The USA under Joe Biden has lost the plot about how to go about framing and practising foreign policy. From one region of the world to another, the USA has been losing the strong hand it had for the longest time maintained. Now after making all the efforts to make Taiwan a bulwark against CCP’s expansionist designs, the U.S. policy coordinator for the Indo-Pacific Kurt Campbell has suggested the country hold off on making a clear statement on whether it will defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack, saying there are “significant downsides” to such a move.
The fact that the USA, on one hand, has been bolstering the defences of Taiwan and, on the other hand, giving a comforting piece of news for Beijing in case it wants to invade Taiwan. Campbell on Tuesday (May 4) during a discussion hosted by the Financial Times said concern about the situation in the Taiwan Strait is justified, with China ramping up military aggression near and around Taiwan’s borders. He said he believes both Washington and Beijing agree maintaining a status quo over the East Asian nation is in their best interests, Reuters reported.
Earlier, U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price remained silent during a press conference on Thursday (April 22) when asked if the US is considering selling long-range cruise missiles to Taiwan. When asked if the State Department is in talks with Taiwan about missiles and if the US is willing to sell such weapons to the East Asian nation, the spokesperson said Washington’s commitment to Taipei is “rock solid.”
As earlier reported by TFIGlobalnews, the Biden administration was set to approve its first arms sale to Taiwan. Under former President Donald Trump administration, the United States and Taiwan had enjoyed extremely cordial relations. The Trump administration had approved numerous arms deals in the face of growing Chinese belligerence. But since Biden has ascended the office, China’s intrusion activities have grown manifolds. While the Biden administration has continuously said that the US commitment to Taiwan remains rock-solid, its silence on the latest arms deals suggests otherwise.
The policy coordinator noted that actual short- and medium-term risks will be from “accidents and inadvertence,” given the proximity of American and Chinese forces. It is important to build confidence between Washington and Beijing and ensure communication in moments of crisis, said U.S. policy coordinator for the Indo-Pacific Kurt Campbell.
Campbell said the new confidence-building measures are similar to the checks and balances put in place during the Cold War, but China has been hesitant to use them.
