Reuters reports on the words of an administration official who warns about Taiwan independence:As Chen criss-crossed the globe this week, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick told a congressional hearing that Taiwan "will keep hitting into a wall" if it kept testing the "one China" policy under which Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979.
"We want to be supportive of Taiwan while we're not encouraging those that try to move toward independence," said the State Department's number two diplomat who is charge of a new U.S. strategic dialogue with China.
"Because let me be very clear: independence means war," said Zoellick, who defended the administration against criticism by U.S. lawmakers for treating Chen in a "disgraceful" way by offering to let his plane refuel in remote Alaska or Hawaii while on his way to and from Latin America instead of stopping over in New York which he had previously done.
China, which has claimed Taiwan as its own since their split in 1949 when Communists defeated the Nationalists at the end of the Chinese civil war, has vowed to attack the self-ruled democratic island if it formally declares independence.
At the moment, Mr. Z, it is US China policy that is going to cause a war. It has tilted far too close to China, while at the same time, weakening our ability to respond to Chinese aggression by that criminal, and criminally stupid war in Iraq, which is isolating the nation diplomatically and pulverizing our economic and military strength. The US cannot on one hand follow the "One China" policy and then on the other declare that China cannot use force to annex Taiwan. Following the "One China" policy essentially concedes that Taiwan is part of China, especially in Chinese eyes, thus legitimating Chinese violence against Taiwan. After all, a nation has the right to recover territories in rebellion. In essence US policy is to go to war to prevent violence. How's that again? We need to return to the policy we followed in the 50s and 60s, which was that the status of Taiwan is unresolved.
That said, it is hard to believe that anyone really thinks Chen is going to declare independence. Does Zoellick not have anyone giving him sound advice on Taiwan affairs?
[Taiwan] [US] [China] [Chen Shui-bian] [Democracy] [Taiwan Independence] [US Foreign Policy]
i rememeber a time when the US would admonish those who would make war against an independant nation, or a territory such as Taiwan. but now since the US has also become a nation to make war on others, the US cannot criticize China for such threats. i almost spit my beer when that a**hole said "independance means war" and then didn't say who would be waging the war upon whom. he made it seem like its Taiwan's fault.
ReplyDelete"i rememeber a time when the US would admonish those who would make war against an independant nation, or a territory such as Taiwan."
ReplyDeleteWhich time was that? Give us the year and example! I know US history in and out, and I can tell you that US had always fight for its own interest unlike Taiwan!
Taiwan's strategy is to wait till US come to its rescue. They had more excuses for why not to reform its problems than PRChina.
In fact, China is getting stronger each day because they are willing to do the CORRECT things that make their country strong.
Taiwan, on the other hand, act like their problems are US's problems. They simply don't care in the end. The world doesn't owe Taiwan a damn thing. Nada (perhaps a spit in their face is more like it)!!
Iron_Jackal_TW