What is the “one-China policy”? It is a policy of the US to recognise, that China recognises Taiwan as part of China! Note that the US doesn’t recognise Taiwan as part of China, nor does it recognise Taiwan as an independent country. The US formally determined the status of Taiwan as “undetermined” in 1950 under Truman – this still remains US policy. The one-China policy of “strategic ambiguity” was announced in 1972, and has kept the peace for 50 years.
Now the US is walking away from that position. China is maintaining the same position, and the US is abandoning theirs. First Biden “accidentally” blurted out that the US would come to Taiwan’s assistance if there was an attack for China. That was considered a “gaffe” – but since then he has reiterated that stance repeatedly. So rhetorically the US has already abandoned it. Now some are saying that next it ought to be abandoning that position officially and diplomatically.
The reason why China hawks say the US should do this is “China’s aggression”. In actual fact there has been no aggression, nor has China’s policy changed. The aggression is all on the US side. Here’s The Washington Post, blaming it all on China and pretending like they changed their policy.
Furthermore there is an economic attack on China, openly proclaimed. The US is now seeking to prevent China from acquiring or developing its own high tech industry, a sector traditionally dominated by the US. There aren’t major European global technology companies, the only competition right now is from China. When Huawei started making world-class phones, competitive with the Apple iPhone, as well as becoming leaders in 5G technology, they were quite simply blocked from access to US and its allies tech. It was an attack on China’s development.
This is, needless to say extremely provocative. Attacking China in the economic and diplomatic dimensions, openly and unashamedly, while trying to pretend it’s China who is being aggressive. Take a look at the arguments in this piece by a think-tank called the CSIS (Center for Strategic and International Studies). It makes the same arguments you see repeated everywhere: The US should be provoking China and pushing for war even more.
What does the future bode? Either a Trump or Biden presidency for 2024-2028. Trump and his coterie are super China-hawks, and Biden is not far behind. There will be an intensification of attacks on China either way, probably worse if Trump wins. Military analysts are predicting war with China in the coming years.
Let me re-emphasize, there is no indication that China is posturing aggressively towards Taiwan, none.
Now we are heading towards war in Asia and dealing with a hot ongoing war in Ukraine which could escalate.
Further watching – see the Noam Chomsky/Piers Morgan interview.
The Coming War on China by John Pilger
A great documentary which is more and more prescient with every day.
There’s more I could have added, like the fact that NATO is expanding to Asia, becoming a global US-led military system, and it placed B-52’S in Guam recently.