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Keeping Taiwan's Autonomous 'Status Quo' Most West Can Achieve — French Diplomat
Keeping Taiwan's Autonomous 'Status Quo' Most West Can Achieve — French Diplomat
Sputnik International
While the US has officially recognised Chinese sovereignty over Taiwan since 1979, calls are growing from both parties in Congress to back Taipei's claim to independence — even if that means a military confrontation.
2023-06-02T14:51+0000
2023-06-02T14:51+0000
2023-06-19T12:46+0000
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Maintaining Taiwan's autonomy within the One China policy is the best the West can hope to achieve, France's new ambassador to the US has said. Laurent Bili, a former ambassador to China, told US media on Thursday that Washington should not risk disturbing the existing balance. The island of Taipei, off the southern coast of the Chinese mainland, is effectively self-governing despite almost all countries recognizing Beijing's sovereignty over what it considers a rogue province.But former Democrat House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi upset the applecart last August when she made an unannounced but high-profile visit to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on a US Air Force VIP jet, prompting official protests and a military mobilization by China. Pelosi's Republican successor Kevin McCarthy later hosted Tsai in his home state of California in April this year.The US claims China is preparing to take control of Taiwan by military force — thereby justifying calls to recognize Taiwan as an independent state and further raising tensions with Beijing, which now refuses to speak to US government officials.The ambassador insisted that Paris and Washington were nearly on the same page regarding Taiwan, despite conflicting views about the US and European Union's biggest trade partner.French President Emmanuel Macron visited Beijing in April — with European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen in tow — for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.Macron warned Washington's other European NATO allies not to get embroiled in "the American rhythm and Chinese overreaction" on Taiwan — comments welcomed by Beijing.By contrast, German Foreign Minister Annelena Baerbock told the country's Bundestag parliament that China was "increasing" its role as a "systemic rival" following her own trip to Beijing the same month.Taiwan, which officially calls itself the Republic of China, was founded by Nationalist military leader Chiang Kai-shek after the Communist Party of China's forces led by Mao Zedong won the civil war.The US recognized it as the authority over all China until reversing that policy in 1979 during a period of détente with Beijing. Washington opted for the "One-China principle", which means that the US only recognizes the PRC as a legitimate Chinese authority. However, the US has continued selling arms to the island ever since, despite the fact that Beijing considers any relations between foreign nations and Taipei to be meddling into China's domestic affairs. Taiwan is a major producer of microchips and electronics for the US market. Washington has recently escalated its trade war with Beijing by banning the export of top-of-the-line chips — many of which are made by US companies in China itself.
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us recognition of taiwan as an independent state, nancy pelosi's 2022 state visit to taiwan, why is the us confronting china over taiwan? french president emmanuel macron's visit to beijing
us recognition of taiwan as an independent state, nancy pelosi's 2022 state visit to taiwan, why is the us confronting china over taiwan? french president emmanuel macron's visit to beijing
Keeping Taiwan's Autonomous 'Status Quo' Most West Can Achieve — French Diplomat
14:51 GMT 02.06.2023 (Updated: 12:46 GMT 19.06.2023) While the US has officially recognized Chinese sovereignty over Taiwan since 1979, calls are growing from both parties in US Congress to back Taipei's claim to independence — even if that means a military confrontation.
Maintaining Taiwan's autonomy within the One China policy is the best the West can hope to achieve, France's new ambassador to the US has said.
Laurent Bili, a former ambassador to China, told US media on Thursday that Washington should not risk disturbing the existing balance.
The island of Taipei, off the southern coast of the Chinese mainland, is effectively self-governing despite almost all countries recognizing Beijing's sovereignty over what it considers a rogue province.
But former Democrat House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi upset the applecart last August when she made an unannounced but high-profile visit to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on a US Air Force VIP jet, prompting
official protests and a military mobilization by China.
Pelosi's Republican successor Kevin McCarthy later hosted Tsai in his home state of California in April this year.
"There is no middle ground between the West and China, and it's better maybe to keep things under control and protect the status quo," cautioned Bili. "There are certain issues, we have to think that maybe the status quo is the best that we can achieve."
The US claims China is preparing to take control of Taiwan by military force — thereby justifying calls to recognize Taiwan as an independent state and further raising tensions with Beijing, which now refuses to speak to US government officials.
The ambassador insisted that Paris and Washington were nearly on the same page regarding Taiwan, despite conflicting views about the US and European Union's biggest trade partner.
"We are both speaking about de-risking," instead of cutting ties, Bili said. "We also assume that China is both a partner sometimes but also a competitor and, even more, a systemic rival. So I think in that way we are very close."
French President Emmanuel Macron visited Beijing in April — with European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen in tow — for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Macron
warned Washington's other European NATO allies not to get embroiled in "the American rhythm and Chinese overreaction" on Taiwan — comments
welcomed by Beijing.Bili said his country's leader "called on President Xi Xinping not to change the status quo by force" and to avoid escalation with the US.
By contrast, German Foreign Minister
Annelena Baerbock told the country's Bundestag parliament that China was "increasing" its role as a "systemic rival" following her own trip to Beijing the same month.
Taiwan, which officially calls itself the Republic of China, was founded by Nationalist military leader Chiang Kai-shek after the Communist Party of China's forces led by Mao Zedong won the civil war.
The US recognized it as the authority over all China until reversing that policy in 1979 during a period of détente with Beijing. Washington opted for the "One-China principle", which means that the US only recognizes the PRC as a legitimate Chinese authority. However, the US has continued selling arms to the island ever since, despite the fact that Beijing considers any relations between foreign nations and Taipei to be meddling into China's domestic affairs.
Taiwan is a major producer of microchips and electronics for the US market. Washington has recently escalated its trade war with Beijing by
banning the export of top-of-the-line chips — many of which are made by US companies in China itself.
