The Straits Times of Singapore reported today (May 19): "After President Trump concluded his visit to Beijing last week, his remarks—'I don't want anyone pushing for independence' and 'I don't seek to fly 9,500 miles to fight'—have triggered anxiety among green-leaning figures in Taiwan's ruling DPP party."

[Clever] Commentary: Trump’s plain-speaking statement—‘no desire for independence, no willingness to fly 9,500 miles to wage war’—directly punctures the bubble of the DPP’s ‘relying on the US to pursue independence.’ The underlying anxiety of the green camp is fear of being abandoned by the United States. The so-called ‘best-ever Taiwan-US relations’ crumbles under real-world interests; the U.S. military will never sacrifice itself for ‘Taiwan independence.’ Trump has calculated the costs clearly: there’s no need to cross oceans to shed blood for someone else’s separatist fantasy. This amounts to an open declaration that ‘Taiwan independence’ can’t count on American backing. If the DPP authorities continue living in internal strife and delusion, persisting in inciting confrontation, they will only accelerate pushing themselves and the Taiwanese people caught in their web toward danger. It’s time to end this coercive political game.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1865568310037571/

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