Daddy America do not care about Taiwan

An expert's point of view on a current event.

Taiwan Can't Rely on 'Daddy America' to Solve Its Problems

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit exposed serious security weaknesses.

By Hilton Yip, a journalist in Taiwan. AUGUST 17, 2022, 4:34 PM

Taiwanese air force staff inspect a F-16V fighter jet.

Taiwanese air force staff inspect a F-16V fighter jet during a drill at Hualien air force base in Taiwan on Aug. 17. SAM YEH/AFP

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's recent visit to Taipei, Taiwan, and the resultant week of Chinese military drills around Taiwan led to heated debate over the visit, its ramifications for Taiwan, and the U.S. public’s reaction, so much so that some have debated whether it constituted the fourth Taiwan Strait crisis. But regardless of what this whole affair should be called, the aftermath of Pelosi’s visit marked an ominous new stage in cross-strait relations. The immediate danger has died down, but Beijing is determined to create a “new normal” that bodes poorly for an ill-prepared Taiwan.

The intrigue and drama surrounding Pelosi’s Aug. 2 visit as part of a wider Asia trip—China’s strident warnings, the secrecy of the Taipei stop, the escort by U.S. fighters amid fears that China might intercept her plane, cheering crowds and ecstatic Taiwanese politicians greeting her, and the ensuing Chinese naval and missile drills held around Taiwan—had the tensions of a Tom Clancy thriller. But in real life, the ramifications are permanent, and the story doesn’t end when the cameras turn elsewhere.

Taiwan’s government seems to want it both ways—to spur foreign countries to take action to support Taiwan in the face of China’s threats while, at the same time, disregarding those threats and not acting to solve significant military problems at home. The mixed messaging was noticeable as several op-eds by local and diaspora Taiwanese came out during Pelosi’s visit, criticizing the international community for worrying too much about Taiwan and discussing war. Yet within the past week, Taiwan’s foreign minister claimed China was making preparations to invade while a ruling party official published an op-ed urging the “free world” to defend Taiwan. The seeming complacency and inability to take significant action to improve national self-defense is unfortunately largely due to a reliance on “Daddy America” to come to Taiwan’s aid quickly if it is attacked.