Taiwan-US relations are the linchpin of Taiwan’s foreign relations. Since the 1950s, Taiwan’s national security and economic imperatives have benefited substantially from its alliance with the US The rising tension between China and the States, however, have prompted many commentators to opine on whether Taiwan should take sides in the matter.

In Taiwan, the Chinese Communist Party’s oft-stated ambition to “unify” China by resolving the Taiwan question has polarized the populace on international relations: you are either “pro-China” or “anti-China”. Many have become vocal Trump supporters simply because he is perceived as “anti-China”; the anti-Trumpists are by default seen as the pro-China camp.

Indeed, labelling an entire citizenry as either “pro-” and “anti-” China is a simplification that ignores many complexities and subtleties that exist between the two polar opposites. “Anti-China” and “Anti-Trump” ideas are not mutually exclusive, as people are concerned as much with domestic issues as foreign affairs. Similarly, could American politicians be so easily painted with either an anti-China or a pro-China brush?

First, we have to understand the US’s core national interest: maintaining its political, economic and military hegemony and upholding a global market economy. Bringing down the CCP has never been US’s core objective. Rather, “anti-China” as an official stance is often as strategic as it is ideological, the result of a political calculus that gives it leverage to force China’s regime to further liberalize its economy.

Pro- or anti-China sentiments among American politicians should not be presumed along party lines either. In the late 1970s, it was the Republicans who formalized China-US relations and pushed China forward on the road to reform and liberalization. During that era, the Democrats were aligned with the unions and therefore opposed the opening up of the American market. In the 1990s, however, it was Bill Clinton, the Democratic president, who helped pave the way to China’s full integration into the global politico-economic system. Remarkably, most American multinational corporations (including the so-called military-industrial complex) and political elites supported his decision, believing that China’s entry was crucial to the continuing stability and prosperity of the international market. Subsequently, China did develop into “the world’s factory”, with ever-increasing spending power in the world economy. Far from attempting to reverse this trend, the Republican administration of George W. Bush allowed the US trade deficit with China to widen drastically.

With China clearly showing its ambitions in recent years, American elites have finally woken up to the fact that China is not about to loosen its grip on the political and economic life of its citizens. The failure of US’s “constructive strategic partnership” with China has been diagnosed by many official reports, and the two parties had come to a consensus that US and China have become clear rivals on the world stage. The Democrats and Republicans are now vying to be the standard-bearing anti-China party, as a result, at least in part, of Trump’s success in setting an antagonistic, us-vs.-them agenda. The foreign policy narrative now centers around what the US can do to make China comply with economic and trade rules. In other words, the debate on Capitol Hill is not about whether the US should be for or against China, it is about how far the US should go in neutralizing the China threat and by what means.

Taiwan has always been marginalized by China relentlessly and isolated on the world political stage. It is thus crucial for us to make as many “friends” as possible. The American liberal-Democratic view on China continues to be colored by a certain naiveté. And with Trump in the White House, they have tended to gravitate towards domestic politics (Trump has consistently played the race card to galvanize support). When it comes to foreign policy, the liberals have traditionally leaned towards a multilateral strategy instead of Trump’s bilateral approach, and this has little to do with whether they are “anti-China” or not.

We can take comfort in the fact that Taiwan is still a hot-button issue that enjoys a high degree of consensus in the US Congress. A number of Taiwan-related bills have received bipartisan support and passed almost unanimously. It is therefore not in our best interest to pigeonhole American political figures as “pro-” or “anti-” China, as this would only alienate potential friends of Taiwan. On a related note, there are many Taiwanese who are motivated by their pro-China sentiments to allege that the US would eventually betray Taiwan, a stance that bears little resemblance to reality.

We should also stop labelling any country’s parties and politicians as “pro-” or “anti-” China. To be sure, the US has both the motives and the ability to thwart China’s own hegemonic ambitions. Most other countries, however, do not have the economic and military clout to overtly oppose China, and all they can do is drag their feet or adjust their China policies gradually. Besides, Taiwanese business interests have also played a pivotal role in the rise of China. We are standing on shaky ground when we criticize other countries for taking a pro-China stand or joining the rush to earn renminbi.

Given these foreign relation dynamics, Taiwanese should try to convince American political elites (of both parties) that supporting Taiwan is consistent with American interests. To this end, many efforts are being made through non-governmental as well as diplomatic channels, and there has been no lack of tangible results. We should bear in mind that, even for our internet offensive, we should be taking aim at China, not those who are insufficiently wise to its scheming ways.

The insistence on seeing all viewpoints with regard to China through a polarizing lens would ultimately be self-defeating, and undermine the efforts of those working on the frontlines of foreign relations. We should, instead, be consistent in our messaging in the international arena - that Taiwan not only stands at the forefront in the fight against China’s ambitions, but, as a country founded on such universal values as freedom and human rights, has many important contributions to make to the community of nations.

(Chen Fang-Yu is the co-editor of US Taiwan Watch.)

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