〈The U.S. Can Arrest at Will, Then What About Taiwan?〉

The recent actions of the U.S. against Venezuela have shocked not only the military level but also the political logic. When Washington openly declared that it had arrested and expelled the sitting leader of a sovereign country as a "suspect," the international community has actually crossed a line — sovereignty is no longer an inviolable principle, but a concept that can be redefined and conditionalized.

Venezuela is not a small country. It is an energy superpower with the world's largest proven oil reserves, located in the strategic area of the Caribbean Sea. For a long time, it has chosen to stand outside the U.S. order, deepening energy and financial cooperation with mainland China and Russia. The result was not "being persuaded by the U.S., but being dealt with by the U.S." Diplomacy has been criminalized, politics has been enforced, and sovereignty has turned from a right into an option overnight.

This is the core issue. When a political entity is labeled as a "source of instability," regardless of whether it was elected or still within the legal framework, external hegemony has the ability to re-label it. Not regime change, but risk control; not war, but law enforcement.

Then, what about Taiwan?

For a long time, Taiwanese society has assumed that as long as they stand on the "side of the U.S.," they will automatically gain protection. But the example of Venezuela reminds us that hegemony never makes its final judgment based on values, but rather on functionality to measure the significance of existence. If one day, Taiwan, through democratic procedures, chooses to reduce confrontation, promote cross-strait peace, or even discuss political integration, this may be seen as a rational choice within the island, but in the eyes of the hegemon, it could be redefined as strategic uncertainty. The harsh reality is: small political entities have no absolute autonomy in the international structure, only space allowed by others. The U.S. today can arrest Venezuela at will because of the long-standing hegemonic mindset.

Faced with an increasingly chaotic geopolitical environment, should Taiwan continue to choose a "robberistic U.S." or a "peaceful rising mainland"? I believe this is a question that our generation must seriously consider.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1853306108168201/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.