Local and international papers are reporting that China has done two very interesting things. First, it has asked the US to "rein in" Chen, and second, that China has appealed to the UN to do something.The hypocrisy of these two moves is obvious and the subject of much commentary in the media and on the net. China has long said that Taiwan is an "internal affair" and excluded Taiwan from world bodies, and world bodies from Taiwan. Now it is literally asking the US and the UN -- a body China has long blocked Taiwan from entering -- to intevene in its "internal affairs."
Great nations never mind looking like flaming hypocrites (look in the dictionary under IRAQ, US invasion of) but China has now established a precedent -- the interference of others in its "internal affairs" -- that will give it trouble in later dealings with Taiwan. The question is: why is China harming a propaganda line it has worked for the last three decades to establish?
You don't give up precious and patiently-constructed leverage for nothing. These events suggest that China is up to something, something serious. It is hard to tell what is going on -- but the fact that the opposition is considering a recall motion in the legislature might suggest that it is going to coordinate its actions with those of the pro-China parties in Taiwan.
The appeals to international entities also suggest that China is attempting to create the impression that it has exhausted all routes in attempting to rein in the crazed whacko Chen Shui-bian, who everyone knows must be off his rocker because he wants to live in an independent democracy and not under yet another in the string of colonial governments that have ruled Taiwan since the Dutch. What do you think China will do with this illusion of restraint and rationality it is busily creating?
[Taiwan] [US] [China] [Chen Shui-bian] [US Foreign Policy] [Taiwan Independence] [Taiwan Relations Act (TRA)] [TRA]
I for one am really really scared. Why the hell does Beijing call up the KMT, and why does the KMT pick up the phone? What is that??
ReplyDeletechina, taiwan, usa = i dun care dot com hehehe
ReplyDeletego to the party demonstration sometimes LOL
Thanks for the stuff from MAC, george. I can't get Blogger to work at the moment, so I'll update later. In the meantime reader's can see STOP_george's gift below:
ReplyDeleteMAC Collection of China's Claims that Taiwan is an "internal affair" of China.
Michael
Well, is the NUC abolished or frozen? Looks the U.S. is making the Chen administration reiterate/clarify its position, i.e. "backtrack when you can". Once Chen backs down, the whole spiel ends with Beijing out on top.
ReplyDeleteBeijing's fingerprints are all over the place in the last few days. They have their media mouthpieces working on overdrive trying to influence world opinion and the appeal to Annan is a signal to other UN members that it's taking this seriously. Beijing is using the event to show that it's being "responsible" by going through all channels (other than with Taipei--save for the opposition) and consulting its 'partners' like a responsible member of the international community. In doing so, it cultivates a clean image while making President Chen look like the ultimate trouble-maker who is willing to disrupt international peace for domestic gains.