Recently, during an interview with Time magazine, US President Biden indicated that he does not rule out the possibility of using American force to protect Taiwan. This is not the first time Biden has made such statements. Previously, he publicly stated four times – in August and October 2021, and in May and September 2022 – that the US would come to Taiwan’s defense in the event of a Chinese military attack.
Why does President Biden repeatedly emphasize the US commitment to defending Taiwan? There are five main reasons for this:
In the second half of the 20th century, the Soviet Communist Party posed the greatest threat to the free world led by the United States. Today in the 21st century, the Chinese Communist Party is the biggest threat to the free world led by the United States.
The First Island Chain refers to a string of western Pacific islands and waters extending eastward from the coastline of East Asia, starting from Japan, passing through Taiwan, and stretching south to the Philippines and New Zealand.
While the First Island Chain was originally used to counter the expansion of the Soviet Communist Party, it is now primarily aimed at countering the expansion of the Chinese Communist Party.
The Chinese Communist Party used to advocate for “liberating all of humanity,” but now they have changed this narrative to “building a community of shared future for mankind,” which essentially follows the old Marxist doctrine of resenting capitalist systems and aiming to replace them.
If the CCP were to occupy Taiwan and break through the First Island Chain, it would directly threaten key US allies along the chain such as Japan, the Philippines, and South Korea. CCP warships could set sail from Taiwan and reach the US West Coast, while missiles launched from Taiwan could directly threaten the US mainland, disrupt the global strategic framework established by the US to contain communist expansion after World War II, which is something the US cannot allow.
Modern technological advancements have ushered in the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI). According to experts, the three core components of AI are computing power, algorithms, and big data. The storage capacity and efficiency of chips determine computing power. Taiwan’s semiconductor giant – TSMC – ranks first in the world in chip storage capacity and efficiency, meaning TSMC plays a crucial role in determining AI computing power.
Algorithms refer to how efficiently chips are utilized, involving the design and application of programs on chips. Nvidia, the world leader in algorithms, founded by Taiwan-born American entrepreneur Jensen Huang, holds a significant position in this field. Nvidia’s market value has surpassed $3 trillion, and its long-term solid cooperation with Taiwan’s AI industry is evident.
After designing algorithms and programs for chips, the next step is to install these algorithms onto chips, which is another advantage of Taiwan.
Taiwan excels in chip processing, offering end-to-end services from cutting-edge research and development to packaging, all of which are considered the best in the world. Even tasks like removing air bubbles post chip packaging are handled expertly by a small Taiwanese company.
With an unparalleled and complete semiconductor industry chain, Taiwan stands as the global leader in chip technology and production, supplying over half of the world’s chips annually and solidifying its status as a superstar in the global chip industry.
The irreplaceable global position of Taiwan’s chip industry chain ensures US commitment to ensuring peace in the Taiwan Strait and reducing the likelihood of conflict.
The US established diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan) in 1912, and the relationship lasted for 59 years until 1971. Both countries fought side by side in World War II as allies against fascism and were signatories of the United Nations Declaration and Charter. The long-standing relationship between the US and Taiwan is based on shared values of freedom and democracy, positioning Taiwan as a vital part of the free world led by the US.
In recent years, following brutal crackdown on the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement and the abandonment of the “One Country, Two Systems” principle promised in the Sino-British Joint Declaration, the CCP has exerted extreme pressure on Taiwan militarily, politically, economically, culturally, diplomatically, on the internet, in the health sector, among others.
Since transitioning from an authoritarian society to a democratic one, Taiwan has developed into a benevolent force and a role model for democracy, becoming a trustworthy partner globally.
As CCP’s pressure on Taiwan grows, so does US support, with President Biden enhancing US-Taiwan relations significantly since taking office in 2021. Some notable advancements include Taiwan’s representative attending Biden’s inauguration, 14 arms sales announcements, high-ranking US officials visiting Taiwan, the signing of the “US-Taiwan 21st Century Trade Initiative,” joint efforts on religious freedom, and substantial investments by TSMC in building chip plants in Phoenix, Arizona.
Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic from Wuhan in 2020, the CCP implemented three years of extreme lockdowns until the end of 2022, which resulted in a comprehensive and enduring economic crisis.
2023 marked the first year after the CCP’s extreme measures, during which the economy not only failed to recover but sank into a rare downturn affecting the stock market, currency market, real estate market, and bond market.
On December 5, 2022, Moody’s shifted the outlook for the CCP government’s overall credit rating to “negative.”
By April 10, 2023, Fitch Ratings had downgraded the CCP government’s credit outlook to “negative.”
On March 7, 2023, S&P Global warned that if China’s economic recovery remained weak or was solely driven by large-scale stimulus measures, the credit rating agency might downgrade China’s credit rating due to the rapid increase in debt.
Since the onset of the US-China trade war in 2018, US-China relations have plummeted drastically, leading to the forced closure of the CCP Consulate General in Houston, Texas. Today, US-China relations have reached the lowest point in more than 40 years, with commentators suggesting the situation can deteriorate even further.
The US, as the world’s leading superpower and longtime largest customer of China, now finds itself deemed as the primary adversary by the CCP. The back-and-forth nature of the US-China trade war has set back relations significantly, with the CCP’s missteps further contributing to its decline.
During an interview with Time magazine’s Washington Bureau Chief, Massimo Calabresi, and Editor-in-Chief, Sam Jacobs on May 28, President Biden stated, “Everyone talked about how powerful China (the CCP) is, how strong they are, but in fact, China’s economy is on the verge of collapse.”
The people of Taiwan and mainland China share the same language and heritage, and their relationship is not one of enmity but of kinship. Taiwan people do not wish to fight mainland Chinese people, and vice versa.
The CCP’s calls for military unification with Taiwan under the guise of “anti-Taiwan independence” do not serve the interests of the mainland Chinese people, nor the Taiwanese people, nor the defense of national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security. It’s because the CCP is the world’s largest betrayal party, having ceded over 1 million square kilometers of Chinese territory, equivalent to more than 40 Taiwans.
During its 75 years in power, the CCP has stripped the mainland people of their freedom of belief, freedom of speech, freedom from fear, and freedom from want. Following the violent quashing of the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement in 2019, the CCP imposed the “Hong Kong version of national security law,” robbing Hong Kong residents of their freedoms and autonomy.
If the CCP were to forcibly unify with Taiwan without facing resistance from the free world led by the US, the outcomes would be dire: mainland Chinese people may become cannon fodder, “leeks,” or “human resources”; the four freedoms enjoyed by Taiwan people could be stripped away; and the CCP would reign as a tyrant over the heads of Taiwan locals.
The CCP does not represent China or the Chinese people; it only serves the interests of a select few powerful families who have amassed great wealth through corruption.
President Biden’s repeated mentions of defending Taiwan are directed at the CCP, not the Chinese people.