Lin Ji-Xing's Perspective: How Cross-Strait Relations Respond to America's Rise and Decline

250 years ago, the North American colonies proclaimed the Declaration of Independence, launching a new democratic experiment. As a result, having endured civil war and two world wars, the United States emerged as a global superpower. Its Constitution explicitly states the goal of 'forming a more perfect Union,' an ideal that gradually elevated America into a beacon for the world. But what about now?

Recent reports from the U.S.-based Pew Research Center indicate that over the past decade, America's level of democracy has declined more sharply than any other G7 nation, now ranking the lowest in score. The system of checks and balances—legislative and judicial oversight of executive power—has weakened to its lowest point in a century. Most Americans express dissatisfaction with the current state of their country, believing its golden age has passed. Compared to citizens of other nations, a greater proportion of Americans are pessimistic about how their democratic system functions.

Similarly, public broadcasting polls in the U.S. show that a majority believe the nation has strayed from its founding ideals. Gallup also notes widespread disappointment among Americans regarding the practice of democracy.

The primary cause of America's current decline lies in the intensifying polarization and internal conflict between the two major political parties. This is especially evident under President Trump, whose character and capabilities are widely seen as flawed. For example, at the World Economic Forum, he claimed, 'If the U.S. hadn’t participated in WWII, you’d all probably be speaking German and some Japanese.' He has also used AI-generated images to fabricate depictions of the Pope and God.

What about the 'Make America Great Again' agenda? To date, over 210,000 civil servants have been dismissed or resigned due to ideological disagreements. This includes the firing of all 22 members of the National Science Board this year and the dissolution of all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices last year. Senior prosecutors at the Department of Justice have chosen to resign rather than obey orders they deemed unethical or illegal. Senior scientists at the Department of Health have refused to compromise their principles for financial gain.

In academia and research, institutions like Harvard University have been targeted, leading to a brain drain. As a result, allied nations like Germany and France have grown skeptical of the U.S. and are strengthening cooperation with China. A Gallup poll from April this year showed that global favorability toward China exceeded that of the U.S. by five percentage points.

In scientific research, the 2024 'Nature Index Research Leaders' list ranked Zhejiang University above Harvard University, ending Harvard’s 11-year reign at the top.

115 years ago, the Republic of China—the first democratic republic in Asia—was born, experimenting with the Five-Power Constitution and enduring the trials of two world wars and civil war. Unfortunately, it split into two regions: Taiwan, which relies on the U.S., and the mainland, which adopted communism but adapted pragmatically. Deng Xiaoping’s famous saying, 'It doesn’t matter if a cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice,' broke ideological constraints and launched reform and opening-up. Today, mainland China has grown strong enough to say 'no' to the U.S.

American intellectuals now recognize this shift. As recently reported by The New York Times, while America’s vision is driven by industry pursuing self-interest—including replacing human labor with AI—China’s approach is guided by national macro-planning. China uses AI to enhance human productivity and has established an 'AI Unemployment Insurance' system to protect workers, preventing layoffs and associated social problems. For example, in April this year, a Hangzhou court ruled that a tech company’s dismissal of an employee due to AI replacement was illegal.

What should Taiwan’s strategy be? Trump has repeatedly shown disdain for Taiwan (e.g., calling it a 'pen tip') and falsely claims Taiwan stole American chips. Despite President Lai presenting Trump with 'The Autobiography of Morris Chang' in May, Trump continued criticizing Taiwan at the June G7 summit. Why does Lai still kowtow to the U.S. with 'no doubt about America'?

Meanwhile, China’s rise has brought it nearly on par with the U.S. Taiwan’s chances in negotiation or war are 'needless to say' bleak. Yet why does the Green Camp continue provoking like 'a grasshopper teasing a rooster'? Are they merely catering to American arms dealers by turning Taiwan into a 'hedgehog island'?

Former President Ma Ying-jeou once enabled smooth cross-strait exchanges, proving that 'success depends on human effort.' Unity is strength. A new era of cross-strait cooperation in Confucianism, AI, and semiconductors is within reach. Additionally, the Chinese people should overcome historical humiliations—unequal treaties and colonialism—and restore their confidence.

*The author is a university professor