Much speculation has surrounded this month’s opening of the new de facto U.S. embassy in Taiwan and the effects it could have on Sino-American relations and efforts to resolve the North Korea issue. There is no reason why the ceremony should affect any of this.
After years of delays, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), the U.S.’ new de facto embassy in Taiwan, will hold a ceremony on June 12 to dedicate its new complex in Neihu. Much speculation — and misunderstanding — has surrounded the event. This includes fears, in some circles, that the ceremony could “anger” Beijing or derail plans for a U.S.-North Korea summit the same week.
At the heart of the issue are questions about which senior official, if any, the Donald Trump administration will send to the event, especially after the president’s signing, earlier this year, of the Taiwan Travel Act, a piece of legislation which encourages exchanges by senior U.S. and Taiwanese officials.
Despite rumors that President Trump’s new National Security Adviser, John Bolton, could be chosen to attend the ceremony, no announcement has been made to date. Sources have told Taiwan Sentinel it is highly unlikely that Bolton, a China “hawk” with pro-Taiwan inclinations, will be present at the ceremony.
In the end, who Washington sends isn’t all that important, other than for the symbolic (and news) value. What matters is that the U.S. government has spent a substantial amount of money, time and resources, over several years, spanning Republican and Democrat administrations, to open the new AIT compound in Taipei, replacing the old buildings that currently represent the U.S. in Taipei. The opening of the US$250 million compound is a statement that the U.S. remains committed to and invested in its relationship with its longstanding ally Taiwan. It is a statement of continuity and deepening ties. This is what matters — the substance, and the continued engagement. Which senior U.S. official(s) attend(s) the ceremony makes little difference.
President Tsai Ing-wen, center, visits the new AIT compound in Taipei. Photo courtesy of ait.org.tw.
Some analysts have argued that the AIT ceremony could be a problem for the U.S. as Washington needs Beijing’s help with the denuclearization of North Korea. To make matters worse, the opening of the new AIT compound is scheduled to be held the same day as a planned summit between the American president and his North Korean counterpart, Kim Jong Un, in Singapore, which officials on both sides have been scrambling to salvage.
The AIT ceremony should not be a problem. This has been years in the making, and it isn’t a new ploy by the U.S. government to “anger” China. Nor is it part of the incipient trade war between the two countries. Whether the U.S. wants to open a new building in Taiwan is for the U.S. (and Taiwan) to decide. Analysts who see “a problem” are playing into Beijing’s game: it becomes “a problem” only if we allow Beijing to cow us into believing that it is one. The new AIT compound in no way violates Washington’s “one China” policy and communiqués with China, nor does it augment what is already stated in the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 and Six Assurances. So why would it be “a problem”? The notion that this is “a problem” is propagandistic: it’s Beijing moving the goal posts.
If Beijing derails the talks in Singapore because the U.S. sends “too senior” a figure to attend the AIT opening ceremony, then what this tells us is that Beijing isn’t serious about resolving the North Korea issue.
Washington is fully aware it needs help from all the players in the region to resolve the North Korea issue — not just China. Therefore, it will not do anything that unnecessarily alienates any of the players, nor will Taipei pressure Washington into sending an official whose presence in Taiwan is likely to be destabilizing to the region.
If Beijing derails the talks in Singapore because the U.S. sends “too senior” a figure to attend the AIT opening ceremony, then what this tells us is that Beijing isn’t serious about resolving the North Korea issue.
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