[HOME ] [ABOUT] [PHOTOS] [VIDEO] [BLOG] [HOUSTON] [TEXAS] [U.S. NEWS] [WORLD NEWS] [SPORTS] [POP CULTURE] [CONTACT]
Taiwan hopes for Trump effect--China not impressed
by Joseph Earnest December 16, 2016
Newscast Media TAIPEI, Taiwan—Trump's remarks that recognizing a one-China policy only made sense if the US could make a deal in return, caused a lot of concern in Taiwan. Even before this, critics were speculating that Trump had no interest in Taiwan as a partner and, like a shrewd businessman, was only using Taiwan as leverage for negotiating with China and would eventually drop his obligations.
According to Canadian journalist and Taiwan researcher J. Michael Cole, Trump isn't doing anything to allay these fears. "This fear of eventually being deserted by allies has existed for a long time in Taiwan," Cole told DW.
Since official relations with the US were broken in 1979, Taiwan has conducted a successful balancing act in the diplomatic triangle between the US and China. It continues to assert its independence, has transformed into a democracy and remains under US military protection. But this fragile status quo was never static and many consider the Tsai call as having jeopardized its stability.
Since the turn of the century, China has been applying its growing geopolitical weight to slowly put more pressure on Taiwan. This includes increasing economic linkages, along with espionage and a consistent military buildup.
What can China do now in order to increase pressure on Taiwan? China's options are actually limited, even though China is Taiwan's largest trading partner. Shortly after President Tsai took office, China tried to apply its leverage on the Taiwanese economy by limiting the number of Chinese tourists travelling to Taiwan. But its aim of disrupting Taiwan's tourism sector was only partially effective. More Japanese and Korean tourists made up the difference and in 2016, Taiwan recorded a new record number of visitors. Many Taiwanese factories have also relocated their factories from China to Vietnam in recent years.
But China has many options for squeezing Taiwan. It is possible that China could lure away some of Taiwan's remaining 22 diplomatic allies, which Taiwan has been expecting for a long time. The Vatican, Taiwan's last remaining - and very symbolic - European diplomatic ally is about to reach an agreement with China and could change sides soon.
After Trump's conversation with Tsai, Chinese bombers circled Taiwan several times in a threatening display while remaining in international airspace. Chinese authorities are also making life especially difficult for Taiwanese businesspeople who show support for Tsai and own factories in China.
According to Taiwanese government insiders, even under the status-quo, the Taiwanese political scope in international space will continue to shrink. Tsai's Trump offensive was opportunistic and has gained more resonance than expected. Regardless if something good comes out of this initiative to get closer to the US, Taiwan's position continues depend on outside forces. Add Comments>>
Source: Deutsche Welle
|
|
Join the Newscast Media social networks
for current events and multimedia content.
Copyright© Newscast Media. All Rights Reserved. Terms and Privacy Policy