HONOLULU -- The political leaders of Taiwan, both government and opposition, are in serious danger of misreading or ignoring the increasingly stiff warning signals coming from Washington.
In its bluntest form, the U.S. message is: Taiwan needs to do more to prepare for its own defense against a potential attack from China rather than rely largely on the United States for its security. If it doesn't, the U.S. may be less obligated to come to Taiwan's rescue.
Publicly, that caution has been delivered by officials of the American Institute in Taiwan, the quasi-official embassy in Taipei that functions in the absence of normal diplomatic relations; by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative research organization in Washington with ties to President George W. Bush's administration; and by the American Enterprise Institute, a more centrist think tank.