Tiny Taiwan caught in the middle as U.S. and China battle for supremacy
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
TAIPEI, Taiwan — As China challenges the global dominance of the United States, tiny Taiwan finds itself stuck, rather uncomfortably, smack dab in the middle of the conflict between the two international giants.
Economically, Taiwan is dependent on Beijing. But for its security and for international political support, it relies on Washington.
"Recently, the Taiwanese people tend to think that we don't want to be a piece on the chessboard anymore," said Evan Tsao, 31, a master's degree student in international relations from Kaohsiung, in southern Taiwan. "We don't want to be manipulated or caught in a great power competition."
He added that "Taiwan is forced to choose sides amid the rivalry. It's wrestling between economic power and political power."
China and Taiwan traded barbs this week over a violent altercation that broke out between Chinese diplomats and Taiwanese government employees at a recent Taiwan National Day reception in Fiji.
Taiwan said it would not be intimidated by China's "hooligan" officials and would continue to celebrate its national day around the world, after it accused Chinese diplomats of trying to charge into the event and leaving one of its staff with mild concussion.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson dismissed Taiwan's accusations and alleged that a Taiwanese trade official had injured a Chinese diplomat at a "national day" event that violated the "one-China" principle. Zhao Lijian also said that the event and a cake with what he called a "fake flag pattern" — referring to Taiwan's flag - violated China's "one-China" principle, which holds that Taiwan is part of China.
The island is in a precarious position. Beijing claims the self-governing island as part of its territory and threatens to annex it — by force, if necessary. Even though Taiwan has its own government, democratic elections and army, most governments around the world don't recognize it as a country.
Taiwan has no interest in being ruled by communist China. Under President Tsai Ing-wen, the democratic island has chosen to align more closely with the U.S., its most important unofficial ally and supplier of arms.
"Taiwan and the United States' shared values of democracy, freedom, and a market economy are an important basis for the vigorous development of the Taiwan-U.S. partnership," Joanne Ou, spokeswoman for Taiwan's foreign ministry, said.
Taiwan and the U.S. share "many goals and interests in the region," she said.
"In terms of security, arms sales to Taiwan and exchanges between the two sides have maintained peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," she added. "Economically, through close trade exchanges with each other, both sides have promoted greater economic prosperity."
Under President Xi Jinping, China has increased military and economic pressure on Taiwan and tried to isolate it diplomatically, in an effort to counter what it suspects are moves toward Taiwan independence.
At the same time, President Donald Trump's administration has taken unprecedented measures to boost U.S. support for Taiwan.
In recent weeks, the U.S. has announced a new economic dialogue with Taiwan and sent two high-ranking officials to the island, the most senior U.S. officials to visit Taiwan in 40 years. But it has stopped short of expressing support for Taiwan's de facto sovereignty, which would be a red line for Beijing.
Taiwan is just one impediment to improved relations between China and the U.S. The Trump administration has shifted U.S. attention back to the Indo-Pacific region and boosted alliances. China sees this as an attempt to contain its rise.
The U.S.-China relationship has gone from bad to worse over issues such as trade, a new national security law in Hong Kong, Chinese expansionism in the South China Sea, U.S. attempts to restrict Chinese apps TikTok and WeChat, and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Still, many Taiwanese are nervous.
Chang Shao-wei, an engineer from Taipei, said he feared that Washington might dump Taiwan if it decided it wanted to mend relations with Beijing.
"If China and the U.S. want to improve their relationship, Taiwan will definitely become a bargaining chip," Chang, 33, said.
Tsai has aligned Taiwan more closely with the U.S. as a "like-minded nation" with democratic values. The U.S. has, in turn, offered more support to Taiwan, including selling it more arms, missiles and fighter jets.
The U.S. wants to shift global supply chains away from China to Taiwan, and has announced an economic dialogue focused on technology, energy and health that Taipei hopes will lead to a bilateral free trade agreement.
Taiwanese sailors parade in the southern port of Kaohsiung in Nov. 2018.Chris Stowers / AFP via Getty Images
Beijing is furious at what it sees as Taipei and Washington cozying up.
Chinese officials say Washington needs to stop all forms of official contact with Taiwan and respect the one-China principle, to avoid serious damage to China-U.S. relations — and damage, as well, to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
In recent weeks and months, Beijing has increased its pressure on countries to isolate Taiwan, for example saying that the Czech senate speaker, Milos Vystrcil, would "pay a heavy price" for making an official trip to Taiwan.
As well as allegedly trying to gatecrash the Taiwan-organized event in Fiji, China also recently asked Indian media not to refer to Taiwan as a country or its leader as a president. Taiwan has condemned China's "wolf diplomacy."
Earlier this year, Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu told reporters that the Chinese government might attack Taiwan to divert attention at home from China's slowing economic growth and other domestic problems.
Wang Ting-yu, a member of Taiwan's parliament and co-chair of the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, said that, for Taiwan, "we need to make a choice and there is no vague or gray area, China is our threat and we get our arms sales from the United States."
Given that China is also Taiwan's major market, Wang said their strategy when dealing with China is "to keep calm, peaceful" and not to "provoke an intense situation."
"That's how we survive in this area," Wang said.
The Thunder Tiger Aerobatics Team fly over Tapei during the National Day celebrations in Taiwan, on Oct. 10.Chiang Ying-ying / AP
In recent months, Beijing has increased military activity near Taiwan, with incursions into the island's waters and airspace.
