COMMENTARY / World

Ensuring Taiwan’s safety is for the global public good

The island is so integral to the world economy that what happens there is no longer just the concern of Beijing and Taipei

The West and other countries have made it clear that forcible reunification is out of the question; it also needs to be made clear that neither is a unilateral move by Taiwan for independence. | REUTERS

By Stephen R. Nagy
Contributing Writer

Jun 15, 2022

At the Shangri-La Dialogue last weekend, Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe fiercely defended mainland China’s position that Taiwan represents an inalienable part of the People’s Republic of China.

The People’s Liberation Army, he said, would do whatever it takes to unify with Taiwan and to resist any forces (read: the U.S. and its allies) that would try to promote Taiwan’s secession from the mainland.

This position is firmly wedded to Beijing’s interpretation of the so-called "One China" policy that was laid out in the 1972 Shanghai Communique. It is inflexible, dogmatic and dated. It does not reflect the critical role Taiwan plays as a global public good.