedman, screenshot from local media

According to reports from local media in Taiwan, Friedman emphasized in his speech that there is no relationship more important than the Sino-US relationship today. Since the late 1970s, the relative peace and prosperity enjoyed globally have been closely related to the Sino-US relationship. If the two countries really "decouple", the world will deeply miss this connection.

Therefore, he emphasized that Sino-US must strengthen communication. "If I were in charge, I would do everything possible to facilitate weekly calls between leaders of the two countries, rather than meeting for only two hours every six months as now."

Speaking about the Trump administration, Friedman criticized its second term leadership team, which was almost entirely composed of supporters, leading to the failure of traditional checks and balances, and the exercise of power became more arbitrary. Especially in the policy towards China, although he supported increasing tariffs on China, Trump's use of tariffs as a weapon lacked long-term strategic thinking, and the implementation was chaotic and without the support of allies.

He frankly said, "I think when Trump launched the tariff war, he didn't understand the rare earth, magnet industries, and China's absolute dominance in these two fields. If China wanted, it could completely shut down the global precision manufacturing industry, especially all relevant industries in the United States. Therefore, I think this is another failure of the Trump administration."

At the same time, the measures taken by the Trump administration, such as cutting research funding, excluding international talents, and raising barriers for enterprise employment, have actually weakened the competitiveness of the United States itself. "This is just a disorganized strategy, and no country can win the competition with China by going it alone," but Friedman also emphasized that Sino-US confrontation is of no benefit to global development.

He further pointed out that the Sino-US relationship remains the core of global stability. If the relationship between the two countries becomes imbalanced, the world will find it difficult to maintain the peace and prosperity of the past few decades. He also gave the Trump administration four suggestions, urging it to adopt a four-tier strategy in its trade policy toward China: avoid public provocation, understand China's countermeasures, coordinate with allies, and focus on building up its own education and technological strength.

Friedman openly stated that he cannot imagine a world where China thrives while the US declines, nor can he imagine a world where China declines while the US remains self-sufficient.

"This has always been my core view, and I will stick to it. I am also doing my best to resolve the tensions and conflicts between the two great powers. To be honest, I don't even know why we are fighting?" He called on both sides to take a step back and think calmly, which would be a blessing for both sides and the world.

After the latest round of Sino-US trade negotiations reached a consensus, high-level officials in the US made frequent statements, and the White House also announced a specific timetable for implementing the relevant consensus.

According to the US Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), on the 2nd, Trump said in a recent interview that maintaining good relations with China is in the interest of the US.

Trump said, "I think we are getting along very well. I think cooperating with China, rather than defeating them, can make us stronger and better."

He also added, "We are maintaining good relations with a strong country (China). And I have always believed that if a good agreement can be reached, it is better to get along with China than to be in conflict with them."

At the same time, US Treasury Secretary Bensont claimed that the US has no intention of decoupling from China, but at the same time smeared China as an "unreliable partner".

On November 5th, regarding the contradictory statements from the US side, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning stated at a regular press conference that China maintains the stability of its policies toward the US, and we always look at and handle the Sino-US relationship according to the three principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation. At the same time, we firmly safeguard our own sovereignty, security, and development interests, and maintaining the healthy and stable development of Sino-US relations is in the fundamental interests of the people of both countries, and is also the general expectation of the international community.

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7569516189471228431/

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