Understanding The Evolving Status Of Taiwan
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A satellite image of Taiwan, showing it is mostly mountainous in the east, with gently sloping plains in the west. The Penghu Islands are west of the main island., Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwan#/media/File:Taiwan_NASA_Terra_MODIS_2022-07-21.jpg (Attribution: Original image: NASA Earth Observatory/Terra/MODIS
Reprojected by Tiouraren (Y.-C. Tsai), Public Domain license: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domain, Presented at: WinderemereSun.com)
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On Wednesday, September 14, 2022, U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved The Taiwan Policy Act of 2022 (S.4428- Taiwan Policy Act of 2022) by 17 to 5. This legislation would significantly increase U.S. support for Taiwan, including provisions for $4.5 billion in security assistance for Taiwan over four year period, and support for Taiwan’s participation in international organizations, in light of increased military pressure from China on the democratically governed island of Taiwan. The strong 17 to 5 vote indicates bipartisan support for changes in U.S. policy toward Taiwan, such as treating it as a major non-NATO ally. The act also includes extensive language on sanctions toward China in the event of hostilities across the strait separating the mainland China from Taiwan. The sponsor of the bill is Senator Robert Menendez of NJ. This bill would be the most comprehensive restructuring of U.S. policy toward Taiwan since the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, the bedrock of U.S. engagement with what China views as one of its provinces since Washington opened up relations with Beijing in 1979.
The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee has now approved the Taiwan Policy Act, this is the first step toward Americans providing billions of dollars in terms of military aid to Taiwan and also making their relationship official, in the video published on Sep 15, 2022, “US Senate committee approves new Taiwan act to boost support | Latest English News | WION News“, below:
The Taiwan Policy Act has passed a vote in the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Its sponsors say it could transform U.S. policy toward Taiwan, but critics say it could stoke already tense relations between Beijing and Washington, in the video published on Sep 15, 2022, “Taiwan Policy Act Passes U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee | TaiwanPlus News“, below:
Senator Robert Menendez, the committee’s Democratic chairman, said, “We need to be clear-eyed about what we are facing,” while stressing that United States does not seek war or heightened tensions with Beijing. Senator Jim Risch, the committee’s top Republican, said, “If we want to ensure Taiwan has a fighting chance, we must act now,” and that any change in the status quo for Taiwan would have “disastrous effects” for the U.S. economy and national security.
Taiwan’s presidential office thanked U.S. Senate and said the bill will “help promote the Taiwan-U.S. partnership in many ways”, including security and economic cooperation. Hsiao Bi-khim, Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to Washington, when asked by reporters at an event at the Capitol, if any specific sanctions was discussed by the White House, responded, “We talked about integrated deterrence in a broader sense of the need to explore different tools to ensure that the status quo in the Taiwan Strait can be maintained.” Hsiao expressed gratitude to U.S. Congress for the legislation and added, “Given the complication of different views here in the United States too, we’re hoping that we can reach some consensus on security, which is our top priority.”
The committee’s approval paved the way for a vote in the full Senate, but to become law, it must also pass the House of Representatives and be signed by President Biden or win enough support to override a veto.
Taiwan is a democracy with a strong human rights record and a high standard of living. But despite the country’s economic strength and elected government, the island state struggles to receive international recognition. Even in terms of corruption, Taiwan’s track record is better than that of some European states. The problem is that Beijing regards democratic Taiwan, which seceded from the mainland in 1949, as a renegade province rather than an independent state. China is trying to isolate it internationally. Many fear that China has plans to attack Taiwan in the near future: The President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, has made it clear that his country is prepared to claim the island by military means. Beijing has been adopting this threatening stance for decades. Thus far, the goal has been to annex the island to the mainland at some undefined point in the future. China’s historically questionable worldview would see this as reunification; from Taiwan’s perspective, it would be annexation. Both countries are highly armed – a war would inevitably cost many people their lives. The film throws open a window on a nation that has been in a state of existential threat for decades; a country that is home to people who will defend their freedom at all costs – and also those who yearn for an imminent annexation with China, in the video published on Sep 16, 2022, “Taiwan conflict – Facing the threat from China | DW Documentary“, below:
With Russian and Chinese delegations in Samarkand, Taiwan is warning that ties between Moscow and Beijing are a threat. It says that for global peace, the International Community must now resist the expansion of authoritarianism, in the video published on Sep 16, 2022, “Xi-Putin meet on sidelines of SCO summit, raises concerns for Taiwan | Latest World News | WION“, below:
ABC News’ Bob Woodruff spoke with former Hong Kong residents who fled for Taiwan after China’s crackdown, who are now concerned about the island’s future, in the video published on Sep 14, 2022, “Hong Kong expats in Taiwan worry about tensions with China“, below:
China will impose sanctions on the chief executives of Boeing Defense and Raytheon over their involvement in Washington’s latest arms sales to Taiwan, a foreign ministry spokesperson said, in the video published on Sep 16, 2022, “China slaps sanctions on U.S. CEOs over Taiwan arms sale“, below:
The U.S. is considering new sanctions against China to stop the country from invading Taiwan, according to Reuters. Craig Singleton, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, joined John Dickerson to discuss the economic impact of such a move, in the video published on Sep 15, 2022, “U.S. considering sanctions against China to deter potential attack against Taiwan, report says“, below:
Watch the full version of “Face the Nation” moderator Margaret Brennan’s interview with Bi-khim Hsiao, Taiwan’s representative to the U.S., in the video published on Aug 7, 2022, “Taiwanese Rep. to the U.S. Bi-khim Hsiao | Full interview“, below:
Gathered, written, and posted by Windermere Sun-Susan Sun Nunamaker More about the community at www.WindermereSun.com
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