An unofficial American delegation comprising two retired senior government executives including former National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley and former Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg arrived in Tai Pei to convey a congratulatory message and reiterate US unhindered support for the newly elected President and his government the day after. The so-called unofficial delegation carried forward US strategic objectives in its host nation in the disguise of a private trip by offering rich tribute to the newly elected leader and assuring him of continued US support to self-ruled autonomous Island in the face of ongoing threat from Beijing. The trip of former US executives caused great concerns in Beijing, which claims the sole property rights of the island nation considering a part of its territory and is always ready to assimilate the tiny state into mainland China by use of force if necessary.
Historically, the Chinese government has used all its cards during the recently held electoral contest in Taiwan. Beijing is a staunch opponent of ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP), the incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen and President-elect William Lai Ching-te for their pro-US and anti-China policies over the past years. The Chinese government criticized Mr. Lai was a separatist and cast the election as a choice between peace and war. Amid coercion and intimidation from Beijing, the Taiwanese voters swept the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) presidential candidate Lai Ching-te into power, strongly rejecting Chinese pressure to spurn him. Lai’s party, which champions Taiwan’s separate identity and rejects China’s territorial claims, was seeking a third successive four-year term, which the DDP secured successfully in the recent runup. Luckily, Washington’s allies made history by achieving an unprecedented straight third victory making the conditions conducive for the US strategists and worse for the Chinese government.
The latest development has again spoiled the US-China relations that witnessed significant improvement over the past months. The Biden administration has intentionally spread ambiguity regarding the US official position over the Taiwan issue, by acknowledging one China policy on one hand and supporting Taiwanese independence on the other. Interestingly, US serving or retired officials appeared in Tai pei at sensitive occasions and reiterate Washington’s support for separatists forces but the US government expresses innocence and disassociation from them. Apparently, it is the policy of strategic deception instead of strategic ambiguity that will persist until and unless China rebuts it or America achieves its goal in the Indo-Pacific region.
