Why is the US commitment to Taiwan "rock-solid" and why must it remain so? I explain in the latest Indo-Pacific Perspectives roundtable from the Air Force's Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs @journalofindopacific @aupress 1/x
In my latest for @globaltaiwan, I tackle @mikepompeo's controversial nullification of the Taiwan contact guidelines. There are two contexts in which to assess the decision, which lead to dueling assessments of the policy move. Join me on my journey. aei.org/articles/asses…
Context 1: Pompeo has future political ambitions. He never fully subscribed to the view that, as chief diplomat, he should refrain from engaging in domestic politics. He showed disregard for traditional strictures on the secretary of state's conduct and comportment.
That is why it is so hard to believe that future political considerations were not at least partly responsible for Pompeo's flurry of late-in-the-game policy announcements.