Taiwan Reactions to the Taiwan Policy Act of 2022
Summary Report by Taiwan Weekly
The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed the “Taiwan Policy Act” on September 14, 2022, authorizing US$6.5 billion foreign military financing and loan guarantee to Taiwan from 2023 to 2027 and designating Taiwan as a non-NATO ally. Director Su Tzu-yun of the National Security Research Division, Institute of National Defense and Security Research, thought that the Taiwan Policy Act implied that both the U.S. administration and Congress assumed 2027 is the year of highest risk for China’s invasion of Taiwan.
Tang Shao-cheng, researcher at Institute of International Relations, National Chengchi University, opines that the purpose of the Taiwan Policy Act is to lure both sides of the Taiwan Strait into war so that the United States can reap the benefit. This Act will push mainland China and Taiwan to the brink of war by forcing Xi Jinping to step up mainland China’s pace to resolve the Taiwan issue.
Su Chi, chairman of Taipei Forum and former secretary-general of the National Security Council, believes that if passed both houses of the U.S. Congress and signed into law in its original form, the Taiwan Policy Act would bring war. Su Chi added that the U.S. is in a heated midterm election campaign period of time, members of Congress and senators facing re-election are making every effort to win votes. Not even President Biden can do anything about it.
Su stated that the United States purposely took legislative actions before the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party. If the original draft passed without change, it would deal a heavy blow to Xi Jinping’s leadership. Xi will have to respond if he intends to keep his job.
Dean Chao Chien-min of the College of Social Sciences, Chinese Culture University, mentioned that based on his knowledge of the fragility of the U.S.-China relations and the Cross-Strait relations, President Biden would try to take measures to quell Beijing’s anger and those measures could be disadvantageous to Taiwan. Chao thought the Taiwan Policy Act could not be interpreted as an improvement of U.S.-Taiwan relations. Instead, it should be regarded as “Taiwan becoming a proxy of war in the fight for global dominance between the United States and China”.
Chao considers that Taiwan should know clearly that the Taiwan Policy Act is not friendly toward Taiwan; Rather, it is the United States playing the Taiwan card that is most effective in dealing with China. But this is a period when Beijing is on a historic path to a great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, there is no way that Xi Jinping will make concessions to the United States.
Former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Kuo Cheng-liang indicated that the Taiwan Policy Act was equivalent to an announcement that the United States would not send troops to support Taiwan because in the proposed sanctions against China the occupation of Taiwan was one of the causes. In other words, even when China succeeded in taking over Taiwan using force, the toughest measures against China would be sanctions against some Chinese officials. The Act doesn’t even mention the U.S. President is authorized to use force to intervene the war in the Taiwan Strait. It still maintains ambiguity by leaving the decision of sending forces to the President.
Spokesman Chang Tun-han of the Office of the President stated on September 15 that the Taiwan Policy Act would strengthen the security cooperation and deepen the economic relations between the United States and Taiwan. Chang said It would also increase Taiwan’s participation in international affairs and promote Taiwan’s multifaceted cooperation and partnership with the United States.
Deputy Spokesperson Tsui Ching-lin of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentioned that it would keep close communication with the U.S. Congress and the executive branch and hoped to move the legislation forward in this Congressional session.
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Cheng Chien-jen indicated that the United States is most concerned with its own interests. Although the United States is willing to help Taiwan, but it doesn’t want to go all in. Once the Taiwan Policy Act is passed in its original version, it will make the U.S.-China-Taiwan relations gravely unstable, so the U.S. administration has to get involved now. There will be room for change in the Senate deliberation phase and House of Representative legislative process in the future.
Alexander Huang, associate professor at Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies, Tamkang University, gave an analysis in saying that there are many factors involved whether the Taiwan Policy Act will complete necessary legislative process before next January. If mainland China reacted very strongly at this moment, it could spur the Congress to speed up its passage. If the mainland side could downplay its reaction, giving the Act a chance to cool down, then it may just reset to zero next January.
Spokesman Mao Ning of mainland China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to the Taiwan Policy Act by saying that China is vehemently against the Act and has made solemn representations to the U.S. side and will take all necessary countermeasures.
Mao held that the Act seriously contradicts the U.S. promises on the Taiwan issue to China and is contrary to the “One China” principle and Three Joint Communiques, and it also interferes in China’s internal affairs. Depending on its development and final outcome, China will take all necessary measures to defend resolutely its national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Spokeswoman Zhu Fenglian of the mainland’s Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council denounced the Act as ridiculous and full of loopholes and being an absolute vicious bill. Li Qingsi, a mainland Chinese scholar on international relations, believes that if the Taiwan Policy Act became law, China’s reactions would be much stronger than the military drills in early August against the Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
From:
https://www.chinatimes.com/newspapers/20220916000341-260118
https://udn.com/news/story/123025/6618867