Washington Examiner
Op-Ed: Sen. Rick Scott
April 1, 2021

The Chinese Communist Party has made its final assault on Hong Kong’s democratic system. At General Secretary Xi Jinping’s direction, the Chinese Communist Party is proposing that members of Hong Kong’s democratically elected Legislative Council be vetted and approved by the Election Committee of Hong Kong, a pro-Beijing committee that also selects Hong Kong’s chief executive. Here’s what that means: Anybody who holds office in Hong Kong will be a puppet for Xi and beholden to China’s communist ideals.

In a surprise to no one, Hong Kong’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, is welcoming the destruction of Hong Kong’s democracy. Sadly, she has turned out to be nothing more than a puppet for Beijing, leading the charge to strip Hong Kongers of their democratic freedoms.

These electoral changes represent an end to the “one country-two systems” framework. This system, which for years afforded Hong Kong a high level of autonomy, will no longer exist. The freedoms Hong Kongers enjoyed will be curtailed to suit the interests of communist China, and democracy as we know it in Hong Kong will end.

With communist China’s domination of Hong Kong essentially complete, its eyes are already turning to Taiwan. It is now more important than ever for President Joe Biden to work with our allies to contain Beijing’s reach and protect the freedom and security of Taiwan.

For more than 50 years, Taiwan has been a growing democracy, operating outside the control of the Chinese Community Party. The island serves as an important contributor to peace and stability around the world, and its own peace and stability are in the political, security, and economic interests of the United States. Since 1979, the U.S. has maintained de facto diplomatic relations with Taiwan’s governing authorities and has provided military support to help Taiwan defend itself against the threats from mainland China.

For decades, communist China has threatened Taiwan and lately has done so explicitly in word and deed. China’s increasingly frequent actions to harass and intimidate the Taiwanese people, including regular military encroachments on Taiwanese islands and air space, should be concerning for all of the world’s democracies.

Communist China’s reckless behavior means America’s relationship with Taiwan is more important than ever. That’s why I introduced the Taiwan Invasion Prevention Act with Rep. Guy Reschenthaler to reaffirm U.S. policy toward Taiwan and end the “strategic ambiguity” that has been implicit in our policy. I am not calling for Taiwan’s independence; that is for the Taiwanese people to decide.

However, we must support Taiwan’s ability to resist communist China’s aggression. The bill authorizes the president to use military force to protect Taiwan in the event of a violent or military invasion, increases military support for Taiwan through the State and Defense departments, and would require the president to visit Taiwan and declare America’s commitment to protecting Taiwan in the event of an invasion.

Sadly, Biden has an abysmal record when it comes to Taiwan. In 1999, then-Sen. Biden opposed the Taiwan Security Enhancement Act, arguing it would upset Washington’s relationship with China. In a 2001 op-ed, he criticized the idea that the U.S. should firmly stand behind Taiwan and declare its commitment to defend the island in the face of Chinese military action. Moreover, in 2011, then-Vice President Biden traveled to China to deliver the news to then-Vice President Xi Jinping that the Obama-Biden administration would not be granting 66 new F-16 jets to Taiwan’s military for self-defense.

The recent announcement from the Biden administration of its agreement with Taiwan to establish a new Coast Guard Working Group to curb the aggression of communist China is welcome news given Biden’s past positions. However, Biden still must do more to show the world his administration stands strongly with the Taiwanese people.

Recently, Biden met with the leaders of Japan, Australia, and India to discuss our mutual security interests in the Asia-Pacific. Biden must work with these allies to stand up for democracy, reject appeasement of communist China, and stress that its actions in Hong Kong and Taiwan threaten our security interests and those of other democracies across the world. A strong partnership can curb communist China’s Soviet-style tactics to expand communism and upend regional stability, and Biden should lead our allies in developing a strategy that will meet future Chinese expansionist moves with joint action.

Working together, the freedom-loving nations of the world can prevent what happened in Hong Kong from being repeated in Taiwan.

Republican Rick Scott represents Florida in the U.S. Senate. He is the former governor of Florida.

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