Richard Bush on Obama Policy

The CNA carried an account of Richard Bush's speech at a gathering of the Taiwanese American Association in Washington DC. Bush, a longtime Taiwan specialist with the US government whose work on Taiwan both academically and policywise has generally been excellent, is likely to have a strong say in Taiwan policy under Obama, and may end up with a position at AIT at some point. The CNA reported:

An American expert familiar with Taiwan affairs said Sunday that he believes the incoming U.S. government led by President-elect Barack Obama will continue policies aimed at pushing for closer relations between the United States and Taiwan.

Richard Bush, senior fellow and director of the Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution, as well as a former chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan, made the remarks at a gathering of the Taiwanese American Association in Washington, D.C.

Bush, who was also one of Obama's election campaign staff in charge of diplomatic policies, was honored at the event with an award for his distinguished contributions to U.S.-Taiwan affairs over the past several decades.

In May, Bush attended the inauguration in Taipei for Republic of China President Ma Ying-jeou as a member of the U.S. government delegation and he is widely regarded as a likely point man in handling cross-Taiwan Strait affairs in the Obama administration.

This is pretty much boilerplate -- the Obama Administration foreign policy is going to look a lot like previous American foreign policies on Taiwan. I don't know anyone educated who thinks an Obama Administration is going to be good for Taiwan, but at least it isn't going to be a shipwreck. Bush said that the Taiwan-US relationship is a two-way street, and Taiwan needs to take US priorities into account, a dig at the Chen Administration's foreign policy. Bush did say, however, that the Obama Administration is committed to fostering good relations with Taiwan.

The problem is in this paragraph:

Bush urged Taiwan to maintain an opposition party that is efficient in monitoring the administration, describing such a party as a crucial element in the maintenance of a democratic system.

If our foreign policy leadership really believes that a functional opposition is important, then why did they go to so much effort to attack the DPP during the campaign on the referendum, which not only was not going to past, but would have no effect if it did? Dozens of George Bush Administration officials spoke out on that, including Secretary of State Rice. Nor can Richard Bush and the Obama team avoid the mud on their face; they have written approvingly of this campaign.

To put that stain on US diplomacy in perspective, let me remind the reader of this. For the better part of five years, the KMT-controlled legislature blocked the special budget for the arms purchase. While the DPP was certainly not blameless, the KMT was primary obstacle to the passage of the arms bill. Sure, US officials came over a couple of times, but even when Ma Ying-jeou demonstrated his devotion to US interests by promising to pass it but then doing nothing, US officialdom maintained silence. There was criticism of "Taiwan" on the issue, but rarely did anyone point to the KMT as the source of the problem.

In other words, when the DPP proffered a pointless referendum that affected nothing and could never pass, even the US Secretary of State came out to serve China's interests on that one, but when the KMT blocked billions in cash to US corporations and American workers for weapons Taiwan desperately needed, our foreign policy establishment gave a whine, a moue, and a little what-have-you shrug. Did the Hon. Condoleeza Rice ever speak out on the behavior of the KMT? Why, after four years of blogging on this stuff, am I still asking questions like that?

The irony is even thicker because Bush said at the gathering Taiwan should build a sensible, credible deterrent on defense. Good thing US officials were all over that referendum instead of wasting time publicly criticizing the KMT at the Secretary of State level for not buying needed weapons!

Simple fact: the US followed a policy that was intended to weaken the DPP -- a pro-US party, whatever you may say about their incompetence -- and lever the pro-Beijing Ma Ying-jeou into the Presidency. Now suddenly foreign policy experts lecture Taiwan on keeping the opposition strong.

Probably should have thought of that sooner, eh?

UPDATE: Obama announced that the Deputy White House Chief of Staff will be Monica Sutphen, who has some Asia in her background, and is in the firm of Stonebridge International along with several other Obama Asia people -- said firm being a consulting firm that does business with China.

[Taiwan]