A reader sent me this link to an editorial in the local El Paso paper. Clear, direct, and right on point.There's an obsession driving the leadership of mainland China that eclipses even preparations for the Olympics.
That's reunification with Taiwan, a place viewed by the People's Republic of China as an upstart breakaway province that rightfully should be part of the Communist mainland.
There are two problems with this fixated thinking process. One is that Taiwan simply doesn't care to be part of the PRC. And who can blame the Taiwanese, who for some reason think they're better off with their freedom than being under the thumb of a brutal and repressive Communist regime? Then there's the problem that the Communist Chinese leaders don't particularly care how this reunification is accomplished, and have on numerous occasions threatened military action against
Taiwan.
In mid-October, PRC President Hu Jintao issued yet another call for a peace treaty with Taiwan based on the "one China" principle.
Two problems with this.
The "one China" policy means that Taiwan would be absorbed by the PRC and would become essentially just another province. As Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian said in a New York Times interview and quoted in the Taiwan Journal, "... if Taiwan accepted the 'one China' principle and 'one country, two systems' formula, then it would become a second Hong Kong or Macau. It would be made into a special administrative region or a local government of China. That would spell the end of Taiwan as an independent, sovereign country."
Go, El Paso!
[Taiwan]
What's amazing to me is that this kind of common-sense analysis isn't the norm! I find it incredible that people in the west - the same people who were opposed to apartheid, the same people who say "Free Tibet", the same people who are concerned about Burma are generally unperturbed by the situation Taiwan is in. By my reckoning, they should be very upset, and vocal about it.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I can say something about it, since I am US.
ReplyDeleteThe reason that Americans (or the Westerns) not care is that Taiwanese do *not* care, period.
You may argue that Taiwanese do care. But *care* must be matched by voice and action --- what did Taiwanese people do? Cutting defense budget? keeping the old-guard diplomatic employees, bickering about "joining", "rejoining" UN?
I am Taiwanese, and I care. But if I was not, why should I care?
UN for Taiwan is a great start of momentum, let's hope it will keep going on...