Tsai should clarify position on cross-Straits ties

Taiwan is expected to be on the agenda when US President Barack Obama meets with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping next week. Some are increasingly nervous about the possibility of a Democratic Progressive Party victory in Taiwan's forthcoming leadership election. And since DPP's Tsai Ing-wen appears to be pulling away from the pack, should Washington share Beijing's anxiety over a possible DPP win?

Even if the DPP wins in 2016, it will not be its first win in a major political campaign. In 2000, Chen Shui-bian, the DPP candidate, was elected leader - also in a three-way contest - and his track record is not reassuring.

During his tenure, Chen engineered a series of "surprises" that infuriated former US president George W. Bush's administration. The "bombshells" included inflammatory statements about Taiwan "independence" and controversial calls for island-wide referendums and a new "constitution". American officials viewed Chen's moves as irresponsible, provocative and destabilizing, and warned that the US is not required by law to defend Taiwan.