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| Alicia Humphrey Class of 2017 |
Upon being advised to avoid even discussing the topic of Taiwan in
a political context while studying in China, I immediately became curious about
why a small international player that so few people in the U.S. concern
themselves with is such a hot topic in China. I found that Taiwan, regardless
of its place in the public policy sphere in China, the U.S., or Japan, is in
fact incredibly significant on the foreign policy scene. Taiwan has dramatically
influenced the relationship between these three players for years, straining
the China-U.S. relationship as well as the already tense China-Japan
relationship, and strengthening the Japan-U.S. bond. In fact, the U.S.’s
traditional hedging of growing Chinese power has much to do with the nation’s
position against Taiwan’s independence, while the U.S.’s strong ties to Japan
are strongly correlated to the two nation’s shared position concerning Taiwan.
However, despite
these differences and the taboo nature of discussing Taiwan in China, I learned
that the four players seem to be moving towards a balance, if a tense one. For
example, flights recently opened up between China and Taiwan for the first time
in years. Why, then, does peace currently exist although consensus about the
state of Taiwan obviously does not? The answer, says Yasuhiro Matsuda,
contributor to Getting the Triangle
Straight: Managing China-U.S.-Japan Relations, is money. The relatively good
relationship seen now between the four players is one born of economic
efficiency. Simply put, all four players benefit from trade and positive
diplomatic ties with each other, enough so that disagreements about Taiwan’s
nationhood have taken the back burner—at least for the time being. However,
relationships remain unstable, Matsuda contends, especially considering the
U.S.’s wavering treatment of Taiwan. The only thing that is certain, he
concludes, is China’s growing power on the international scene in the coming
years. The role Taiwan will play as the balance of power shifts in China’s
direction is left to be seen.
Alicia Humphrey is a senior McConnell Scholar studying political science, English and Spanish at the University of Louisville.