President Trump on Wednesday declined to say whether or not the US would defend Taiwan if China attacked the island.
The president was asked if he would make it his policy to ensure “China never takes Taiwan by force” and replied, “I never comment on that. I don’t comment because I don’t ever want to put myself in that position.”
For decades, the US has maintained a policy known as “strategic ambiguity” related to the potential defense of Taiwan, where it would not say one way or the other if the US would intervene.
The purpose of strategic ambiguity is to avoid antagonizing China or emboldening Taiwan into thinking it would have US backing in a war. President Biden broke from this policy, repeatedly declaring he would intervene to defend Taiwan if China attacked, significantly raising tension with Beijing.
By not commenting, Trump has returned to the policy of strategic ambiguity, although his administration is stacked with China hawks and is expected to continue increasing military and diplomatic support for Taiwan. Trump also said that the US is going to “have a good relationship with China,” although he is significantly ramping up the trade war.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio was also asked about Taiwan in an interview with Fox News and said the US would work to “prevent” China from attacking Taiwan, signaling the Trump administration will continue providing military support, which is done in the name of deterrence but risks provoking Beijing.
The State Department under Rubio has removed a line from its fact sheet on Taiwan that said the US “does not support Taiwan independence,” a move that angered China.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said the change to the fact sheet caused “severe damage to China-US relations” and threatened “peace and stability” in the Taiwan Strait.
There goes Dave again, making a mountain out of a molehill, anything to blame Trump.
Dave cites 2 contradictions to his assertion. No sale Dave.
I recall Crook Biden being uncertain about defending Taiwan early in his term.
Ambiguity is not policy, Dave.
The USA is sailing warships through the strait. Is that ambiguous Dave?
I finally figured out what you’re a prisoner of: Your imagination.
Prison is a perfect place for Imagination…!
"Strategic ambiguity" = "mealy mouthed". "There's only one China, ruled in Beijing, BUT……" Especially when it did include "The US does not support Taiwan independence". Now without it included, can Taiwan start referring themselves as the Republic of China officially again, or would they have to call themselves something else? 😉 This is all about the strategic location of the isle of Formosa, basically a giant "aircraft carrier" for the Empire 87 miles off the Mainland China coast, which China has big issues with, to say the least. They at least have a traditional claim to the island except for a what, 65 years or so as a possession of Japan , taken in the previous Sino-Japanese war, then given back to China after the surrender. Then claimed by the breakaway Chiang Kai Shek Kuomintang as the "Republic of China". Which of course the US recognized as the legitimate government of China. Sets another precedent for it being China's territory, regardless of what one might think of the PRC government. And those chips, we can't let those CCP's get them, can we? Forget that the Taiwanese company that manufactures them has plants on the mainland too, prompting us to threated to (at least) blow them (in Taiwan) up if China tries to "take" the island. Which we seem to be desperately trying to make them want to. Hopefully they won't take the bait and trigger another reginal war in the world.
Red China never had Taiwan ss part of it.
The timing was tight. Japan lost the war, along with its colonies (like Taiwan). Taiwan was given back to China, who'd had it before Japan took it in the late 1800's as the winner of the Sino-Japanese War. The Kuomintang, having lost to the Communists at the end of WWII, fled to the island, calling it the legitimate government of China. Which the US of course recognized. To "us" Taiwan was China. The Second Communique recognized the Beijing government as the rightful government of China, and that Taiwan was part of China, that would eventually, peacefully, be reunited. Along with the mealy-mouthed "strategic ambiguity" policy. The real upsetting of the applecart occurred a couple years ago when Pelosi made her infamous, instigative-to-the-PRC trip to Taipei.
“The Second Communique recognized the Beijing government as the rightful government of China, and that Taiwan was part of China”
No. The US “acknowledged the Chinese position that there is but one China and Taiwan is part of China.”
I can acknowledge that you believe you are the reincarnation of Elvis without recognizing you as the reincarnation of Elvis.
Ok, wise guy. 😉 I guess I should have looked it up , it's been a while since I read it. Not "challenging the position" is actually in the First Communique, so I was incorrect there. In the Second the US RECOGNIZED that the PRC was the sole legal government of China, with commencement of normal relations. Formal political relations with the "ROC" were ended, but kept "cultural" and "economic" ties. From the First: "all Chinese on either side of the Taiwan Strait maintain there is but one China and that Taiwan is a part of China" and that the "United States Government does not CHALLENGE that position", and that it "reaffirms its interest in a peaceful settlement of the Taiwan question by the Chinese themselves".[Emphasis mine] So a peaceful solution is sought, and was looking that way for a while until the Biden Administration decided to stir the hornets' nest. Fact is, we sort of secretly don't WANT a unification because we want to keep at least what hegemony (economically AND militarily) we have in a hemisphere that our nation doesn't actually occupy. Hence, the need for "ambiguity" (evasiveness). By the way, the US got what they wanted in North and South America by way more violent means that the PRC is employing, but we now we want to call the game.
“In the Second the US RECOGNIZED that the PRC was the sole legal government of China”
Yes — and acknowleged the PRC’s claim that Taiwan is part of China.
Sorry, stuck on “didn’t challenge the position”. 🙂 It’s all a US hegemony-related, trouble instigating crock in my perhaps unworthy opinion, anyway.
Yes – like we acknowledged the ROC's claim that Taipei was the capital of the entirety of China from 1949 to 1979.
I guess Taiwan does not have rare earth metals.
Maybe if the Trump sovereign wealth fund invests heavily in TSMC then US will step up to protect its investment?
Trump and his tv anchor secretary of defense would cave into China if China attacked Taiwan.
Trump knows how to produce a show.
"All that glitters is not gold" but he makes it so and people (well half of them) eat it up. he also knows that people love suspense. Keep them guessing for the net episode. Remember the old soap operas on TV? I watched about a couple of episodes and that was it. Yet people could not wait for the next week to see what happens next.
The Twilight was a Hollywood example…!
Trump wants to be unpredictable… But China knows better…!
Trump also declined to say whether the US would Defend Taiwan if Taiwan declared independence. Unless recently changed in some secret communication, the US' position has been that neither side should change the status quo.
Deliberate ambiguity?!!!
;-/
China needs to be smart and not let itself be painted into a corner re this where their only nationally acceptable option will be military like Russia's became in Ukraine. Taiwan needs to be smart enough to avoid the Ukraine fate also.