Taipei: Recent comments by the director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) show that the United States supports Taiwan's efforts to crack down on Chinese espionage, but do not represent a substantive change in policy, former U.S. officials and scholars told CNA.
According to Focus Taiwan, at a news conference on March 13, Lai stated that China in recent years has intensified its efforts to infiltrate Taiwanese society and sow division through influence operations. By classifying China as a "hostile foreign force" under Taiwan's Anti-Infiltration Act, Lai proposed measures to counter the threat, including restoring the military court system, tightening restrictions on Chinese travelers and new residents, and monitoring civil servants who travel to China for exchanges.
Similar actions may have been treated warily by the U.S. in the past, particularly during the 2000-2008 administration of Chen Shui-bian, due to concerns about raising tensions with Beijing. However, in a speech on Monday, AIT Director Raymond Greene said Lai's initiative would "further enhance [the United States'] ability to cooperate with Taiwan."
Asked whether Greene's comments marked a shift in U.S. policy toward Taiwan, Robert S. Wang, who served as deputy director of the AIT from 2006 to 2009, said he viewed U.S. policy as unchanged in its opposition to any attempt to "unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion." He noted that Beijing's increased military exercises and cyber threats against Taiwan are coercive actions altering the status quo.
Wang added that Greene's statement likely received approval from the U.S. State Department and the National Security Council, indicating that Lai's statement is justified given Beijing's recent actions. Julian Ku, a law professor at Hofstra University, also expressed doubt about a shift in U.S. policy, noting the long-standing U.S. concern over Chinese espionage in Taiwan.
Ku highlighted that Taiwan's "asymmetric" strategy for countering China may require advanced U.S. drones and anti-ship missiles, making Taiwan's anti-espionage efforts favorable in the eyes of the U.S. Richard C. Bush, who served as AIT chairman from 1997 to 2002, noted a change in China's policy approach to Taiwan since 2016, moving from persuasion to "coercion without violence."
Bush emphasized that the U.S. government opposes this coercion, resulting in steps to support Taiwan as it responds to these pressures.