
How the Biden-Xi Meeting Hurt Taiwan's Autonomy
China Times, November 19, 2021
The Taiwan issue fermented after the online summit between President Joe Biden of the United States and Chinese President Xi Jinping. President Biden twice clarified America’s position, and for Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), it was just like taking a sauna. President Biden first said “Taiwan is independent, it makes its own decision,” and this made DPP overjoyed. Then, President Biden changed his words and claimed that the United States has not changed its Taiwan policy, does not encourage Taiwan independence, and encourages Taiwan to abide by the Taiwan Relations Act. The United States does not change its position of not supporting Taiwan independence, now even further dismisses its relations with Taiwan independence, its subtext is Taiwan should be self-responsible.
Taiwan Should Face Up to Biden’s New Statement
The first online meeting between Biden and Xi was held, the expectation before the meeting was deliberately depressed and the outcome of the meeting did not achieve a breakthrough. But the meeting of leaders between two major powers was of high significance and played a role in thawing the iced U.S.-China relations. Both sides will establish four working groups to actively deal with a series of issues, such as trade and climate change. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan indicated that U.S.-China relations needed continuous and normal interaction guidance of both leaders, which shows high ambitions in managing relations between two countries.
The Taiwan issue was considered as the priority issue in this Biden-Xi meeting, and much time was spent in discussing this issue, However, both sides were firm in respective position, not yielding to the other side. President Biden clearly pointed out that U.S. continued to honor its commitment to “One China” policy guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, Three Communiques, and Six Assurances. He also emphasized that United States strongly opposed unilateral change of Taiwan status quo or destruction of peace and stability of Taiwan Strait.
Xi’s response was both soft and hard. He stressed that the new round of tension in Taiwan Strait was created by Taiwan authority’s repeated attempt to “rely on U.S. to seek independence” while some people in the U.S. intended to “use Taiwan to contain China” and this was playing with fire, while "fire players will burn themselves”. At the same time, he expressed that China did have patience and would try its best with greatest sincerity to strive for peaceful unification; but if the Taiwan independence secessionists tried to provoke and compel, even to break the red line, China could not but take drastic measure.
The main purpose of Biden-Xi meeting was to manage “strategy risk” in hopes to establish appropriate “guardrail” so that both sides could manage bilateral relations responsibly to avoid intensifying tension sliding toward conflict. Though divergence between both sides did not ease, U.S.-China relations could be gradually shaped. Both sides had fully conveyed national goals and strategical intention, at the meantime, either side drew its respective red line of “no change of the status quo and opposition to Taiwan independence”, thus conducive to joint control of Taiwan Strait risk. But this would be a harm to Taiwan’s subjectivity. Taiwan would be further subject to the dynamic development of U.S-China relations.
Triggered by Mr. Biden’s “opposition to unilateral change of the status quo and destruction of peace in Taiwan Strait” remark, the Office of the President first responded that Taiwan would stick to the principle of not succumbing to pressure and not acting rashly despite greater support. The Office of the President reiterated the four-point policy in President Tsai’s National Day Address, implying that Taiwan has gained full support from the United States and is cooperating with the United States to stand against the mainland.
Taiwan Wolf Warrior Should Assume Responsibility
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) again demonstrated its “wolf warrior” resolve, harshly criticizing the misleading, and misinterpretation of the U.S. statement and position by the media of Mainland China. Publishing respective statement after high-level U.S.-China meetings has been a routine for years, this time Beijing published its press release in pursuant to this routine, the United States didn’t deny its content. The wolf-warrior MOFA rendered an impression of self-amusement, only purported for domestic consumption and propaganda.
The Taiwan issue will not cease after this Biden-Xi meeting. The day following the meeting, Biden twice made statements of clarification, he first stated: “Taiwan is independent, it makes its own decision.” Taiwan regarded this remark as gift from the heaven, barrages of news coverage by Taiwanese media reported that President Biden expressed clearly: “Taiwan is independent, it makes its own decision”. In the past, any remark made by Biden if overstepped established U.S. policy, clarification was made by the White House or Department of State; this time, Biden clarified in person stating: “the United States does not change its Taiwan policy at all”, “I said they must make decision, they meant Taiwan, not us. We would not encourage Taiwan seeking for independence, we encourage them to abide by Taiwan Relations Act. This is what we are doing, letting Taiwan make their decision”.
That Biden administration does not support Taiwan independence was first tone-set by Kurt Campbell, the Indo-Pacific Affairs coordinator of National Security Council early July. Biden himself further used reinforced tone “not support, not encourage Taiwan independence” and the crunch lies in the wording first time used by the United States “let Taiwan make its decision” seemingly indirectly responded to Xi Jinping that the United States has nothing to do with Taiwan’s action; at the meantime, warning Taiwan should be responsible for itself. Taiwan cannot neglect this new statement by President Biden.
The major consideration of the DPP’s foreign policy is to safeguard its party interest and power, even at the cost of Taiwan security. While the DPP’s unstrained manipulation of national subjugation of the populists, playing the “confront China to defend Taiwan” card, the United States is the most important security and diplomatic prop. In seeking for joint control of conflicts with China, Biden’s support of Taiwan is not without bottom line. Facing the subtle change of U.S.-China relations, the Tsai administration should pragmatically adjust its national security strategy. The opposition parties should not remain aloof, must assume the duty to right the wrong.
From: https://www.chinatimes.com/opinion/20211119003613-262101?chdtv