The British Protected Taiwan for Eight Years/The Taiwan of the World! Scholars reveal that Tsai Ing-wen has achieved “these three points”: the internationalization of the Taiwan issue | Politics | Sanli News Network SETN.COM

Reporter Gao Yifan/Reporting from Taipei

▲Taiwan-U.S. relations have reached the best level in history during Tsai Ing-wen’s tenure (picture/reproduced from Tsai Ing-wen’s Facebook)

President Tsai Ing-wen will step down from office after eight years on May 20. In terms of diplomacy, the most talked about thing is the substantial progress in “Taiwan-US relations”; in addition, in relations with China, she will maintain relations without provocation or surrender. The current situation has received international recognition. However, under the influence of China’s Wolf Warrior diplomacy, 10 diplomatic countries have been cut off in the past eight years. In this regard, Professor Wang Hongren of the Department of Political Science at National Cheng Kung University said that Tsai Ing-wen’s administration has enhanced Taiwan’s visibility and has three main successes, including internationalizing the Taiwan issue, strengthening relations between Europe and the New Southbound Countries, and making the Taiwan issue a bipartisan consensus in the United States. He also said that whether relations with diplomatic countries can be controlled and prevented in advance can be reviewed.

Since taking office in 2016, Tsai Ing-wen has insisted on maintaining the status quo and proposed “four persistences” to seek to deepen cooperation with democratic countries and maintain regional peace and stability. During the three-year epidemic, Taiwan has gained attention from the international community through the “circle of kindness”.

“Taiwan-U.S. relations are the best in history.” This sentence is not only boasted by our country, but also described by the United States. Foreigners shared that the progress of Taiwan-U.S. relations can be divided into six major projects, including “strengthening security cooperation relations”, “promoting multi-faceted bilateral economic and technological initiatives”, “the United States has relaxed its rules for exchanges with Taiwan and continues to help us expand international space” “, “Positive interaction between Taiwan and the United States high-level leaders”, “The United States will continue to show strong cross-party support for us”, and “Work together to demonstrate the value of global partnership.”

These include more than 20 U.S. arms sales to Taiwan; the use of the “Presidential Appointment Authority” (PDA) military aid to Taiwan; the signing of the “Taiwan-U.S. 21st Century Trade Initiative”; the then Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi led a delegation Visits; Tsai Ing-wen transited the United States to meet with then Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy, as well as many visits from U.S. administrative officials and cross-party congressmen.

▲ Pelosi (middle) caused a sensation in Taiwan when she visited (picture/reproduced from the American Institute in Taiwan AIT Facebook)

Professor Wang Hongren of the Department of Political Science at National Cheng Kung University analyzed that Tsai Ing-wen has increased Taiwan’s visibility in the past eight years. Although the external efforts of diplomats do not differ due to the rotation of political parties, they all prioritize national interests. However, the strategies of the Democratic Progressive Party and the Kuomintang are still the same. different.

Wang Hongren pointed out that what the Tsai administration has done is, first, not to let the Taiwan issue become China’s internal affairs issue. The strategy for the past eight years has been to “internationalize the Taiwan issue.” If there are problems on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, it will involve the interests of Japan, South Korea, the United States and other countries.

Second, Wang Hongren said that strengthening relations with Europe, such as Britain, France, Eastern European countries, etc.; in addition, India has a greater focus on relations with new southbound countries, while Indonesia focuses on social strata, such as student exchange, trade, labor, etc. , there are more contacts; third, relations with the United States have improved and become a consensus between the two parties in the United States.

▲Tsai Ing-wen meets with McCarthy (right) in the United States. The Taiwan issue is a consensus between the two parties in the United States (Photo/Provided by the Presidential Office)

As for areas that still need improvement, Wang Hongren said that in the past eight years, we have tried our best to maintain friendly relations with all countries, but we have done so in a loose manner. When the international situation changes in the future, some countries have not been so good in the past and need to strengthen it now.

Wang Hongren gave an example. First, the Philippines, the United States, Japan and the Philippines recently held a trilateral summit, which shows that the Philippines plays an important role in the Indo-Pacific strategy. Second, Europe such as Germany and the European Union need to pay more attention to it. The European Commission will be re-elected in June. , this is a new opportunity that can be won over in the second half of the year.

However, in the past eight years, the Tsai Ing-wen administration has severed diplomatic relations with 10 countries, China has banned the import of agricultural products from my country, the cross-strait travel ban has not melted, and China has activated the M503 connection line. This also shows that cross-strait relations have become rigid and there is no real progress.

Wang Hongren pointed out that this is a matter of trade-offs. Some scholars claim to have a “risk-avoidance” policy, but this is an outdated idea and “cannot be chosen” in the current environment. He said that former President Ma Ying-jeou’s government promoted cross-strait détente, but Western countries would question its pro-China stance, even if it wants reunification. What’s the point of talking about the Taiwan issue? Taiwan’s sovereignty, stance, and independence have been covered up in the illusion of peace.

However, Wang Hongren also said that it can be reviewed whether the situation of intelligence collection can be grasped and prevented first, which may reduce the chance of severing diplomatic relations. For example, there is a half chance that it can be restored. But he also emphasized that the CCP also needs to bear some responsibilities.

▲Tsai Ing-wen leaves behind a “Taiwan of the world.” (Photo/Provided by the Presidential Office)

Tsai Ing-wen once said that if someone asked her what she left behind for Taiwan, she would say that she left behind a “Taiwan of the world.” She said that after eight years, Taiwan is now known to the world, and more and more people know clearly “where our hometown is.”