The US-Taiwan relationship today is all but frozen, increasing the level of anxiety in Taiwan as it tries to cope with a rising China. One hears this anxiety in conversations with officials in Taipei and in the flurry of public exhortations recently offered by President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) concerning Taiwan’s defense needs.
Taiwan’s outreach to China is predicated on strong US-Taiwan ties. Ma has delivered on the outreach; it is the US that is failing to do its part. And that makes Taiwanese nervous.