(Source from Reuters/Alamy)The “one China” principle means that the Chinese continent, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan are inseparable and therefore there is only one legitimate Chinese government. If applied to the Taiwan issue, it means that Taiwan will not be recognized as a country after all.
In response, the U.S. and China reached an agreement from the process of establishing diplomatic ties in the 1970s, and the agreement has not yet been destroyed.
However, the gap between the U.S., which is strengthening relations with Taiwan, and China, which is raising the level of armed protests against Taiwan in protest, is growing to a level that is hard to seal.
When asked if he would defend Taiwan during China’s invasion of Taiwan, U.S. President Joe Biden said on CBS’ in-depth interview program “60 Minutes,” which aired on the 18th (local time), “In fact, if there is an unprecedented attack, I will do so.”
In response to Biden’s fourth public defense statement on Taiwan, National Security Council (NSC) Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell said on the 19th, “The U.S. policy has not changed,” adding, “I think our policy is consistent, unchanged, and will continue.”It meant that the “one China” policy was not officially changed.
“I don’t think the U.S. ‘One China’ policy in the first place directly recognized China’s sovereignty over Taiwan,” a South Korean diplomatic expert said on the 20th. “The U.S. law on Taiwan promises military support while maintaining strategic ambiguity over whether Taiwan is a sovereign country.”
When the U.S. established diplomatic ties with China and severed ties with Taiwan in 1979, it enacted the Taiwan Relations Act to provide Taiwan with self-defense measures and to intervene in case of emergency.The diplomatic expert added, “Now, the U.S. should be seen as showing its willingness to intervene while maintaining ‘strategic ambiguity’ in international law.” Some point out that the “one China” policy and the policy of military supporting Taiwan if Taiwan is attacked by China are not politically compatible. Craig Singleton, a researcher at the U.S. Foundation for Democracy and Protection (FDD), told Reuters, “It is inconsistent to promise to fight for Taiwan and to argue that the U.S. policy on Taiwan has not changed, saying that Taiwan will make its own judgment on independence.” One notable trend is that the U.S. commitment to defend Taiwan is becoming increasingly clear, while one Chinese policy is gradually fading. The U.S. State Department deleted the content of “Taiwan is part of China” and “The U.S. does not support Taiwan’s independence” from the “Fact Sheet” updated on May 5, drawing strong backlash from China.
The phrase “Taiwan does not support independence” was belatedly restored, but the expression “Taiwan is a part of China” was not restored. In addition, a joint statement at the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting released on the 3rd of last month said, “There is no change in one Chinese policy in the applicable situation.” The expression “where applicable” is usually used to mean “if there is an issue” in various contracts, and it is evaluated that it reflects the U.S. view that does not regard one Chinese principle at all.
As such, the U.S. has stated externally that it maintains a “one China” policy, but is gradually stepping back on the issue of recognizing “China’s sovereignty over Taiwan,” which is at its core.On the other hand, China says that the one-China principle is the “base” of U.S.-China relations and that it can never yield.Against this backdrop, it is said that the U.S. “Taiwan Policy Bill,” which allows military support on the basis of considering Taiwan as a de facto ally of the U.S., has the explosive power to amplify the “one China” conflict between the two countries. The bill passed the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the 14th. In the end, the observation that if the gap between the two highest-level officials increases without seeking a point of contact between the two countries over “One China,” it could spark a clash between the U.S. and China is expected to gain strength.
TED PARK
ASIA JOURNAL
