TAIPEI (TVBS News) — As anticipation mounts following Taiwan's forthcoming presidential election in January 2024, political observers are eager to assess the potential impact on the region's dynamics. In an exclusive interview with TVBS commentator Wenchi Yu, Bonnie Glaser, the director of the Indo-Pacific program at the German Marshall Fund, shared her insights on the evolving relations between the United States, Taiwan, and China.
With less than a year remaining in President Tsai Ing-wen's final term, Glaser emphasized the utmost importance for Washington to "maintain open lines of communication with the future Taiwanese president," and she expressed her belief that the next leader of Taiwan would strive to cultivate "exceptionally close ties with the United States."
Glaser also drew attention to the mounting concerns within the U.S. Congress over the past half-decade, pointing out the passage of legislation to bolster Taiwan's security and strengthen U.S.-Taiwan relations. This trend, she suggested, indicated that a growing number of congressional members deemed it necessary to "augment or supplement" the existing Taiwan Relations Act.
Drawing from her extensive expertise in studying China-Taiwan-U.S. relations, Glaser highlighted the approximately 30 bills concerning Taiwan introduced in Congress this year, many of which were directly related to Taiwan's security.
Quoting authoritative documents released by China in November, Glaser noted that while Beijing has not abandoned its objective of achieving peaceful reunification with Taiwan, it no longer exudes the same level of confidence as it did in previous years. She cited a Chinese statement that "time is always on the side of the mainland when it comes to Taiwan" to underscore China's perspective.
Glaser underscored that the ideal relationship between China and Taiwan would entail enhanced mutual understanding between the two sides of the strait, leading them to "peacefully resolve their differences" in due course.
