The Blue and the Green

THE U.S.-TAIWAN relationship is on life support. Over nearly seven years of concurrent presidencies under George W. Bush and Chen Shui-bian, the bilateral relationship has deteriorated to the point that Bush has repeatedly rebuked Chen, either publicly or through emissaries, over perceived broken promises and for “provoking” Beijing by trying to consolidate the country’s de facto independence. The approaching March 2008 presidential election in Taiwan offers an opportunity for Washington and Taipei to begin mending the bilateral relationship, and also for the leading Taiwanese candidates to propose positive visions for future U.S.-Taiwan relations.