The American Stance On The Taiwan Crisis

While the China – Taiwan crisis reached a new flashpoint after the arrival of US representative Nancy Pelosi in Taiwan and Washington made it clear that they support Taiwan’s right to self-defense and not its independence – yet the messages from Washington has been confusing.

Developments so far

The China-Taiwan saga still continues as the pressure is building up on all three sides. Last week a conflict started with Nancy Pelosi coming to Taipei for a ‘pre-set conference’ about human rights.

Also, China has repeatedly violated the Taiwanese airspace threatening the sovereignty of the Nation and posing a national security risk. US’s stance on this situation has been quite confusing.

US Interest in China-Taiwan

While the US intervention in the China-Taiwan crisis is sending a mixed message to China, for the world it might not be so. Taiwan’s semi-conductor exports are extremely valuable to the Western power and also Taiwan’s main source of income.

The annexation of Taiwan will also lead to the loss of territorial dominance which will pose a direct threat to US naval bases.

New policy under consideration and its effects

But pressure is building up in Washington as congress is proposing a risky bill called the Taiwan Policy Act that will officially recognize the Island as a major non-NATO ally, which in other words is a direct contradiction and violation of the One China Policy.

If this legislation is passed then the US will provide Taiwan with 4.5 billion dollars of defense assistance along with they will have the right to impose sanctions on Beijing upon any militaristic retaliation against Taiwan. While it will be a blessing to Taiwan, it will most certainly destroy the strategic ambiguity Washington has with Taipei.

But it’s not just a show of force and power for the US. The US now has the chance to restore its world image. But if the legislation is passed in Congress, it will be an absolute game changer. Because if the Chinese invasion happens then the US is legally obligated to support Taiwan with military assistance, which can also be a gamble, especially when two of the biggest economy clashes.