US actions fail to match its words on Taiwan question

The United States often sends mixed signals regarding the Taiwan question, with its words failing to match its actions, a US expert said.

David Firestein, inaugural president and CEO of the George H. W. Bush Foundation for US-China Relations, said the US' recent record arms package for China's Taiwan region is the clearest evidence that Washington's Taiwan policy contains the most pronounced gap between what US leaders say and what they do.

In an interview with China Daily, Firestein noted that US leaders continue to insist there is continuity in the nation's policy.

"The United States has said that nothing has changed in terms of the US approach to Taiwan. We say that everything's the way it was, our policy remains unchanged, that we are still looking at it through the prism of the one-China principle," he said.

But the facts on the ground, especially the latest weapons transfer, tell a different story, Firestein said.

"If you look at the actual actions of the United States ... dating back to 2017 in particular, I think you do see some very significant changes in the way that the United States approaches Taiwan."

He listed a number of policy signals that, in his view, have culminated in the arms surge. "We've seen some of the language change. We've seen some of the website material change. We've seen the passage of the Taiwan Travel Act … (and) the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act," he said.

"Trump is the US president who has now delivered more armaments to the shores of Taiwan than any other president in American history," he added.

The Trump administration announced on Dec 24 an $11.1 billion arms sales to Taiwan, the largest-ever US weapons package for the island, pending approval by Congress.

In response, Beijing announced on Friday that it would take countermeasures against 20 US military-related companies and 10 senior executives who have engaged in arming Taiwan in recent years.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theater Command launched on Monday a large-scale, interservice military exercise around the island of Taiwan following recent provocative actions of the US regarding the Taiwan question.

Firestein noted that the US says it wants a "peaceful resolution", but "what we say — what the US says — and what we do, I think, don't line up".

In reality, he added, "it's the intention and the desire of the United States to do everything in its power to prevent the reunification of the mainland and Taiwan" — even if "that's not what we say".

Meanwhile, on multiple social media platforms, some netizens urged the US to stop interfering in the Taiwan question.

A netizen named Rebecca, a resident of Michigan, posted a comment under a story in The New York Times. "I don't foresee American soldiers going over there," she said, adding that the US "doesn't want to spend money there".

"All these people calling for US military 'defense' of Taiwan don't care about the US budget deficit or the US federal debt," she said.

Contact the writers at?huanxinzhao@chinadailyusa.com