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Taiwan’s VP-elect quietly visits Washington
Insights from Taiwan Strait Network, The Diplomat, and The Financial Times
The News
Taiwan’s Vice President-elect and the island’s former envoy to the U.S. is quietly returning to Washington ahead of her May inauguration, The Wall Street Journal first reported.
Hsiao Bi-khim will meet with U.S. officials during her trip, sources told the Journal, talks that come during a particularly contentious period in relations between the mainland and the self-governing island: Beijing, which already views Taiwan as a renegade province that will be eventually taken over — by force if necessary — is upset that a pro-sovereignty, nationalist ticket will continue governing Taiwan. U.S. officials hoped to keep the visit low-profile precisely to avoid raising tensions with China.
Hsiao has built a strong reputation in Washington as being capable of effectively navigating cross-strait relations, which officials believe will help counter President-elect Lai Ching-te’s more aggressive rhetoric and foreign policy initiatives. But the success of her vice presidency could depend on who is in the White House after the upcoming election.
SIGNALS
Hsiao’s ‘cat warrior’ stint in Washington ensures support from both sides of the aisle
During her stint as Taiwan’s envoy to the U.S., Hsiao became one of Washington’s most important diplomats, describing herself as a “cat warrior” who became known for “[treading] on tight ropes” and balancing Taiwan’s interests without seeking full diplomatic recognition, she told The New York Times. Hsiao also balanced building relations with both Republican and Democrat leaders. “We cannot afford to let Taiwan become an issue of partisan difference,” she told The Economist last year. President-elect Lai Ching-te “must rely on Hsiao for contacts with the United States,” according to the mainland-based Taiwan Strait Network, and Hsiao’s visit this week is to fine-tune Taipei’s foreign policy ahead of their May 20 inauguration.
But Taipei is worried Trump would abandon Taiwan
While Congressional Republicans have largely come out in support of Taiwan, Taipei remains “extremely worried” that a second Trump administration would walk away from the self-governing island if war were to arise, said Rep. Mike Gallagher, the chair of the House of Representatives’ select committee on China. Trump remains hawkish on China — particularly when it comes to trade — but the former president has also made it clear he sees Taiwan as an economic rival, and not an ally.
Increased Chinese sea patrols coincide with U.S., Taiwan political transitions
Beijing has continued “testing and squeezing Taiwan” in recent weeks by sending multiple coast guard vessels to patrol “gray zone” waters in the Taiwan strait and harass Taiwanese vessels, wrote Financial Times Foreign Editor Alec Russell. Experts fear that one overreaction could prompt China to escalate, and warn that it is “no coincidence” that these incidents are becoming more frequent as both the U.S. and Taiwan enter political transitions — Taiwan’s inauguration is in May and the U.S. presidential election is in November.
