China has gone from a divided provincial and agrarian society to a world superpower in less than 75 years. This rise now poses one of the greatest threats not only to our homeland but to the basic tenets of freedom everywhere.
Over the last year, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force has run over 800 sorties, sending military aircraft into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone. The President of China, Xi Jinping, has reaffirmed the ambitions of communist China to fulfill the “historical task of the complete reunification of the motherland.” Let me be clear: The United States has an obligation to prevent the collapse of Taiwan, an ally that shares our democratic values.
The main island of Taiwan stands a mere 100 miles from our greatest adversary. Apart from the border between South and North Korea, there is no place on Earth where the juxtaposition of freedom and authoritarianism is so clear — a free Taiwan versus the authoritarian communism of China.
The Taiwanese are unwilling to capitulate to the authoritarian dreams of Xi, and they are amassing a force to defend their homeland. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said, “We will continue to bolster our national defense and demonstrate our determination to defend ourselves in order to ensure that nobody can force Taiwan to take the path China has laid out for us. This is because the path that China has laid out offers neither a free and democratic way of life for Taiwan, nor sovereignty for our 23 million people.”
We must make a firm decision and show the world America’s unwavering commitment to protect Taiwan’s sovereignty. Do we increase our support for the long-suffering democracy of Taiwan, or do we continue to ignore China, which has robbed our private companies of their intellectual property, sought to undermine our elections and threaten our allies, and, without shame, seeks to subvert the global order to its oppressive Communist Party?
Is this not the same spirit our own Founding Fathers had? Did they not challenge oppression? America has gone from a fledgling democracy to a vibrant superpower, and as the leader of the free world, it is our duty to support those who seek to maintain the same principles that we cherish.
Over past decades, U.S. support for Taiwan has lurked in the shadows, never taking a firm stance on our relationship. Now more than ever, it is time for our great nation to shift from deliberate ambiguity to an explicit and unequivocal commitment of strong support to our long-standing friend and ally.
Ultimately, a Taiwan under the grip of communist China would be a tragic and chilling disaster for the U.S. and the global democratic movement. For us to protect our homeland, we must be the bulwark for freedom. If our silence persists, my home state of Texas loses billions of dollars in investments, the U.S. loses all credibility as an ally in the Indo-Pacific, and we further jeopardize the security of American citizens. The Biden administration must immediately declare its intent to guarantee the sovereignty of Taiwan. Anything short of this is inexcusable.
Pat Fallon represents Texas’s 4th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
