Several media outlets have reported that the US may be miffed at Chen over the National Unification Council abolition of a few months ago. Garrit Van Der Wees of Taiwan Communique sets the record straight on Taiwan Focus:+++++++++++
My sense from signals here in Washington is that the internal debate within the Administration surrounding the CSB stopovers has very little if anything to do with the Unification Council issue (which was declared "closed" by the State Department in March). That alleged linkage is more likely to be a remnant signal from the pan-blue propaganda machine. Joesph Kahn [NYTimes - MT] is thus wrong on that point.
Much more important is the Iran nuclear crisis, which Mr. Kahn doesn't even mention: the US wants China's support for sanctions against Iran, while China (and Russia) are holding out for a softer approach to Iran's continued defiance. At this point it seems that the Administration wants the stopovers to be as low-key as possible, so it won't affect the chance that China can still be brought around to a firmer approach on the Iran nuclear issue.
Gerrit van der Wees
Editor, Taiwan Communique
www.taiwandc.org
UPDATE: Posted perceptively in the comments below:
This had nothing to do with NUC or the US being angry at Taiwan. Anchorage stopover would have been fine, as it has often been used in the past, where former Alaska senator in DC and now state govinator Frankie Murkowski is a big fan and friend of Chen, always was and always will be, and he often welcomes him to the 49th state with open arms. Chen could have gone there, as before.
However, this new plan was a media marvel! Time and Newsweek and CNN and BBC and the entire media world will have maps and charts next week, or today, showing how Taiwan's CHEN flew over ASia to Middle East and AFrica and then over to Sud America, and it will be BIG BIG NEWS worldwide. The Alaska stopover would have been convenient and sane, but there would be no press. THis was a PR bonanza, and whoever thought of it at our local MOFA waijob00 should get a promotion. Taiwan is on the world map again, because of this dizzying trans world airways journey.
Brillante, por favor!
[Taiwan] [US] [China] [Chen Shui-bian] [Our sick, anti-American president] [Democracy] [DPP] [Taiwan Independence] [US Foreign Policy]
13 comments:
Taipei Mayor A-Bien:Good A-Bien
President A-Bien:Bad A-Bien
This supposed "Anonymous" splogging (by hand, no less!) "Taipei Mayor A-Bien:Good A-Bien President A-Bien:Bad A-Bien" is really getting tiresome. He (or she, but probably it is a he) either has too much time on his hands or is short of a few...
Sorry, I'm getting annoyed by these types of things too easily maybe!
No need to apologize.
Uhm...
"this is likely to be propoganda (from a bankrupt oppostion party)" therefore it's wrong.
That isn't anywhere near credible support for an argument.
what is the difference?
US needs China's support in Iran issues. So US objects to CSB's treatment on NUC.
CSB ignored Dubya, Dubya is furious and tried to teach CSB a lesson.
NUC/Iran are on the same line.
OTOH, what makes this such a big deal? Why is CSB making such a big fuss?
He is visiting Paraguay, not US.
If I were him, I wouldn't even care, or even announced any intention to stop-over at US soil from the outset.
Chen's bureacrats (or Chen himself) put him at the humility that he shouldn't be at.
Of course, it is a big deal to Taiwanese. President Chen has my support.
I think the bottomline is Taiwanese media focus too much on the superficial agendas. I think it's an appropriate political manuvure for the US to deny CSB's stop-over this time because c'mon Red China lost its dignity a couple weeks ago on the South Lawn of White House. It is in the best interest of US to deny CSB's layover, otherwise it could pose as a foreign policy disaster for the US; consider Hu was diplomatically humiliated on live TV.
Don't get me wrong, I am in full support of Taiwan's independence, but in reality, you don't want China to turn against the US just yet; keep Red China guessing.
It's like a baseball game, gave Red China the nasty slider first (Hu's humiliation), then a fastball (denial of CSB's stopover), what's next, curveball, change-up, or knuckleball? Or in football, you just call a Hail Mary play and burned Red China for 50 yards (Hu's humiliation), you are in red zone, you take a QB kneel, what's next, QB scrumble or FB rush?
Let's keep playing the guessing game and keep Red China on its toes.
No surprise Chen's ticked off - he wanted to make a splash in the US as Ma had just done. How do ya make a splash in the transit lounge at Anchorage International?
huguo has a good point re:
"No surprise Chen's ticked off - he wanted to make a splash in the US as Ma had just done. How do ya make a splash in the transit lounge at Anchorage International?"
This had nothing to do with NUC or the US being angry at Taiwan. Anchorage stopover would have been fine, as it has often been used in the past, where former Alaska senator in DC and now state govinator Frankie Murkowski is a big fan and friend of Chen, always was and always will be, and he often welcomes him to the 49th state with open arms. Chen could have gone there, as before.
However, this new plan was a media marvel! Time and Newsweek and CNN and BBC and the entire media world will have maps and charts next week, or today, showing how Taiwan's CHEN flew over ASia to Middle East and AFrica and then over to Sud America, and it will be BIG BIG NEWS worldwide. The Alaska stopover would have been convenient and sane, but there would be no press. THis was a PR bonanza, and whoever thought of it at our local MOFA waijob00 should get a promotion. Taiwan is on the world map again, because of this dizzying trans world airways journey.
Brillante, por favor!
Effing dead on!
That "splash" of Ma in the US is not made by himself though,it is made by the Chinese media in Taiwan.
..."the local TW media both Chinese lingo and English lingo, are getting it all wrong. They are saying Alaska is NOT part of the continental USA, but last time we looked, it sure was. It is NOT part of the contiguous USA, but it IS part of the CONTINENTAL USA, sure thing. Hawaii is an island off the mainland, yes, but Alaska is part of the continental USA. Some one should tell the editors of the China Post about this. They erred baldly by writing such uninformed rubbish. Gov Murkowski there is already crying in his salmon puree, seeing his state maligned by the esteemed editorial writers of the China Post. I think the Taipei Times also parroted the same thing. Get it right, folksies, Alaska IS part of the continental USA. Just not part of the contiguous 48 states. A stop over there would have been perfectly fine. Chen screwd up bigtime this week. His days are numbered. Countdown to the next administration coming down the pike."
(overheard at a pub in Peoria last night)
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