OPINION:
The fate of Taiwan is in the hands of liberal democracies. If ignored, the situation surrounding Taiwan will allow China to consume it, and Taiwan will cease to be a democracy. So, when is it time for liberal democracies to stand up collectively and denounce China’s provocative actions and rhetoric toward Taiwan?
This is not just for Taiwan’s sake, but for all countries that cherish liberty and freedom. The actions by China are not just about Taiwan, nor will they stop with Taiwan. As Steven W. Moser highlighted in his book “The Bully of Asia,” “the goal of China is to change the world order.”
This is an order in which China is the world’s hegemon. China wants to be the center of the universe where all nations follow Chinese Communist Party ideologies. Therefore, an attack on one liberal democracy will become an attack on all democracies.
There are corrective actions democratic nations can take and should implement immediately. To doubt or delay this strategy only worsens the situation and draws the world closer to facing a major conflict that can be averted. Delaying action gives China time to follow Sun Tzu’s strategy, “bide your time, hide your strength,” written over 2,000 years ago in his military manual, “The Art of War.”
An old saying states, “to see one’s past, look at their present situation; to see one’s future, look at their present preparations.” It is evident what China has focused on in the past three decades by seeing the rapid expanse of its economy. It did so by investing heavily in manufacturing and increasing trade.
But China’s intent really becomes clear under the Xi Jinping era of preparation. Mr. Xi came to power in 2012 and has invested heavily in military manufacturing and its capabilities. China has increased the size and reach of its military, surpassing the U.S. in areas such as hypersonic weapons, against which we have no defense.
In addition, China has aggressively expanded its territories, encroaching illegally on sovereign nations’ borders and laying false claims to the so-called Nine-dash line in the East and South China seas.
So how does this relate to Taiwan? Taiwan has been a prosperous, innovative and independent nation since World War II. Before the Nixon and Carter administrations, Taiwan enjoyed full nation status in the United Nations and was recognized by the majority of the nations around the world as an independent nation.
To appease China, the Nixon administration dropped nation recognition of Taiwan in 1974 and the Carter administration dropped all diplomatic recognition of Taiwan in 1979. Many countries then followed suit and stopped recognizing Taiwan as an independent nation to appease China.
The results of Mr. Xi’s preparations have emboldened China in its quest for world domination. Its increased economic and military clout has been used to bully other nations into accepting its demands.
China has worked to isolate Taiwan further from the rest of the world through these tactics and has even used coercion to get other nations to break diplomatic ties with Taiwan. This plan to isolate Taiwan has extended not just to nations but to corporations as well in an attempt to force companies and countries to bow to China’s demands.
In addition, China has expanded these techniques to encroach on several sovereign nations’ territories and exclusive economic zones. The end result is jeopardizing the peaceful world order established after World War II.
China has become the dominant producer to many of the supply chains the world depends on. If the democracies of the world do not unite, China will continue this march toward world domination. This is why Taiwan matters. For democracies to do nothing only empowers China more.
The nations that enjoy liberty, freedom and the rule of law around the globe should act to send a strong, unified message to China stating that there will be severe consequences for its continued aggressive actions in relation to Taiwan and the established world order.
These are suggested actions to be implemented by democratic nations collectively and immediately if China chooses not to change its actions. The choice is China’s.
1. Denounce China’s blatant aggression and intimidation of other nations when they encroach on those nations’ sovereignty and exclusive economic zones. Examples are Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines and Brunei.
2. Decrease China’s manufacturing output by working with allied and friendly nations to give corporations incentive to relocate production and manufacturing of goods outside of China. “ABC manufacturing: anywhere but China.”
3. Diversify critical supply chains such as rare earth minerals, pharmaceuticals to other countries.
4. Hold China accountable for its human rights violations of reeducation/labor camps, genocide and organ harvesting at the U.N. General Assembly. Until China stops these practices, it should not be allowed to remain on the U.N. Security and Human Rights councils.
5. Encourage members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to stand collectively against the intimidation from China and start diversifying trading partners to reduce China’s economic engine.
6. There needs to be a veil of protection created around Taiwan to let Beijing and Mr. Xi understand that a takeover of Taiwan is off-limits. This can be accomplished by the U.S. considering reinstating full diplomatic relations with Taiwan as it was prior to the Nixon and Carter administrations and encouraging other nations to do the same. If not, China will succeed at their goal and become not just the “Bully of Asia” but the world.
If the U.S. will lead on these action items, difficult as they may be, other nations will follow. If not, the takeover of Taiwan is certain, and the collapse of a free society falls victim to China’s ambitions of world hegemony.
This will further embolden China to continue Mr. Xi’s expansive claims in disputed lands of other nations such as Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines, India, and anyone else it wants to flex its strength upon. China must understand that their increased aggression and desire to control the world will come at a very steep price.
Time is running out to change course and prevent China’s growing ambition. The longer a course correction takes, the closer the world approaches a major conflict. This threat to world peace should be prevented at all costs.
Let the free world stand up for Taiwan.
• Ted Yoho represented Florida’s 3rd Congressional District from 2013 to 2021. He served as chairman of the Asia-Pacific Foreign Affairs Subcommittee in the 115th Congress.
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