Trump Is Capricious, Taiwan Shouldn’t Risk its Life

  Trump Is Capricious, Taiwan Shouldn’t Risk its Life

China Times Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan)

June 21, 2018

 Translation of an Excerpt

As the fanfare and fireworks of the "Trump-Kim Summit" just ended, US President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un both believed that they were the winners. South Korea, which had facilitated the talks with all efforts, however, was shocked in bewilderment and unease by Trump, when he announced his intention to suspend US-South joint military exercises and withdraw US military forces from South Korea. Trump’s remarks were cavalier and rash; however, the fact that South Korea had no place in his heart illustrated the risks of small states relying on big powers.

For South Korea, Trump’s pronouncements were truly a slap in the face. North Korea’s artillery bombardment could directly leave Seoul in a sea of ​​fire, for this reason, South Korea has always relied on the security provided by the United States. For deploying “THAAD,” South Korea even offended China, losing large sums of revenue. Now Trump, without informing South Korea, directly announced the suspension of its joint military exercises and even the withdrawal of US forces, cavalierly dismantling the protective umbrella that South Korea has relied on for survival. South Korea has been a long-term ally of the United States; Trump, however, has not considered in the least the feelings and interests of South Korea. Instead, he and North Korea referred, in unison, to joint military exercises as “provocative,” leaving South Korea in a state of great embarrassment, as if South Korea had been the party in the wrong.

South Korea has been a long-term US ally, and in the shaping of the new situation on the Korean peninsula in the future, South Korea will also play an important intermediary and harmonizing role. Trump was oblivious to South Korea when he held talks with Kim Jong-un, partly because he has always been egocentric, and partly because big powers, when pondering on problems and taking actions, often ignore the interests of related small states. Especially for small allies, they neither dare to stand on the opposite side, nor do they have the capacity to counteract the big powers. The muscular big powers would not mind if they inadvertently hurt smaller allies; after all, they themselves do not feel anything. When small allies are slighted in times of decision-making, so be it. However, when smaller allies are harmed, affecting their tendons and bones, in a casual sweep, their feelings are even more hurt because of the passive and fragile situation resulting from their over-reliance.

The caprice of big powers could be an unbearable burden on the part of smaller allies, while the political calculations of big powers often leave smaller allies as victims. For small allies to serve a big power requires wisdom and tactics par excellence; moreover, they should never be lost, forgetting their own self-identity. By relying on other powers, hoping that “big brother” will come to the rescue for its own predicament, small allies end up being idle for self-salvation and mired in a crisis with more uncontrollable variables. Trump’s attitude towards South Korea merits Taiwan’s pondering.

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