The Republican and Democrat parties have concluded their national conventions and both mentioned Taiwan in their platforms. Although the Republican platform reference is longer and talks about defense of the island, both political documents tend to support the longstanding “strategic ambiguity” that clouds Taiwan’s international status.
The party platforms do make it clear that Taiwan’s status remains unresolved but they both lack a timetable to resolution.
The Republicans support the Taiwan Relations Act and state, “The US and Taiwan are united in our shared belief in fair elections, personal liberty and free enterprise.”
The Democrats state, “We are committed to a ‘one China’ policy and the Taiwan Relations Act, and will continue to support a peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues that is consistent with the wishes and best interests of the people of Taiwan.”
Former director of the American Institute in Taiwan, Nat Bellocchi, who served five years (1990-1995) as United States’ defacto ambassador to the exiled Republic of China, is critical of the two parties and has said it is time to change U.S. foreign policy in an open letter published in the Taipei Times on Friday.
Bellocchi wrote that the Democratic “one China” policy is out of touch with the times: “The problem with this statement is that it refers to an anachronistic “one China” concept dating back to the 1970s. Taiwan was not a democracy at the time. It was ruled by a Chinese Nationalist government which had come from China and maintained the pretense that it represents China.”
Bellocchi continued, “The “one China” policy that the US has followed since the 1970s breeds instability in the Taiwan Strait by sending ambiguous signals to both the US’ allies and rivals.”
“The cumulative result of the “one China” policy practiced over successive US administrations has been to box the people of Taiwan into a state of perpetual political limbo, while emboldening the autocratic regime across the Strait to expand its military capacity at a rate that is unsettling to all of its neighbors,” said Bellocchi.
Bellocchi concluded, “The US must now adopt a “one China, one Taiwan” policy to make it clear that the future of Taiwan cannot be negotiated over the heads of its people, but rather should be determined by the people of Taiwan, through a referendum or other democratic mechanism.”
Bellocchi’s comments were published on the eve of the 61st anniversary of the signing of the San Francisco Peace Treaty that declared the United States to be the “principal occupying power” over Taiwan following World War II. The Republic of China in-exile was installed by the United States as an occupation government after the surrender of Japan and continues to control the island creating tension with the People’s Republic of China.
One issue left unaddressed by the Republicans and Democrats at their conventions was the pending ROC request to buy advanced F-16 warplanes from the United States. President Barack Obama has thus far declined to approve the military sale while challenger Mitt Romney has not stated his position on the weapons.
For further information on Taiwan’s unresolved status
Source: Michael Richardson - Boston Progressive Examiner
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