America's "special" Asian relationship

The Taiwan Relations Act turns 30. Is it still relevant?

By Jonathan Adams
Published: April 10, 2009 10:21 ET
Updated: April 11, 2009 07:29 ET
Page 2 of 2

Most surprising, the Kuomintang — who once swore up and down they would have nothing to do with commie "bandits" — have now become bosom buddies with the Chinese Communist Party.

Since it took power a year ago, a new KMT administration has sidled up to Beijing to forge closer economic links. The next round of talks, due next month or June, will address banking ties and crime-fighting.

Some optimists are even talking peace deal.

"Because of the new situation, Taiwan-China relations are quite different from 30 years ago," said Lin Cheng-yi, from Taiwan's Academia Sinica. "Some might argue that the current government is pursuing a policy of 'creeping unification.'"

All of which leads to the question: Is it time to rewrite — even scrap — the Taiwan Relations Act, to fit new realities?

A growing number of experts think so. One is Robert Sutter, formerly with the CIA and State Department, and one of America's top Asia hands. In a recent paper, Sutter argues that U.S. policy is obsolete, as China ups its diplomatic, economic and military edge over Taiwan.

"Recent developments suggest that the longstanding notion of U.S.-supported balance in the Taiwan Strait is no longer viable in the face of ever-increasing Chinese influence over Taiwan," he wrote.

Still, there are several reasons why the Taiwan Relations Act probably won't be eighty-sixed anytime soon.

For one, Taiwan would strongly object. As friendly as Taipei may be getting with China, it still craves global recognition. The Taiwan Relations Act is the next best thing to formal recognition from America — so any tinkering would be viewed with alarm.

"Does the TRA in practice imply statehood for Taiwan?" asked Andrew Hsia, Taiwan's vice foreign minister, at the forum. "We believe so."

Other experts note that although the Taiwan Relations Act may be outdated, Taiwan is so far down Obama's priority list that it's unlikely to be changed.

Wang, the AIT official, took an "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach at the forum. "[U.S.] policy has worked for the past 30 years," Wang said. "So there's no urgency in Washington or elsewhere in wanting to change this."

Read more GlobalPost dispatches about Taiwan:

Apple sends twitters through Taiwan

The dragon sharpens its claws

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Posted by Borwen Chu on April 10, 2009 15:49 ET

The Taiwan Relations Act is a unique U.S. domestic law that governs foreign policy. It blends U.S. values and interests. Over the last three decades, the TRA has provided the institutional cornerstone for unofficial relations between the U.S. and Taiwan. It has offered the strongest guarantees by Washington to safeguard Taiwan's democracy, human rights and economy. It has also provided Taipei with the self-defense capability to resist any use of force or coercion that could jeopardize Taiwan. Taiwan's existence as a multi-party democracy and a free market economy relate to important U.S. interests. On Mar. 24 this year, the House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution reaffirming Congress’ unwavering commitment to the TRA. The next day, a group of 30 U.S. senators, led by James Inhofe and Tim Johnson wrote to President Barack Obama, urging him to reaffirm Washington's commitment to Taiwan to mark the 30th anniversary of the enactment of the TRA. In meeting with U. S. Congressional Taiwan Caucus Co-Chair Lincoln Diaz-Balart and Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart on April 7, Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou said that since taking office, he and his administration have worked to improve relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, helping to foster peace between Taiwan and mainland China. He added that this initiative is extremely important in the context of the Taiwan Relations Act and America's dutiful implementation of the law.

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