Bolton’s New Book Exposes Trump’s Attitude on Taiwan, Cross-Strait Power Disparity

Taiwan as Trump’s Penpoint? Time to Wake Up

Cross-Strait Crisis: The Pen Tip, Although Small, Can Be Lethal

Bolton’s New Book Exposes Trump’s Attitude on Taiwan, Cross-Strait Power Disparity

China Times, June 19, 2020

As the power struggle between the United States and China escalates and with the U.S. presidential election approaching, former White House National Security Advisor John Bolton’s new book dropped a bombshell by exposing many inside stories about President Donald Trump’s foreign policy-making.

Bolton claims that Trump “pleaded” with Chinese President Xi Jinping to purchase more American agricultural products in order to help him win the re-election battle. Bolton also said in his book that Trump used the “tip of a pen” and a “desk” to describe the disparity in strength between Taiwan and China, and even stated that he is “particularly dyspeptic towards Taiwan.” 

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From: https://www.chinatimes.com/newspapers/20200619000488-260119?chdtv

Taiwan as Trump’s Penpoint? Time to Wake Up

United Daily News , June 19, 2020

In his newly published memoir, The Room Where It Happened, former U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton mentioned a very interesting analogy of the importance to the United States regarding Taiwan and China. President Donald Trump compared Taiwan to the point of his pen and China to his desk in the Oval Office. Everyone knows that there is a great gap of comprehensive national strength between Taiwan and mainland China. Yet such an analogy makes the Democratic Progressive Party (DDP) administration, who views President Trump as a die-hard supporter of Taiwan, feel extremely sour and bad.  

For decades, Taiwan’s foreign policy towards the United Sates has been continuously focused on “government” instead of partisan disputes related to the DPP and the Republican parties. That is to ensure that either Party in power, the American commitments to Taiwan remain unchanged. However, since President Trump took office, the DPP administration, partly because it has lost its head by a dialogue over a phone call between President Tsai Ing-wen and then President-elect Trump, partly because its eyes have been blinded by President Trump’s series of harsh words criticizing China, it mistakenly believed that President Trump and the DPP have the same anti-China genes.

From: https://udn.com/news/story/11091/4646319

Cross-Strait Crisis: The Pen Tip, Although Small, Can Be Lethal
By Wang Chin
China Times, June 20, 2020

A newly published book by the former U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton mentions that President Donald Trump analogized Taiwan as a pen tip in contrast to mainland China as an office desk, concluding President Trump’s contempt of Taiwan. This conclusion has caused extensive interest in the public opinions cross Taiwan Straits.

It is a common sense that President Trump does not value Taiwan but regards it as a pawn in confrontation against mainland China, therefore it is not a big issue in mass media, as men of insight have raised this countless times. The so-called the best U.S.-Taiwan relations ever in history is simply a brainwash rhetoric for “grand domestic propaganda” not endorsed by experts.

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From: https://www.chinatimes.com/opinion/20200620003783-262104

June 16: The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) notified that Taiwan is no longer designated as a food-and-mouth disease zone. After 24 years of efforts, Taiwan (including Penghu and Matsu but excluding Kinmen) will be classified as a non-epidemic area for which vaccines would not be necessary. It is expected that fresh pork may be exported in the second half of this year. The first patch will likely target the markets of Singapore, Hong Kong, and Macau.

June 17: The Ministry of Education finally announced the policy related to how overseas students may return to Taiwan. The overseas students will be limited to those from 11 low-risk countries and territories, including Hong Kong, Macau, Vietnam, Thailand, Australia, and New Zealand. Graduating students will receive priority, and returning students will be subject to out-of-school quarantine hotels for 14 days. However, mainland Chinese students, which comprise the greatest number, are not yet included in this initial opening list.

June 17: The pandemic has slowed down within Taiwan. The Central Epidemic Command Center decided that effective June 22, the mandatory in-home quarantine will be shortened to seven days or five days from 14 days for business travelers from 15 medium and low-risk countries and territories. Those who test negative may travel on a limited basis to conduct business activities.

June 19: The Taipei District Court ruled that the artifacts, including diaries, composed by Presidents Chiang Kai-shek and Chiang Ching-kuo during their tenure are owned by the state and should be managed by the Academia Historica. The diaries composed outside their presidential terms belong to the family. The case may be appealed.

June 20: The Office of the President was originally scheduled to announce nominees to the Control Yuan. However, because the vice-presidential nominee to the Control Yuan, former Taitung County Magistrate Justin Huang, has faced bribery charges in the past, many within the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) protested, and the nomination press conference was suddenly canceled. As for the Control Yuan presidential nominee Chen Chu, there are currently 58 plead cases, including three impeachment cases and 30 redress cases, which are related to her tenure as Kaohsiung mayor. The controversy stirred by the nomination of Chen and Huang can be said to be the most significant in Taiwan’s history. Huang and another Control Yuan nominee, Chen Shen-hsien, announced that they would withdraw from the nomination process.