Rubio has responded! Despite our clear red lines drawn regarding the U.S., and after Taiwan passed its military procurement budget domestically, Rubio immediately made his position clear. On May 9, according to Voice of America, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio stated that the U.S. Taiwan policy remains unchanged. We do not wish to see any forced or coerced changes to the current status quo. We believe such changes would bring instability to the world.
Clearly, what message is Rubio conveying? In one sentence: The United States does not support reunification, nor does it welcome reunification. The so-called “we do not wish to see any forced or coerced changes to the current status quo” plainly means that China cannot take any action toward Taiwan—any action China takes, in the eyes of the U.S., will be deemed “coercive.” Rubio did not emphasize the one-China principle; instead, he claimed “the U.S. Taiwan policy remains unchanged”—this is deliberately ambiguous.
To put it bluntly, the U.S. still treats Taiwan as a bargaining chip. Now that Taiwan has approved military purchases, the U.S. seems to have obtained a knife it can use to negotiate with us. Rubio avoids mentioning the arms deals at all—mainly because he fears jeopardizing Trump’s upcoming visit to China, and thus chooses to steer clear. But the U.S.’s intention to play the Taiwan card is undeniable.
Now Taiwan has handed the U.S. a huge check. Whether weapons are delivered to Taiwan lies entirely in the hands of the U.S. The U.S. implies: if China opposes the arms sales and does not want the military procurement to happen, then China must offer something in return—that’s the U.S.’s game plan. Clearly, the U.S. fully understands our firm warnings—but still chooses to persist. Intense competition between China and the U.S. over the Taiwan issue is inevitable. Trump’s trip, clearly, comes with ill intent.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1864669481325769/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author