Commentary: The Taiwan Card, Repriced
00:00/00:00
Listen to this article
1x
Subscribe now
Listen to the full version
Listen to the full version
President Xi Jinping holds a private meeting with U.S. President Donald J. Trump at Zhongnanhai on May 15. Photo: Xinhua
Among the myriad issues negotiated during the recent Xi-Trump summit in Beijing, none portends a greater geopolitical shift than a recalibration of U.S. policy toward Taiwan.
U.S. President Donald Trump returned from the trip remarking that he understands the Taiwan question “better than most places in the world.” If his recent rhetoric is any guide, U.S. policy is undergoing an alteration that breaks not just from his first term, but from the foundational logic of Washington’s decades-old cross-strait strategy.
You've accessed an article available only to subscribers
VIEW OPTIONS
Unlock exclusive discounts with a Caixin group subscription — ideal for teams and organizations.
Save an extra $50. Introductory offer for new readers. Subscribe now.
Share this article
Open WeChat and scan the QR code
- DIGEST HUB
Digest Hub
Back
What Happened When
- 1982：
- Reagan administration provided the 'Six Assurances' to Taipei alongside the August 17 Communiqué, pledging to gradually reduce arms sales to Taiwan and secretly assuring Taipei that the U.S. did not consult Beijing on arms transfers nor set a terminal date for ending them.
- 1998：
- Bill Clinton articulated the 'Three No's,' declaring that the U.S. did not support Taiwan independence, 'two Chinas,' or Taiwan's membership in state-based international organizations.
- 2000–2008：
- Chen Shui-bian's independence-leaning administration; the 'co-pilot' mechanism helped contain crisis risks during this period.
- 2008–2016：
- Ma Ying-jeou administration; the 'co-pilot' model successfully sustained peace during this period.
- August 2022：
- Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei; Beijing responded with unprecedented military deterrence drills, erasing historic buffer zones and hardening the strategic deadlock, which collapsed the 'co-pilot' mechanism and severed vital military-to-military communications.
- April 2026：
- Xi Jinping met Kuomintang Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun; Beijing partially reversed a 2019 ban on mainland tourism to Taiwan for residents of select cities.
- As of 2026：
- Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party under Lai Ching-te had yet to reciprocate the partial tourism lift.
AI generated, for reference only
- MOST POPULAR
Sign in with Google
Sign in with Facebook
Sign in with 财新