TAIPEI — In 2003, while still serving as U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asia, I was asked by Taiwanese reporters what the U.S. view would be on the proposal for Taiwan to hold a national referendum with the 2004 election. My convoluted answer could have been summarized more concisely by saying, "It depends." The same holds true today.
Why does a referendum on any subject of Taiwan's choosing pose difficult questions for the U.S. government?
The core challenge faced by U.S. officials when such matters are considered emanates from two questions: How can the United States be pro-Taiwan, but not anti-China? And how can the U.S. be prodemocracy, but not pro-independence?