Media: China Peeved, Taiwan Debates

Predictably, China was peeved at AIT Chairman Steve Young's smackdown of its junior partners in the KMT and PFP...

The Chinese spokesman retorted with a warning for Washington, condemning proposed U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan, the self-governed island that Beijing fears will move toward full independence and frustrate Chinese plans for reunification.

Last Thursday, the top U.S. government representative in Taiwan, Stephen Young, urged the island to approve a budget to buy new weapons, including U.S. arms, to counter China's growing military build-up.

In April 2001 President Bush approved Taiwan's request for submarines, anti-submarine warfare aircraft, four destroyers and Patriot anti-missile systems. But most of the deals have been blocked in Taiwan's opposition-controlled legislature.

Liu said the proposed sales contravened Washington's promises to Beijing.

"U.S. sales of arms to Taiwan violate the solemn, grave promises made by the U.S. government," he said. "They threaten China's national security and its great endeavour of peaceful reunification."

China had formally protested over Young's comments, Liu added, warning Washington "not to send any wrong signals to Taiwan independence forces."

Frustrating China's plans for "re-unification"? The UPI had a short article consisting largely of Blue citations, here from the Washington Times:

The United States may have actually delayed approval of a budget with the deal included by giving Taiwan what lawmakers see as an ultimatum, the report said. Stephen Young, director of the American Taiwan Institute, urged passage, and an anonymous U.S. official told the Central News Agency in an interview that failure to approve the purchase threatens relations between the two countries.

"Young's remarks have made the passage of the bill uncertain. It's inappropriate to let it through at this moment, as a media survey had found that 65 percent of the public disapproves of Young," Tseng Yung-chuan of the Kuomintang told the Taipei Times.

Some Taiwanese officials believe the United States is trying to palm off outdated weapons systems on their country. Others argue that Taiwan cannot simply depend on U.S. support to maintain its independence without arming itself.

It's a shame UPI chose to present Blue propaganda that "Young's remarks will delay passage of the bill" without contextualizing them properly -- without noting that (1) the Blues have blocked the bill almost 70 times and delayed it more than two years already (2) the Blues are problem, not "Taiwan."

The more serious issue, and one I wish Steve Young would address directly and strongly, is the claim of "outdated weapons." If I had nickel for every time I heard that, I'd be in court for a major tax evasion fine. I hope everyone reading this will point out to the locals that:

(1) the eight submarines do not exist. How can they be outdated or second-hand? They have not even been designed. When delivered, they will be the newest conventional subs in the world.
(2) the Patriot missiles are currently in use by the US itself
(3) the P-3C Orions are also used by the US. They do not exist either; the US is not producing them, and they will have to be built new, either in the US or Japan. Hence, they are not secondhand either.

What I am hearing from people out here is a kind of plaintive indignant questioning of the US that could easily be allayed with some reassuring, honest explanation of the fine points by a credible US face. Steve Young needs to put his wonderful Mandarin to use and get out there, on a popular talk show, and lay some smack down on the spreading lies. Young cannot leave the largely pro-Blue media to re-interpret his remarks -- the Blue noise machine has gone into overdrive on Young's remarks -- I have had a number of adult students tell me that Young was laying down the law for Chen Shui-bian! Orders without explanation won't do -- the people need to hear that the weapons will be new when delivered, not used. They need to hear that it was the KMT who originally asked for these weapons -- my adult students asked why the US keeps pushing Taiwan to buy them, as if buying subs were a US idea, not a local initiative. And they need to hear it from Steve Young in a venue where the Blue noise machine won't be able to shout him down. This is not an issue where Young can emerge from his lair momentarily, growl at the island, and then go back to his cave and hibernate until the next crisis. That is conceding the ground to the Blues. The solution here is not to concede that ground -- it is not less interaction, but more. Not a lowering of pressure, but a continuation of it. Put them on the defensive with a charm offensive aimed at reassuring and explaining. The truth will always win out, but first it has to be communicated properly.

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