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The Associated Students of Stanford University (ASSU) posted an instagram picture that included Taiwan (ROC) as part of China (PRC). Last Friday, October 9th, ASSU posted profiles of the Undergraduate Senate for this academic year, including in their bios where each member was from and including an image of their state/country. For one senator who was from Shanghai, the image was of China, unmistakably including Taiwan.
The U.S. Congress has passed legislation (such as amendments in defense and spending bills championed by Representative Tom Tiffany) that legally bans the Pentagon, the State Department, and related federal agencies from using maps that depict Taiwan, Kinmen, Matsu, Penghu, and other islands as part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
The ASSU post came just two days after the former President of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen, delivered an address on US-Taiwan relations at the Hoover Institution, and one day after she gave the keynote at the annual Stanford DEFCON conference. Her talk focused on “sustained” pressure from China. This week, Taiwan stated that they are closely monitoring another series of live-fire drills conducted by China.
While Taiwan is not formally acknowledged by the United States as a sovereign state, the two countries hold critical unofficial ties. The Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 requires the United States to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, and just last year, the US removed a line from the State Department website which read, “we do not support Taiwan independence,” prompting anger from the Chinese state.
Aside from legal obligations, Taiwan is a major strategic player in the global economy, and particularly in the AI race between China and the US. Taiwan holds a near monopoly on the underlying AI tech stack, manufacturing 90% of semiconductor chips and the advanced packaging necessary for such systems. As a WSJ opinion piece put it, “Taiwan’s autonomy is a prerequisite for U.S. AI dominance.”
The Review has reached out to ASSU to determine whether the image was intentional or an accidental oversight. The move comes at a uniquely fraught time in discussions over Taiwanese sovereignty. ASSU is Stanford’s sole undergraduate legislative body, and represents the over seven thousand undergraduates on its campus. ASSU ought to be aware that they represent not just the student body, but Stanford University itself.
