Taking Sides Is Not in the Best Interests of Taiwan’s Survival

  Taking Sides Is Not in the Best Interests of Taiwan’s Survival

United Daily News Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan)

August 12, 2017

 Translation of an Excerpt

On August 8^th, President Tsai attended the “Asia-Pacific Security Dialogue” forum; in her remarks, she referred to the goals of regional security and development, and also talked about cross-Strait relations, picturing a rather complete narrative on Taiwan’s Asia-Pacific policies. However, analyzing her thinking and strategic framework, the speech is lopsided, which, we are afraid, does not conform with the path for Taiwan’s survival and development at this stage.

The framework for Asia-Pacific relations as depicted by Tsai Ing-wen has three pillars: one is "expanding international relations." Taiwan must participate in and link with the growth and development of the Asia-Pacific region. Second is that for "safeguarding regional order," Taiwan has to safeguard the existing framework for Asia-Pacific regional security and order. Third is "stabilizing cross-Strait relations," stressing maintaining the status quo and seeking a new mode for cross-Strait interactions. Summarizing her Asia-Pacific policy framework, its primary basis is Taiwan-US relations. However, viewing the realistic situation in the Asia-Pacific region, it tends to be wishful thinking.

At the beginning of the year, Beijing released a white paper on "China's Policy on Asia-Pacific Security Cooperation," comprehensibly expounding its Asia-Pacific security ideals and security framework, as well as other advocacies. However, Taiwan's regional role is different, and so is its strength; there is no need for one-upmanship. Honestly speaking, the New Southward Policy, deemed as the most important of all, was inevitably destined to be blocked by “One Road, One Belt.” Tsai Ying-wen has been doing her utmost to kowtow to Trump, but the US has no intention to "rebalance to Asia-Pacific." Tsai Ing-wen has been overtly criticizing Mainland China and satirizing it covertly; Trump’s concerns over North Korea, on the other hand, far exceed those over the South China Sea. Tsai Ying-wen’s “new model for cross-Strait relations” received a cold shoulder from the other side of the Strait; Mainland China, on the other hand, warmly welcomes the US suggestion to discuss US-China relations for the next five decades. In Asia-Pacific security and cross-Strait relations, Taiwan’s time and space are not much. Tsai Ing-wen should not just “think about it,” nor should she dream or fantasize. 

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