Chapter 23: Taiwan Must Learn from Israel to Defend Itself (Part I)

Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has acknowledged that the Taiwan Strait represents a potentially dangerous and precarious situation. Unlike advocates of the “abandon Taiwan” thesis, Gates believes the United States should consider abandoning its long-standing policy of “strategic ambiguity” and instead clearly inform both sides of the Taiwan Strait that neither may unilaterally resort to force, seek independence, or alter the status quo. If the Chinese Communist Party were to take unprovoked action against Taiwan, the United States would support Taiwan; if Taiwan were to unilaterally change the status quo, it would have to rely on itself. This line of thinking remains essentially a policy of appeasement. CCP aggression toward Taiwan is not contingent on misunderstanding or miscalculation, but rather follows the inevitable logic of Xi Jinping’s fusion of totalitarianism and neo-imperial authoritarianism. Whether through “strategic ambiguity” or drawing so-called “red lines,” the United States cannot change the nature of CCP power; such policies merely defer the problem to future national leaders.

“Strategic ambiguity” is now evolving into “strategic clarity.” In September 2020, Richard N. Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations, declared in Foreign Affairs that strategic ambiguity had “run its course.” Over the past year, American concern over Taiwan has intensified. Haass wrote, “For decades, this delicate situation seemed to be well managed or regulated; suddenly, people have awakened to the possibility that that era may be over.” He argued that “now is the time for the United States to adopt a policy of strategic clarity—one that clearly states that the United States would respond to any Chinese use of force against Taiwan.”

Strategic clarity has also gained momentum in the legislative branch. Republican Senator Marco Rubio and Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley introduced the Taiwan Relations Reinforcement Act, marking the second time this legislation has been proposed. Its purpose is to ensure that U.S. policy toward Taiwan more accurately reflects American values and present-day realities. The bill would establish an interagency Taiwan Policy Working Group; elevate the status of the U.S. representative to Taiwan to a position requiring Senate confirmation; create a U.S.–Taiwan Cultural Exchange Foundation; promote Taiwan’s participation in international organizations; develop measures to protect U.S. companies and nongovernmental organizations from coercion by the Chinese government; and counter China’s influence operations targeting Taiwan—thereby strengthening U.S.–Taiwan relations through institutional means.

U.S. Representatives Tom Tiffany (R-WI) and Scott Perry (R-PA) jointly introduced a resolution urging the Biden administration to restore formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Tiffany stated, “For more than 40 years, presidents of both parties have repeated Beijing’s fabricated lie that Taiwan is part of Communist China, even though objective reality shows otherwise.” He emphasized, “Taiwan is a free, democratic, and independent country, and it is time for U.S. policy to reflect this fact.” He argued that the president should abandon the outdated “One China policy” and adopt a policy that recognizes the objective reality of Taiwan as an independent country—one that is not governed by or included within the territory of the People’s Republic of China; recognize the legitimate and democratically elected government in Taipei; normalize bilateral diplomatic relations; appoint a U.S. ambassador to Taiwan; and accept a Taiwanese ambassador to the United States.

Representative Scott Perry further proposed that the United States expel the CCP from the United Nations and recognize Taiwan instead. He called for downgrading U.S.–China embassies to liaison offices, upgrading the U.S.–Taiwan liaison office back to embassy status, revoking the CCP’s seat on the UN Security Council, and restoring Taiwan’s position in the United Nations, including the Republic of China’s seat on the Security Council. The day Taiwan returns to the international community, he suggested, may not be far off.

Chinese American scholar Miles Yu (余茂春) has argued that Taiwan’s successful democratic transition is closely tied to the efforts and democratic quality of its people. He stated that Taiwan is a highly healthy society and a model democracy, adding that “all Chinese communities should learn from Taiwan.” America’s defense commitment to Taiwan, he emphasized, is not only about protecting Taiwan or preventing the CCP’s overseas expansion of power, but more importantly about defending the ideas and values Taiwan represents, as well as the valuable democratic achievements of the Taiwanese people. “These achievements,” he said, “are closely tied to America’s own destiny.”

On April 9, 2021, the U.S. Department of State officially announced the reopening of the Republic of China’s ambassadorial residence in Washington, D.C., as the formal administrative institution for bilateral diplomatic affairs, encompassing all Taiwanese consular offices in the United States. All U.S. federal agencies would no longer be constrained by the various restrictions previously imposed due to relations with the CCP. This move not only responded to the CCP’s recent escalation of military threats against Taiwan, but also further underscored in official terms that Taiwan is a long-trusted strategic partner of the United States.