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Taiwan Unfreezes Its Mainland China Policy
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14711 |
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Section : |
CURRENT ISSUES
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11 / 1988 |
2,077 Words |
| Author
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Richard Sorich
Richard Sorich is a free-lance writer who specializes in East
Asian affairs. |
The apparent thaw in Sino-Soviet relations that has been emerging over the past few years is prompting Taiwan to reassess its own policies vis-à-vis the People's Republic of China (PRC) and move toward constructive engagement and away from its past "three noes" stance.
The Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan and the possibility that the Soviet Union may cut support for Vietnam's presence in Cambodia will largely satisfy two of the three preconditions that the PRC has set for the normalization of Sino-Soviet relations. The other precondition, reducing the number of Soviet divisions deployed along the Sino-Soviet border, is a lesser problem that already has been addressed in small part by the Soviets.
This trend means the PRC has more freedom to turn its attention to other national priorities at home and abroad, including reunification with Taiwan. If the PRC feels less threatened by the Soviet Union, its need to rely on U.S. support and protection will be reduced. Correspondingly, the PRC may no longer feel the need to respect U.S. foreign policies and priorities. Furthermore, détente in U.S.-Soviet relations makes the United States a much less eager suitor for the PRC's helping hand in the strategic battle with the Soviet Union. Without the ravening Soviet bear pressing the attack, the United States has only a marginal interest in the PRC, compared to the time not long ago when "PRC assets" were seen as a part of the U.S. struggle for national survival.
In other words, the United States and the PRC need each other less, and both are not such intense enemies of the Soviet Union as they once
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