DPP will have to pay an increasingly higher price to continue its doomed paycheck policy

Although the cross-Strait situation remains stable, thanks to the strategic restraint Beijing exercises, the secessionist-minded Democratic Progressive Party authorities on Taiwan island have never stopped trying to make waves by proving their value to their external backers.

With the return of the “America first” fixated Donald Trump administration, the Lai Ching-te authorities of the island are focused on using economic interests to woo the administration’s support for their secessionist cause. In their latest move in that regard, the DPP unveiled a plan to build a “non-red supply chain” with the United States at the expense of the island’s competitive industry and development prospects.

Taiwan’s semiconductor sector and dominant enterprises, the core competitiveness of the island, are to be employed as the means to meet their narrow ends.

The eagerness of the Lai authorities to cater to the Trump administration, whose coveting of the island’s semiconductor industry is no secret, with their “paycheck policy” has met with wide opposition of the sector but garnered some “positive” responses from the US administration.

Shortly after Lai pledged to boost investment in the US under the excuse it was responding to the Trump administration’s “global tariff threats”, the US administration released $5.3 billion in previously frozen foreign aid, including $870 million in security exemptions for programs in the Chinese island, late last week.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed Washington’s opposition to any change to the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait, while saying that the US remains committed to its long-standing policies on Taiwan.

Yet the Lai authorities must be aware that the new administration stops short of mentioning such words as “values”, “democracy” or “freedom” that dominated its predecessor’s statements on Taiwan. Instead, the emphasis is on “investment”, “tariffs” and “industries”. That requires the DPP authorities to ceaselessly increase their input and adjust their expectations of the US side.

The shock waves caused by the US’ about-face in its foreign and economic policies over the past month must have kept the Lai authorities in an extremely uneasy state. And the price Ukraine now faces for the US’ support should give the DPP authorities cause for thought as they should realize that the price for the US’ backing has risen steeply.

What the DPP authorities value the most is the US’ reiterating of its “commitment” to “protect Taiwan” in case of “emergency”. But what the US seems to be willing to promise so far is that it will prevent the “emergency” from happening rather than it will protect the island.

So Trump’s refusal to answer a question from the media about whether “the US would allow China to take control of Taiwan by force” ahead of the first official Cabinet meeting of his second term on Wednesday must have dealt a heavy blow to the expectant Lai authorities.

Responding to that question, Trump said, “I never comment on that. I don’t want to ever put myself in that position.” And Taipei’s unease will only have been further heightened by Trump’s claim of his “great relations” with his Chinese counterpart, and the unquestioned openness of the US leader to strengthen economic and trade cooperation with the mainland.

That means, which should also be to the delight of the Trump administration, the Lai authorities will have to raise their stakes in the risky gambling. But the question is after offering even the jewel in the crown of the island’s economy in the first month of the new US administration being in office, what else can they use to pay tribute to their imagined backers in Washington during the rest of their tenure. [Abridged]

Editorial, China Daily