Despite trade concerns, Taiwan remains a linchpin in U.S. posturing on China

Thirty-five years after President Jimmy Carter signed the Taiwan Relations Act obligating the U.S. to give the island the means to defend itself against an attack by China, ties today between Washington and Taipei are at an all-time high.

While uncertainties remain on several fronts — including whether Taiwan will be included in the Obama administration’s push for an Asia-Pacific free trade pact — U.S. and Taiwanese officials are quick to note how the island has long been a pro-democracy partner to Washington just off the shores of communist China.

The past three decades have seen Taiwan, a nation of 23 million people, emerge as the U.S.’ 12th-largest trading partner and a key ally on humanitarian efforts in the region. But it also has served, at times, as a linchpin to U.S. strategic posturing toward China.

Read more at The Washington Times.