Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Appalling Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Commentary

Sadly, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists chose to publish a one-sided piece of crap commentary on Taiwan independence from a Chinese "scholar" who simply regurgitates the propaganda line we're all drearily familiar with. Ranting and raving about Chen Shui-bian, whom the Beijing government reserves a special hatred for:

Seven years later, Chen has broken nearly all of his promises and proven himself a liar and "troublemaker," in the words of former President Bill Clinton. In pursuit of self-interest and political gain, he has disregarded Taiwanese security and his people's fundamental interest in peace and stability, which is preconditioned on his government's honesty and sense of responsibility. This inevitably escalates the tension across the Taiwan Strait.

As a post-World War II arrangement, Taiwan reverted to the mainland; Taiwan had belonged to China until Japan defeated China in 1894 and imposed the Treaty of Shimonoseki, which gave the island to Japan. But in 1945, China and the Allied Forces defeated Japan, and Taiwan was properly returned to the mainland. Currently, the United Nations and a majority of the countries in the world--including the United States and Japan--officially consider Taiwan a part of China. Given mainland China's ever-increasing hard and soft power, the fantasy of an independent Taiwan is coming to an end.


Geerit van der Wees of FAPA has supplied two addresses to write to:

Kennette Benedict, Executive Director
kbenedict@thebulletin.org
Tel: (773) 702-0077

Mark Strauss, Editor
mstrauss@thebulletin.org
Tel: (773) 834-1800

Please remember that this appeared in the Online Bulletin, not the print publication. Be polite and respectful.



4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Here's the author's bio from the site:
"Dingli Shen's Bio
By Bulletin Staff | 21 February 2007
The founder and director of China’s first nongovernmental Program on Arms Control and Regional Security at Fudan University in Shanghai, Shen specializes in regional and international security and China’s foreign and defense policies. Since 1994, he has organized the “Shanghai Dialogue,” a series of high-level meetings involving China, India, Pakistan, and the United States that many regard as one of the most important multilateral, unofficial talks on arms control between these countries. "

There you go - the results of a higher education at Fudan University in Shanghai......

Anonymous said...

arms control? the esteemed BULLETIN has just lost its global respect for caving into the Chicoms.....

Anonymous said...

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists is (was) a respected publication

But recently the Bulletin published a commentary by Dingli Shen that
needs to be criticized for going outside the ken of the Bulletin's
usual articles. For Shen used his soapbox to parrot the party line of
the Chinese Communist Party about Taiwan. And this kind of commentary
does not belong in a respected publication like the Bulletin of Atomic
Scientists.

Shen does the usual Chinese propaganda mindset things: he never refers
to Taiwan as a country but only as an ''island'', and he never refers
to ROC President Chen Shui-bian as this nation's ''president'' but
merely as "the island's leader".

Quote: "For some time, Taiwan's leadership has seemed interested in
pursuing the fantasy of independence. But lately, it has gone too far.
Chen Shui-bian, the island's head, said on March 4 and again on March
6, 'Taiwan wants independence; Taiwan wants to change its name; Taiwan
wants a new constitution; Taiwan wants development'.'"

He even brings former U.S. President Bill Clinton into the story:
Quote: "Seven years later, Chen has broken nearly all of his promises
and proven himself a liar and "troublemaker," in the words of former
President Bill Clinton."

O SHen!


Quote: "As a post-World War II arrangement, Taiwan reverted to the
mainland; Taiwan had belonged to China until Japan defeated China in
1894 and imposed the Treaty of Shimonoseki, which gave the island to
Japan. But in 1945, China and the Allied Forces defeated Japan, and
Taiwan was properly returned to the mainland."

Oh, please!

Anonymous said...

send the editors a copy of the china fantasy by james mann so they can get educated.