Nice Article by Mr. Tkacik

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2009/04/29/2003442283

A very well written article by Mr. Tkakik. A few points in the article that I find them a bit shocking but actually explain a lot of my puzzling over the US policy on Taiwan:

Point 1:

Unfortunately, “geostrategic considerations,” when it comes to Taiwan (or China, for that matter) have long been absent in Washington policy circles. Former intelligence officer and White House Asia expert Robert Suettinger, in his book Beyond Tiananmen, admits that “the notion that American policy [toward China] is directly driven by strategic considerations ... is grossly inaccurate.” It had been driven instead by business pressures — if not by sheer intellectual inertia — long after the US’ strategic imperatives with proudly authoritarian China evaporated in the 1992 collapse of the Soviet Union and the 1989 reversal of China’s political reforms at Tiananmen.

I found this paragraph a bit shocking because I always thought the US official would be on top of things but looks like they weren't. That actually explains one of the reason why sometimes I feel the US Taiwan policy to be constantly inconsistent and contradictory to the general US principles...and a lot of times seem to go against Taiwan's interests.

Point 2:

“Fantasy” indeed. As my friend Yuan Peng, a think tank researcher for China’s intelligence services, has written: “In the world today, virtually all of America’s adversaries are China’s friends.” You name them: North Korea, Burma, Iran, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Syria, Hamas (through Syria) and Hezbollah, have I missed any? China gives them both weapons they use in the field and diplomatic cover they need in the UN. Why? As China’s foremost US expert, professor Wang Jisi (王緝思), has said: “Facts prove that it is beneficial for [China’s] international environment to have the United States — both militarily and diplomatically — deeply and inextricably sunk in the Middle East.” This has nothing to do with Taiwan, and everything to do with China’s freedom of action in Asia.

I have been suspicious about this for some time, but I never piece the evidences together...after reading this paragraph, a lot of things happened in the past few years start to make a lot of sense.


After reading this article a lot of things seem to become clear to me...a lot of "why" in my mind seem to find their answers...very nicely written.