OPINION:
Chinese President Xi Jinping wants “reunification” with Taiwan, and Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to put the USSR back together (“China, Russia and Iran: Axis of Tyrannies presents enormous challenge to free nations,” web, March 14).
These two have no respect for human dignity or self-determination.
The U.S. should recognize the dangers in the Chinese leader’s recent comments that the U.S. has led other Western nations in the “containment and suppression” of China. A good first step is for Washington to tell Mr. Xi that the U.S. will recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state if China sends arms to Russia.
Although China has a far larger military, it’s not a given that the People’s Liberation Army would conduct a successful cross-strait invasion. Taiwan has hundreds of sophisticated weapons that could target and sink Chinese transport ships before they even leave port. Landing a force strong enough to contend with the Taiwanese army would be extremely difficult. The chance of humiliation for the PLA is high.
The U.S. has a long-standing “One China” policy guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three U.S.-China Joint Communiques and the Six Assurances. Washington should oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side and expect cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means.
One of the many reasons to continue supporting Ukraine is that the U.S. must make very clear to Beijing and other would-be aggressor states that they will pay a heavy price for attacking their neighbors.
KENT WANG
Advisory commissioner for the Overseas Community Affairs Council, Republic of China (Taiwan) in the United States
Potomac Falls, Virginia
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