Relief in U.S. over Taiwan election result

President-elect Ma Ying-jeou has promised to defuse tensions and expand trade with China. As always, the United States did not take sides in Saturday’s vote. But President George W. Bush said later in a statement that the election “provides a fresh opportunity” for Taiwan and China to begin peacefully settling their differences. The two sides split in 1949 during China’s civil war.

Taiwan potentially is the most sensitive issue in U.S.-China relations. Beijing claims Taiwan as its own and has threatened to attack should the self-governing island make its de facto independence formal. Washington has hinted that it would go to war to protect Taiwan. Outgoing President Chen Shui-bian’s pro-independence policies have frustrated the Bush administration and raised worries of a clash between Taiwan and China.

“There’s no question that everyone in the Bush administration is greatly relieved,” said Jonathan Pollack, professor of Asian studies at the U.S. Naval War College. Ma’s election means the United States now will have a prospective partner, “not someone who was doing his levelheaded best to either defy the United States or potentially cause trouble for the United States.”

On Saturday, Ma soundly defeated Frank Hsieh to end eight years of control by Chen’s pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, or DPP.

Ma’s main campaign promise was to reverse Chen’s policy of emphasizing Taiwan’s political separateness from China; he says he will work to take fuller advantage of the mainland’s economic boom.

Ma’s Kuomintang, or Nationalist Party, had used a slender legislative majority to block many of Chen’s policy initiatives, including the purchase of a multibillion dollar (euro) package of American weapons. Nationalist leaders said the purchase would have thrust Taiwan into a no-win arms race with Beijing.

Joseph Wu, Taiwan’s top diplomat in Washington, said in an interview that the U.S. and Taiwan have strengthened security and economic ties in the face of worry over China’s boost in military spending.

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