US-Taiwan Business Council Admits US Wasted 8 Years of Chen Administration

Chiayi tea farms.

My man Ben G just tweeted this around from the US-Taiwan Business Council Report on US-Taiwan relations.

The vacuum created in U.S. relations with Taiwan over the past 7 years leaves the possibility of a crisis in the Taiwan Strait in 2016, as China capitalizes on U.S. inattentiveness. But a “house cleaning” arms sale prior to the Taiwan election and a declaration of support for Taiwan’s TPP candidacy in the first part of 2016 would place Taiwan policy back on a stable footing and telegraph U.S. support.

Conversely, attempts to avoid a crisis by placing undue pressure on a potential DPP government to accommodate Chinese demands will instead fuel further estrangement in Taiwan, and would likely see escalating demands from China and increased cross-Strait tensions. Neither is in the best interests of the U.S.

Ben observed of that latter paragraph: US-Taiwan Business Council more or less admits that US wasted 8 yrs of Chen admin and exacerbated cross-trait tensions.

This is pretty much what we on Taiwan were screaming during the whole of the Chen Administration; indeed, Chen himself said it publicly several times. Vindication is late, but still welcome. Thanks, USTB.

Note also how the Ma Administration is referred to: a vacuum. Yup. The US worked to put him in power, and it got the Taiwan president it deserved -- someone who basically held up a middle finger to the United States for 7 years. Great work there, folks.
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