In September, as Undersecretary of State for Economic Affairs Keith Krach visited, close to 40 Chinese warplanes approached the island in the space of two days. Some crossed the midline of the narrow Taiwan Strait, which separates China and Taiwan.
The informal line of control had been largely respected by Beijing and Taipei for years but, following the incursions, Beijing's foreign ministry denied that any median line existed, raising tensions further.
A Chinese defense ministry spokesperson has accused Washington and Taipei of "stepping up collusion" and called the drills "justified and necessary action to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity." They also warned that "those who play with fire will get burned".
At Friday's event remembering the bloody Chinese-U.S. military conflict during the Korean war, President Xi Jinping alluded to Taiwan by declaring: "We will never sit back and watch any damage to our national sovereignty ... and we will never allow any force to invade or divide the sacred territory of the motherland."
China's military swagger is only putting backs up in Taiwan, and fostering support for continued alignment with the U.S.
"The Chinese Communist Party is afraid of Taiwanese independence, so they don't want Taiwan to get close to the U.S," Lan Fan-lien, 72, a retired teacher, said. "But the more they intimidate Taiwan, the more we hate them. They say we're their brother, what kind of brother intimidates someone?"
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Louise Watt
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Well if Biden becomes President we will all become vassals of China as he will surrender our interests and Taiwan to them as their obedient puppet.
Trump has already surrendered Hong Kong to them as their obedient puppet.
Well if Biden becomes President we will all become vassals of China as he will surrender our interests and Taiwan to them as their obedient puppet.
Yes but since trump has become President we have become vassals of Putin's Russia and we have surrendered our interests and part Kurdistan to them as their obedient puppet.
So what's the difference?
"Tiny" Taiwan's population is almost 24 million. For reference, that's about three times Israel's population.
Will someone please explain to me what China has been doing to CHALLENGE the global dominance of the United States? Seems to me that all the challenges and aggressive moves between the two countries have been initiated by the American administration and government bodies/officials, with any Chinese moves against the USA being retaliation for what the USA does - tariff trade war, interference in China's domestic affairs, intentionally provoking China over its "One China Policy", banning Chinese businesses contrary to WTO rules, contravening international diplomatic protocols, etc.
If China's minding its own business and focusing on rebuilding its economy and developing good relations with other countries is considered a challenge to the USA, I feel sorry for the USA. China's Foreign Minister did not go around the world telling nations not to deal with the USA like Pompeo has been doing about China and its industries. And when I see how the virus numbers are skyrocketing in the USA due to a president who admitted in his own words that he deliberately ignored the pandemic and purposely delayed doing anything about it, I feel sorry for the citizens of the USA, especially those who are trying to prevent his re-election.
While I agree in general, Buzz... Taiwan is a particular case. Everyone knows that China intends to absorb Taiwan, just as China has absorbed Hong Kong. It will take a while... but it will happen...
Hong Kong will be absorbed in 26 or so years in accordance with an agreement between the UK and China, which is why there is no way that China will allow the American-encouraged protesters/rioters to preempt what is bound to happen. Most of the population just wants to live and work in peace as they did before, and realize from what they see happening in the mainland that Beijing will not prevent that. If the protesters want to take up the citizenship offers they are getting from the UK and Australia, I'm sure Beijing AND the present Hong Kong government would be happy to say goodbye to them.
As for Taiwan, that's a different animal, and I really can't predict what will or will not happen there.
"China" will be an onion, with successive layers, from Beijing to... ... the other side of the world...
If the people of Hong Kong could vote for either self governance or to join China and China agreed to honor their decision which do you think they'd chose. As far as Taiwan goes it's people do not want to be part of China but China is just waiting for the opportunity to seize power there by force if necessary and unless someone is standing in their way they will eventually do it. Right now they're afraid of economic sanctions if they do it and that would cripple their economy so they'll wait but it's definitely in their long term plan.
I agree completely.
On the other hand... China...
I doubt that China wishes to or intends to "seize" Hong Kong, and that's not because of a fear of sanctions. Knowledge of China's history would teach a person that China is patient. It can wait 26 years because the result at that time is inevitable. Only a portion of Hong Kong's citizens want to fight the inevitable, and there is no way they can possibly be successful. But I'm not stopping anyone from dreaming on with the dream that America will change the whole world to be democratic with the USA as the greatest world leader in history that was and will ever be. Hey, when I was a kid I believed in Santa Claus and the tooth fairy as well.
Taiwan has no interest in being ruled by communist China. Under President Tsai Ing-wen, the democratic island has chosen to align more closely with the U.S., its most important unofficial ally and supplier of arms.
Why does China need even more territory?
Manifest Destiny?
LOL. Excellent response. This is the Encyclopedia Britannica definition of "Manifest Destiny":
However, historically, Hong Kong and Taiwan were once part of ancient China, so that it would not be a matter of "expansion" but of regaining what was lost.
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The problem with that, Buzz, is that borders move as history unrolls. If we look at the maximum extent of the great empires... they kinda sorta overlap...
Well then it's a good thing that Italy isn't demanding all they once had sovereignty over, and Great Britain no longer rules the waves, but I don't think America needs to worry that China is making claims on it, eh?
The Philippines should be good for four or five states...