Peter Shr - Week 7 - America's Outward Interests
It’s pretty cool to brag that my native country invented boba. I feel that most Taiwanese Americans have decent experiences in the US. Yet, often comes the news that the little island is in danger. Recently, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, triggering a furious response from China, as the visit seemed to acknowledge Taiwan’s position as a nation. Tensions between China always seem to reach new highs, and frequently, our community here in the United States worries for our families back in Taiwan.
Luckily, protecting Taiwan, and some of its resources, happens to align with the USA’s interests. In a way, the US is providing protection that has continuously prevented China from attempting to reclaim Taiwan. Of course, the US, with its moral high ground, loves to protect the sovereignty of fledgling nations, nations facing similar circumstances as the colonies that gained independence from Britain. This is especially true if said country is democratic and has Western ideals.
The US has many other ulterior interests in Taiwan. The island’s location has important military value, being in the center of other East Asian islands. Being allies with Taiwan allows the US to conveniently keep tabs on other Asian countries. Furthermore, limiting China’s access outside the shore allows the US to more effectively protect other East Asian allies. The US gains credibility as an ally and police by maintaining this relationship with Taiwan, keeping a significant influence over East Asian affairs.
Along with directly contradicting China’s aims to increase its influence over surrounding nations, the US also desires certain resources from Taiwan, the largest producer of chips and semiconductors in the world. Taiwan produces over ninety percent of the most advanced chips. Any interference with this production would have international economic repercussions. Holding healthy relations with Taiwan gives the US greater access to the things used to make phones, computers, and cars. When I told my dad about how the US protects Taiwan for semiconductors, he laughed it off saying that the US can make their own anyways. I couldn’t shake off the feeling that Taiwan is protected by something purely motivated for personal gain. What will happen when the US loses interest in Taiwan’s resources? It feels very possible given the number of allies, the resources, and the necessity for chips. Maybe in the name of peace, the US will watch China retake Taiwan, a little island not worth protecting if it has nothing to offer.
There is also the thought that the US protects Taiwan just to spite China. Given the bitter history and the opposing claims of Taiwan’s sovereignty, any support or acknowledgment of Taiwan can trigger huge reactions. The US, always wanting to be righteous, may want to hold its position in the world by pushing down other superpowers, using China’s treatment of Taiwan as justification to take action. Maybe finding security in the animosity between China and the US is more stable than in semiconductors.
https://time.com/6221072/why-protecting-taiwan-really-matters-to-the-u-s/
Hi Peter! I agree with your fears that the US is only protecting Taiwan to further its personal interests rather than to protect democratic ideals. America’s involvement in foreign affairs is often said to be coming from a place of moral high ground, a place that loves to protect small nations from their oppressors—however, this is often just a portrayal. Even if there is no apparent ulterior motive, it should be kept in mind that the US rarely springs into action out of the goodness of its heart. Whether it is protecting foreign investments, gaining land, or increasing the already-massive profit margins of military suppliers, America always has something to gain in the wars it fights. An example of this I recently learned in US History is the Spanish-American War that took place in Cuba. In this war, America was fighting alongside Cubans to help free the country from Spanish oppressors. Yet, the real reason America was so involved in this war was not to help Cubans; the US was actually protecting its investments in Cuban sugarcane farms. American businessmen promoted the war because they saw profit in Cuba. So, to return to the topic of your blog post, I agree with your claim that the US is only protecting Taiwan for its semiconductors—the intriguing question you posed in the second-to-last paragraph helped me come to this conclusion.
ReplyDeleteHi Peter! As someone who has family in China, the topic of Taiwan hits pretty close to home, but also, at the same time, an awkward chord. I feel like more people need to recognize the fact that many countries reach out to help due to self-interests, including large countries that act like they are on the moral high ground, like the U.S. The usage of Taiwan to indirectly contest China reminds me of the Cold War in the late 20th century, in which the U.S. influenced many smaller states in the European region, hoping to increase their influence over their political opponents, the USSR, all while donning the guise of "bringing freedom and democracy," an excuse that has been repeatedly used throughout history, and commonly joked about today. I don't think that the US is helping China purely out of spite, however, but instead for their resources, such as their produced chips, and their vantage point over China, and I do think that the security brought about by conflict between the two global superpowers, while better than nothing, portrays a very concerning image for the history of Taiwan. As always, your writing is concise and clear and communicates your points in both an intriguing and convincing manner.
ReplyDeleteHi Peter, the talk of war between the US, China, and Taiwan happens pretty often in my household. My dad would talk about the tenison between the US and China mainly since thats what affects us since my dad is from China and our family lives there. He says that one day in the future the tension will be too strong and snap bring China and the US into a big war. He never said why and I never researched why there were such a rivalry between the two countries but your blog gave me more context. Realistically, America would give up Tawian if it took too many resources to protect them, especially since China is rapidly advancing their technology to match the US's or even beyond that. Soon there will be no match, just waiting for the day where China finally overcomes the US in relveance and power.
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