Bruce Herschenson Lambastes KMT

Maddog flipped me this link to a CNA article on conservative scholar Bruce Herschenson speaking at an event organized by a pro-DPP think tank. His talk must have been truly impressive -- some good points in here....

Taiwanese businessmen and the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) are among "four threats" to Taiwan-U.S.-China relations, an ex-U.S. official said in a forum Tuesday.

The People's Republic of China, the international community and the U.S.'s use of the phrase "one China, " Taiwanese businessmen and the KMT are four threats to Taiwan-U.S.-China relations, according to Bruce Herschensohn, a political commentator who served as deputy special assistant to disgraced former President Richard Nixon.

Herschensohn also suggested when he met President Chen Shui-bian Tuesday that Oct. 25 should be a national holiday "celebrating Taiwan's independence" because Taiwan gave up its seat in the United Nations Oct. 25, 1971.

With so much trade being done with China, it seems the majority of Taiwanese businessmen lean toward maintaining the status quo, he pointed out, adding that people are reluctant to discuss Taiwan independence due to the fear of going to war. "Taiwan is at risk for not being independent, " he claimed, saying that Taiwan has to depend on outside help and that businessmen cannot keep their businesses from potential risk.

As for the KMT, he said that from listening to KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou and other KMT politicians, "you can always feel China in the background." An even more confusing fact is that the KMT did not participate in a rally against China's "anti-secession law" rally in March 2005, while less than a week later, KMT honorary Chairman Lien Chan visited China.

China is obviously a threat, but being moderate to a country that deploys more than 900 missiles against Taiwan is even more dangerous thinking, Herschensohn added while questioned "some people's" attitudes toward China.

He also said he does not oppose the "one China" phrase but "at the same time, there's also one Taiwan and one Australia" and Taiwan has never been under the control of the PRC.

Herschensohn said that since Taiwan will not be recognized in the U.N. after so many failed bids, it might as well "take the opposite course" and do what it thinks is the right thing to do.

Herschensohn, Pepperdine University Vice Chancellor Michael Wardner and senior advisor to President Chen Shui-bian Wu Li-pei were the three major participants in a forum titled "U.S.-Taiwan Relations Retrospective and Prospects" organized by the pro-independence Taiwan Thinktank.

Herschenson has previously argued in print that the Department of State is one of the major threats to Taiwan's existence. Its position is obviously pro-Beijing; just visit the State Department website, click on the map you see there, then click on Taiwan....

[Taiwan] [DPP] [KMT] [China] [US]