President Tsai Ing-wen receives Hudson's Global Leadership award from President and CEO John P. Walters and Sarah Stern, chair of the Hudson Board of Trustees, on March 30, 2023, in New York. (Taiwan Presidential Office via Flickr)

The Chinese Communist Party recently sanctioned Hudson Institute for awarding Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen with its Global Leadership Award.

During her acceptance remarks, President Tsai stressed the importance of American cooperation with allies who are “committed to safeguarding our way of life.” In the Wall Street Journal, Hudson President and CEO John P. Walters draws on these remarks to explain why, if the US fails to finish its fight in Ukraine, it will invite greater calamity in Taiwan.

Key Insights

1. Foreign heads of government understand that the fate of Asia is directly connected to the security of Europe.

Prior to Tsai’s US visit, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida traveled to Kyiv to denounce Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a “disgrace that undermines the foundations of the international legal order.” PM Kishida’s and President Tsai’s condemnations of Russia and support for Ukraine aren’t mere morality plays. They are policies intended to strengthen their own countries’ security and that of America’s global alliances.

2. The outcome of Russia’s war in Ukraine will shape how the US is perceived around the world.

Just as America’s feckless withdrawal from Afghanistan reinforced Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine, so, too, the US performance in Ukraine will affect Beijing’s calculations in the South Pacific. If the US wins in Ukraine, it will instill confidence in its leadership and the future of the American-built alliance system. If it abandons the fight, however, Washington will encourage US partners and allies the world over to hedge their bets.

3. By winning in Ukraine, the US can draw on a vast reservoir of power: the bravery of democratic peoples fighting for their own survival.

America will struggle to keep the peace in Asia if it doesn’t win the war in Europe. In nearly every corner of the globe, partners and allies are watching the conflict before deciding on their own next steps. The war in Ukraine is America’s fight, and we have to win it. If the US loses its nerve, it will invite an even greater calamity in the Taiwan Strait.

Quotes may be edited for clarity and length. 

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