Support Taiwan Democracy, Not Referendums

In this opinion piece that originally appeared CSIS PacNet Newsletter and then was reprinted in The Asia Times, Alan D. Romberg discusses recent developments in Taiwan and US policy toward Taiwan.   A brief synposis appears below.  Click here for the text. 

During his re-election campaign, Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian proposed two referendums in order to protect Taiwan’s “national sovereignty”; the results which, if implemented, could potentially lead to a Sino-American war should China decide to use force against Taiwan in response to the referendums.  Although the US supports democracy in Taiwan, this gamble Chen is making is not in the interests of the US, since it has the potential to draw the US into Taiwan and China�fs sovereignty dispute, and anger China to the brink of open conflict.