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Strategic Vision vol. 8, no. 43 (November, 2019)
Pacific Paradigms Examining Taiwan’s role in Washington’s priorities for Indo-Pacific region J. Richard Hu, Guang-chang Pien, & Aaron Jensen
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or the past year, there has been a noticeable shift in the tenor of US-Taiwan ties, not least because of an awakening realization in Washington that China is not behaving as a strategic partner should, and rather appears to be positioning itself as a competitor and a potential claimant for the title of regional hegemon. Our editorial board weighs in with their thoughts on the new US paradigm on Asia.
photo: US Department of State US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo delivers a speech on the topic of ‘The United States in Asia’ in Bangkok, Thailand on August 2, 2019
J. Richard Hu
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he United States Department of Defense Indo-Pacific Strategy Report (IPSR) was officially released on June 1, 2019, coinciding with the annual Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. The report implies that China is harming regional and international systems and order. Not surprisingly, People’s Republic of China (PRC) state councilor and defense minister, General Wei Fenghe, who also attended the dialogue, launched a vocal counter-attack while speaking on the topic of “China and International Security Cooperation” the following day.
From the viewpoint of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the IPSR is the military edition of the US Indo-Pacific strategy. With the removal of its veil, according to a commentary in the Global Times—a newspaper published under the auspices of the Chinese Communist Party—the IPSR documented a comprehensive landscape of America’s thoughts and ambitions in the Indo-Pacific region based on its tenacious “China Threat Theory.” The PLA’s key views on the IPSR can be further elaborated as follows. First, as a measure of making excuses and taking opportunities, the United States is aiming at reinforcing its military strategic deployment in the IndoPacific region.