It’s not necessary to go into detail about Taiwan’s history to remember that this island constitutes an area of conflict between the US and the People’s Republic of China. For the latter, this island is a rebel province that is allowed to preserve its autonomy under Chinese sovereignty, according to the “One China” policy, while the US maintains its right to defend Taiwan if necessary. The Cyprus example alone is sufficient to demonstrate how far double standards exist over matters like this. The main reason for these double standards is the desire of global powers to maintain their strategic influence.During the Cold War, the main tool the US used to control China was to reinforce Taiwan’s military capabilities. Taiwan was not only an important factor in the China-India-USSR triangle, but also a valuable player changing the balance between China and Japan in the latter’s favor. If today we still witness Taiwan purchasing significant amounts of US weapons, this is because the Cold War balances are still in place in this region. The current plans for weapons’ sales indicate that the US has chosen to increase the tension with China, and this is probably considered a punitive measure. When Barack Obama became president, there were many signals about the beginning of a new era between the US and China. In this positive atmosphere, several high-level diplomatic visits took place. So now the question is why is the US knowingly taking steps that will stir up trouble in bilateral relations?
The US is seeking China’s support on several subjects, and China is refusing to fully cooperate. Some of these are in the economic domain, such as the value of the yuan. The US is convinced that Beijing keeps its currency artificially weak, causing a massive trade deficit. Another problem is energy. China is pursuing a very active energy policy in Central Asia and especially in Africa, becoming a serious rival for the US and a factor that makes it hard to maintain the delicate energy balance between the US and Russia. Perhaps there is a hidden compromise between China and Russia, a compromise the US considers a serious obstacle for its global policies.
There are two important indicators that allow us to measure the level of strategic disagreement between these two countries. First, there is the North Korean nuclear issue. It’s worth noting that the military tension between the two Koreas has been escalating for some time, and they have even exchanged fire near the disputed sea border. The US wants a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula and is asking China to pressure the Pyongyang regime. However, China has chosen to wait for now. So the US wants to show China that if it keeps up its military assistance of North Korea, in response Washington will reinforce Taiwan and South Korea’s military strength.
The second indicator is also about nuclear weapons, but this time in a different part of the world. The US is struggling to get a UN Security Council resolution for sanctions on Iran, and it has almost convinced Russia over the matter. However, China is still causing difficulties, and this resistance is also one of the reasons for the current US-China tension. It’s not known if brandishing weapons will help to reach a compromise in the end, but it is clear that the escalation has already reached a dangerous level.
Benzer Haberler 
