They say the best lies contain grains of truth. That’s what makes Beijing’s disinformation about Taiwan so dangerous.China has devised several misleading narratives about Taiwan that are designed to weaken America’s support for the island. It has been actively peddling these narratives in U.S. policy circles. U.S. officials must be prepared to recognize and counteract these falsehoods.The first is the false notion that cross-Strait tensions are entirely the fault of Taiwan’s “troublemaker” president, Lai Ching-te.
To be sure, Beijing has grievances with Lai and his nativist Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Lai has a history of pro-independence activism, and his speeches since becoming president have included statements viewed as provocative in China.Beijing feels compelled to respond forcefully to perceived slights by Taiwan’s president to placate domestic audiences, so U.S. policymakers shouldn’t be surprised when Lai’s speeches spark aggressive military maneuvers.
But Lai has moderated his policies since running for president, and officials and academics from China know he lacks the authority to declare formal independence. In private conversations, they sometimes acknowledge not feeling threatened by Lai, and some believe the more controversial parts of his speeches are largely intended to appease radical elements of his political base. They’re probably right.Tensions existed long before Lai entered the scene. His predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen, went out of her way early in her tenure to avoid antagonizing Beijing. But the Communist Party apparently decided having an enemy in the DPP that it could blame for its failures in Taiwan was more politically expedient than preserving cross-Strait stability.
The notion that Lai or his party is solely responsible for cross-Strait tensions is an attempt to create friction between the U.S. and Taiwanese governments. Beijing knows Trump doesn’t want unnecessary trouble and will go to great lengths to convince him Lai is making his job harder by stoking tensions with China. Trump must see through Beijing’s attempts to manipulate him and firmly support the government in Taipei, while having administration officials work quietly, behind closed doors, to address legitimate concerns with Taiwan’s government.
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