China hawks in Congress see President Biden’s recent comments on defending Taiwan as encouragement to push forward a major piece of legislation that would overhaul US policy toward the island, Politico reported on Wednesday.
Biden said Sunday that the US would send troops to defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack, marking the fourth time he made the pledge. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), who is spearheading the Taiwan Policy Act, said the comment from Biden surprised him since the White House expressed reservations about the bill.
The Taiwan Policy Act, which has been approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, would provide Taiwan $6.5 billion in military aid, give the island the benefits of being a major non-NATO ally, and require sanctions as a response to Chinese aggression against Taiwan.
After the bill was introduced by Menendez and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), the White House expressed some concerns, causing the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to make some minor changes.
“That’s why I think it’s crazy that they pushed [back] on our bill. That’s why I think some of my colleagues are off-base when they worry about ‘strategic ambiguity,” Menendez said of Biden’s Taiwan comments. “Look, the president has said this not once, not twice, but four times now … You can’t be more direct than that.”
Biden’s comments were his most explicit on Taiwan and signaled that he is abandoning the decades-old policy of strategic ambiguity on the issue, which means the US won’t say one way or the other if it will defend the island. White House officials insist there hasn’t been a change in policy, but they also didn’t walk back the remarks as they did when Biden previously said he would defend Taiwan.
China has warned that the Taiwan Policy Act would “shake the foundation” of US-China relations. The next step for the bill would be to be voted on in the Senate, but it’s not clear when that will happen. Beijing has been clear that it will respond to US provocations over the island.
On Wednesday, China reiterated that its goal is “peaceful reunification” with Taiwan. “I would like to reiterate that … we are willing to strive for the prospect of peaceful reunification with the greatest sincerity and utmost efforts,” said Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesman for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office.
While China’s goal is peaceful unification, it does not rule out the use of force, and Chinese officials have explicitly warned that US support for Taiwan’s “independence forces” could lead to war.
Biden can barely hold one thought together. The idea of strategic ambiguity is way, way, way too complex. But the idea of “Let’s Send in the Troops!” has strong emotional resonance (bang! bang! you’re dead! oops, yes, actually dead, so sorry!) and is a game stopper. No more complexity. Hmm, on the other hand, there is all the $$ ties of the Biden’s to China — so what to make of that?
Yeah – Send in the troops! But with what? They will have no weapons cause we have given all to Ukraine.
You made me laugh and then I realized how accurate you probably are…
The erstwhile “10% for the Big Guy” is easily superseded by the grateful and generous merchants of death.
Most north Americans are air heads, excluding Mexicans.
But we learned yesterday only 29% favor the war with Russia, … a flicker of hope. Tho Americans really have no say in the matter.
You are correct on both points. Sadly, representative democracy has limited input from the intelligence of the general population, even in smaller towns of less than 20k population.
I haven’t figured out how to use this forum for posts not on the same calendar day and just gave yesterday a try after looking on the contacts page for some ideas. Disqus is not cool anymore.
Mexicans are busy cutting off heads, so you’re right; no head, no air.
Luckily we have military advisors, warning him of Chinas plans to choke the United States out of the global order by controlling all of the materila resources through the advance of technology. This is why they want Taiwan, they make the chips needed to make the weapons. I’m no fan of Biden or our foreign policy but some of you seem to underestimate China’s intentions, assume they have no nefarious plans for the US once they reach their initial goals of complete hemogomy in Asia. WAKE UP. If you wait 5 more years, it’s already too late.
You are projecting.
Projecting or not, the points seem well made…
It’s pretty convincing they’re wholly focused on internal development.
No, I’m not. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uLDtav8aMU&ab_channel=HooverInstitution
https://www.theregister.com/2022/09/14/special_competitive_studies_project_report/
Sorry, I don’t mean to be combative, but think about the big picture, of course, projecting, is part of forecasting and planning. Think about the aggressiveness and covertness, and you realize, you don’t get to pick your side, unless you a dual citizen. I’m not.
The dynamic of Chinese history for a thousand years has been centripetal, famously building a wall around itself and shunning “foreign devils”. Until very recently it was unbelievably backwards and still has immense internal problems, and with a desperate need to develop. The BRI is conceived of as a way to acquire the latest and best science and tech, providing markets for its workers to sell their surplus, and acquiring capital to further propel economic growth. Its government is based on state capitalism thereby limiting the predatory excesses so typical of those based on private capital.
The Hoover Institute is famously Western imperialist and latterly Neocon.
So what? What team are you one? Your own? Do you live in China?
It is perfectly safe until u hit a wall
America wants to keep Taiwan separate from and hostile to China because our war-happy Neocons could potentially use Taiwan as a base to someday destabilize/attack Red China.
What the US/NATO has done in Ukraine against Russia could be transferred and played out against China using Taiwan as our base. Zio-America loves democracy. Zio-America war!
WWIII will be fought on three fronts: Asia, Eurasia and the Middle East. Time to buy a condo in So. Chile, Argentina or South Africa. The ones in Argentina also come with furniture. The future of mankind will be in the global south if WWIII does happen.
Sound advice and thank you.
Sound advice and thank you.
Congress is full of chickenhawks who will happily send others to die over a Chinese island while they find mysterious bone spurs themselves.
A war with China will destroy this country economically and militarily. And sadly people will only start noticing that when the draft notices start arriving, just like they are now arriving in Russia. Maybe this is how the empire will really end, by listening to the fanatics like Menendez and Carlson.