Taiwan’s president-elect, Lai Ching-te, is set to take office next Monday, with the Biden administration announcing that a delegation will attend the inauguration ceremony. Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will also be attending in a personal capacity. He told Voice of America that he wants to convey to Lai that as long as Taiwan is prioritized, the American people’s support can be expected.
Pompeo, currently serving as a distinguished research fellow at the Hudson Institute’s Center on China, stated on Wednesday that the Biden administration’s decision to allow a delegation to visit Taiwan continues the past practice. Interestingly, China would express dissatisfaction with American visits to Taiwan, indicating their vulnerability at the core.
“If you can’t even tolerate someone traveling to Taiwan,” Pompeo said, “it tells people that he thinks his hold on power is fragile and risky.”
He emphasized that ultimately, “Xi Jinping does not represent the vast majority of the Chinese people.”
The Biden administration announced on Monday in a press briefing that a delegation comprising former officials Bryan Deese, Richard Armitage, former and current chairmen of the American Institute in Taiwan Richard Bush and Laura Rosenberger will travel to Taipei to attend Lai Ching-te’s inauguration.
According to the Associated Press, Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the U.S., stated on Tuesday to the media that how the U.S. treats the Taiwan authorities on and after May 20 will impact the cross-strait situation and future U.S.-China relations, urging the U.S. to implement President Biden’s commitment not to support “Taiwan independence.”
Pompeo mentioned that he will attend Lai Ching-te’s inauguration ceremony in Taipei as a private citizen. If given the chance to meet Lai, he will congratulate the new president and convey the message that “I look forward to him prioritizing Taiwan, and if he does so and does it well, he should have confidence that the American people will continue to support the freedom of the Taiwanese people.”
He participated in a forum organized by the Hudson Institute’s Center on China focusing on China’s “Anti-Secession Law” regarding Taiwan that day. He stated that he doesn’t know what actions China will take before and after Lai’s inauguration, but if there are any, it won’t be because of Americans visiting Taiwan.
“That’s because Xi Jinping is an evil dictator who intends to disrupt the lives and well-being of the Taiwanese people,” he explained. “The Chinese Communist Party has always been eager to ‘unify’ Taiwan.”
“This is wrong, it’s unethical,” he said. “It violates international law and all commitments between the U.S. and Taiwan over the past few decades.”
White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre also mentioned in a press briefing on Wednesday, quoting Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s remarks regarding Lai Ching-te’s election victory, indicating that the U.S. will send an informal delegation to attend the new president’s inauguration.
“We look forward to working with his government and all leaders of Taiwan’s political parties to further our shared interests and values and our long-standing unofficial relationship,” Jean-Pierre said, adding that the State Department is currently handling the matter.
Miles Yu, who previously served in the State Department under Pompeo’s leadership and currently serves as the director of the Hudson Institute’s Center on China, stated in an interview with Voice of America on Wednesday that Lai Ching-te has emphasized he won’t declare independence, so there’s no reason for an overreaction from China.
He mentioned that China claims the Democratic Progressive Party is a “small group” advocating Taiwan independence, but the democratic aspirations of the Taiwanese people are evident, with Taiwan having the highest voter turnout among all emerging democracies.
“If one day Taiwan and mainland China reach equality in their political systems and levels of freedom, the issue of reunification will naturally fall into place,” he said. Discussing the Anti-Secession Law isn’t about provoking either side but aiming to promote peace across the Taiwan Strait.
During the forum on the Anti-Secession Law, U.S. Republican Senators Tom Cotton and Marsha Blackburn both stated that China’s law is merely an excuse for Beijing to launch a military attack on Taiwan. They suggested that the U.S. should enhance its military capabilities, assist Taiwan in strengthening its defense, increase economic ties with Taiwan to boost its resilience, and support expanding Taiwan’s international participation.
“Of course, China is not ruled by law but by the thoughts of the Chinese Communist Party,” Senator Blackburn stated. “Thus the ‘Anti-Secession Law’ is used as a harmful propaganda tool, allowing Chinese officials to disguise their military threat against Taiwan under the facade of legitimacy.”