How the next U.S. president could shape Taiwan’s future
For decades, the U.S. government has maintained a policy of “strategic ambiguity” regarding Taiwan's independence — publicly acknowledging the "one China '' policy while unofficially keeping diplomatic ties and providing defensive support to Taiwan under the Taiwan Relations Act. However, heading into the 2024 election, David Sacks, a fellow for Asia studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, explains how the next U.S. president could be faced with a major decision over what to do if China were to pursue reunification with Taiwan through force.
Video Transcript
DAVID SACKS: From the US perspective, the status of Taiwan is unresolved. So while we acknowledge the Chinese position that there is one China and Taiwan is a part of China--
JOE BIDEN: Our One China Policy has not changed.
DAVID SACKS: --we do not endorse that view. We just essentially take note of it.
MARIO DIAZ-BALART: The support of the United States for Taiwan is firm. It's real. And it is 100% bipartisan.
DAVID SACKS: But through the Taiwan Relations Act, we have very special commitments to provide Taiwan with weapons, to maintain the military capability to come to Taiwan's defense. But it doesn't ever state a formal defense commitment or defense treaty to Taiwan. If China decided that it needed to pursue unification with Taiwan through a use of force, that would be up to the president of the United States.
I think that the US presidential election could be an even more important election for Taiwan's security than Taiwan's own presidential election that just occurred. So on the one hand, you have President Biden, who has said on four separate occasions that the United States would militarily defend Taiwan if it came under a Chinese attack.
JOE BIDEN: That's a commitment we made.
DAVID SACKS: On the other hand, you have former President Trump, who, during an interview over the summer, basically said that he wouldn't say definitively one way or the other whether he would defend Taiwan--
DONALD TRUMP: If I'm in the position of president, I don't want to say what I'm thinking.
DAVID SACKS: --and actually blame Taiwan for taking America's semiconductor industry. And of course, the Chinese are well-aware of all of these comments.
XI JINPING: [SPEAKING MANDARIN]
DAVID SACKS: So I do think the US presidential election could be a real factor here. To me, that is the real wild card.
