THREAD. Ok, folks. Sit back & strap in. Let's take a ride through history as we explore the US position on Taiwan's status, shall we? (Note: as inspiring as I may find @pptsapper's work, I've yet to have lunch, so this history will be entirely sober. Please accept my apologies.)
Our first stop: May 8, 1895. On that day, the Treaty of Shimonoseki, which ended the Sino-Japanese War, comes into force. In the treaty, China ceded "Formosa" (among other things) to Japan. Stick a pin in this; we'll be back.
Fast forward to August 17, 1945, when Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, issues General Order No. 1. Note how Formosa is listed as something apart from China. In October, US naval vessels ferried ROC troops to Taiwan to accept the surrender of JPN forces.
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.