Reckless US China policy not serving cause of peace

 Reckless US China policy not serving cause of peace

America is risking war with China in its obsession over the status of Taiwan with China.

That relationship is none of our business. Yet we’re risking war 8,000 miles from the Homeland on China’s doorstep that if started, would be virtually impossible to win, short of going nuclear.

Current US government and media narrative erases the last 6,000 years of China, Taiwan history to create a new cause célèbre for US military adventurism, America’s No 1 industry just gifted with the world's first trillion dollar annual budget. Without historical context, the US electorate is being deceived into supporting self-destructive policy foolishly deemed necessary to US national self-interests: defending freedom over authoritarianism on the other side of the world.

A brief review of the long tortured China, Taiwan history refutes that narrative.

Chinese from Southwest China settled Taiwan over 6000 years ago. Beginning in 1624, the Dutch and Spanish moved in to exploit Taiwan’s resources, as Europeans were want to do worldwide. But the Chinese kicked them out by 1683, ruling Taiwan for 212 years till Japan gobbled up Taiwan after in the Sino-Japanese War in 1895. For the next 50 years Japan used Taiwan (Formosa at the time) as a land based aircraft carrier for their pan Asian adventurism.

But at the Cairo Conference in 1943, the Allies declared a major war aim was full return of Formosa to China. This occurred by a UN mandate upon Japan’s surrender in 1945.

With Japan defeated in China, Mao’s communists resumed their civil war to overturn the corrupt, unpopular nationalist government of Chiang Kai-shek. In 1949, Mao prevailed. Chiang fled with about 2 million of his die hard supporters to Formosa, setting up their own version of the Republic of China renamed Taiwan.

The US looked at the 538 million Chinese living under communism on the mainland, the 2 million on Taiwan, and said ‘Nope, we’ll recognize Chiang on tiny Taiwan as the legitimate Chinese government till he can kick out the dreaded commies.’ They even gave Chiang the military assistance to prevent any unification with China which was inevitable without that support. Is it any wonder the people and government of China would embark on eventual reunification, whether taking years, decades or even a century?

On October 25, 1971, the UN ended the 2 China policy, voting to expel Taiwan, claiming to be the Republic of China, and replacing it with the mainland Peoples Republic of China. Just a year later Nixon’s thaw with mainland China cemented US recognition of the mainland One China policy. The US severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan, and in 1980 ended their security treaty with Taiwan initiated in 1955.

Without abandoning Taiwan completely, the US embarked on 5 decades of ‘strategic ambiguity’ which kept tensions with China over Taiwan’s status on the back burner of US China diplomacy.

That changed when President Obama’s ‘Pivot to Asia’ in his second term moved pro Taiwan policy to the front burner. His successors Trump, Biden and again Trump have so turned up the heat that war with China, over its long term plan for eventual absorption of Taiwan into Chinese sovereignty, is now a possibility.

From Strategic Ambiguity, President Biden authorized a provocative Taiwan visit by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, increased arms sales to Taiwan as well as Pentagon training of Taiwanese military. Worst of all Biden repeatedly pledged to defend Taiwan if China attacked.

Trump’s return to power offers no pullback from China hysteria. He’s filled his administration with China hawks including Trump himself and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Trump’s super China hawk, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, engages in reckless fearmongering touting America getting prepared for war with our most dangerous enemy. No surprise it’s China. China hawks in Congress include Senators Tom Cotton and Josh Hawley along with Representatives Mike Gallagher and Raja Krishnamoorthi. No congressperson pushes back against this madness as demonizing China goes with the job.

Ignoring the 6,000 yearlong interwoven China, Taiwan history has proven disastrous to sensible, peace promoting US diplomacy. America made the wrong decision on the Chinese Civil War in 1949 and has chosen to govern largely in ignorance for past 76 years. On this issue ignorance is not bliss. It may mean nuclear war.