Trump-era Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, one of former president Trump’s most hawkish advisors on China, arrived in Taiwan on Wednesday for a visit at a time of rising tensions between Washington and Beijing over the island.
The United States should diplomatically recognize Taiwan as “a free and sovereign country.” Pompeo declared in a speech on Friday hosted by the Prospect Foundation, a Taipe-based think tank. While Washington should continue to engage with Beijing as a sovereign government, offering Taipei diplomatic recognition that they can no longer be ignored, avoided or treated as secondary,”he said.
“As many of your past and present leaders have made clear, there’s no need for Taiwan to declare independence because it’s already an independent nation. Its name is the Republic of China (Taiwan),” the former U.S. Secretary of State added.
On January 9, 2021, just 11 days out from the transition to the Biden administration, Pompeo dropped a bombshell for U.S.-Taiwan relations by lifting restrictions on contacts between US officials and their Taiwanese counterparts, a move welcomed by Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan’s regional leader, but labeled by some political observers a publicity stunt likely designed to anger China. Other observers viewed Pompeo’s declaration with skepticism, suggesting it was just another move taken by the administration since the election to antagonize China and make things difficult for Biden.
A spokesperson for the Biden transition team told the Financial Times last year that the incoming president was “committed to the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act” which defined relations between the two governments, and to the one-China policy. Biden also reaffirmed his one-China policy with President Xi during their virtual meeting last year.
“One can argue about the merits of the policy but Pompeo did this 11 days before a transition of power and seemingly without consulting with his successor,” said Thomas Wright, senior fellow at the Brookings Institute.
“The only conclusion to draw is that his motive is political – to push Biden into a standoff with China in his first weeks … or to reverse his decision which he will gleefully portray as soft on China,” Wright added.
During Pompeo’s tenure in the Trump administration, the U.S stepped up official exchanges with Taiwan in moves that were strongly opposed by Beijing, but he did not publicly advocate for formal diplomatic recognition of Taiwan while in office.
Reporters were not allowed to ask questions directly to Pompeo at his so-called “press conference” in Taipei, Will Ripley, CNN senior international correspondent, wrote in his twitter.
At his press conference Friday, journalists wanted to ask Pompeo about his sudden announcement on recognition of Taiwan, but didn’t not get the chance. No live questions, all pre-submitted days ago, this is not a “press conference”, according to Nicola Smith, Asia correspondent of Telegraph based in Taiwan. Pompeo calls for the US to recognize Taiwan as a free and sovereign country. He left office just over a year ago. If he believes this, why didn’t he push for it during the Trump administration? she tweeted.
Pompeo could have enacted this policy as Secretary of State, but he didn’t because he knew the dangerous mess it would create. So he pushes it now, when he has no actual responsibility, in order to call attention to himself. That’s not leadership, tweeted Patrick Chovanec, a private sector economic advisor.
Pompeo might convey views that please Tsai Ing-wen while undermining the Biden government’s Indo-Pacific strategy. A bipartisan US delegation of former senior defense and security officials arrived in Taiwan on a US government plane on Tuesday for a 30-hour visit. The group left on Wednesday, a couple of hours after Pompeo landed in Taiwan for the four-day unofficial visit.
The White House National Security Council Coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, Kurt Campbell, said on Monday that the delegation’s visit is meant to convey consistent support for peace in the Taiwan Straits. In July, 2021, Campbell said the Biden administration does not support “Taiwan independence.”
Tsai Ing-wen met Pompeo on Thursday, conferring on him an honorary medal and praising him for facilitating “multiple breakthroughs” in Taiwan-US relations. According to Reuters, Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who died in June 2021, is also a recipient of the award.
Pompeo is reportedly considering a bid for the White House in 2024 and Taiwan is an area where he can gain political capital. He is speculated to be among several Republicans who may seek the party’s presidential nomination. Some even wonder if he is going to compete with Trump for the nomination.
