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Friday, September 24, 2010

Friday Night Lites

Wen Jiabao, Premier of the Chinese Empire, said today that Chinese missiles facing Taiwan could be removed someday. "I believe the issue you mention will eventually be realised," he stated. He means after Taiwan has been annexed, of course. Games.

More games from China. Two days ago the news was that China had blocked rare earth exports to Japan over the Senkaku Islands dispute. Then today it came out that such a thing hadn't really happened. Just talk. Coincidentally, Japan decided to release the Chinese fishing boat captain it was holding. On the hegemony front, the US and ASEAN are coming together to push back against China. Meanwhile our troops stay in Afghanistan, making central Asia safe for Chinese expansion. Perhaps our foreign policymakers can all get on the same page?

Speaking of Japan, Taiwan News published a good analysis of the Japan-China-US-Taiwan relationship that focused on Japan's changing domestic calculus -- the new government has a China hawk for a foreign minister, and China's bluster has played right into his hands....
Ironically, the PRC's bald assertion of its "territorial sovereignty" over virtually all the waters in the East Sea, the South China Sea and the Yellow Sea may make it easier for Tokyo to convince reluctant Okinawans that their own security is also at stake.

Indeed, the "Ryukyu Shimbun" reported yesterday that Japan's Ministry of defense plans to boost the number of Ground Self-defense Forces stationed on the main island of Okinawa from 2,000 to 20,000 by 2020 in part to cope with "special needs due to the increase in Chinese military activities" near to the Okinawan island chain.
The article points out relations with Japan have been rockier under Ma because of the (apparently deliberate use of) the irritant of the Senkakus. A China Times editorial blamed US machinations for the Senkakus mess -- a sample of how both Chinese nationalisms, rightist and leftist, use the US as a convenient whipping boy -- but note this comment at the bottom:
Editor’s Note: Ambassador Stephen S. F. Chen, former representative of the Republic of China to Washington and currently associated with the National Policy Foundation in Taipei, recently made a comment on the status of the Diaoyutai Islets when answering press queries in Los Angeles. He said that the Government of the Republic of China (ROC) holds the consistent stance that the Diaoyutai Islets belong to the ROC. The Japan Coast Guard’s forcible detention of fishing boats from across the Taiwan Strait in recent months had clearly violated ROC sovereignty, added the retired diplomat. With regard to similar claim of sovereignty over the Diaoyutai Islets by Mainland China, Ambassador Chen emphasized his point by citing the ROC Constitution, which stipulates that the ROC’s “existing national boundaries” encompass the Chinese mainland, Taiwan, and surrounding islands. He explained that, leaving aside the issue of which China has the right to claim sovereignty over the Diaoyutai Islets, Beijing’s stance did not collide with that of the ROC based on the concept of sovereignty.
It's the 1992 consensus, Senkakus version.

The typhoon Fanapi flooding down south in Taiwan turned into a political football, but it was a game nobody won, though Chen Chu's intemperate words probably cost her at the polls, at least temporarily. Flooding occurs in part because of massive land subsidence and will only get worse as global warming gets into gear as this century goes on. To solve these problems requires changes in the way the System works in Taiwan (and elsewhere). That isn't going to happen. Meanwhile the Arctic Ice is now in a death spiral. Yes, I'm feeling pessimistic today.
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10 comments:

  1. Japan will never release the Chinese Captain because their military is more high tech and more powerful than China's.

    Besides they have the one and only superpower on earth, the USA, as their very solid and very reliable brave ally.

    China doesn't have a chance at all.



    Richa

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am shocked to hear the TWN government saying that Taiwanese travelers don't need to worry about being attacked by terrorists in India, esp since the two people who were nearly killed were indeed Taiwanese, and NOT Americans or Europeans.

    Those killed in Mumbai in 2008 included Japanese and Singaporeans.

    Another sign that this government has little regard for Taiwanese safety and security.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Did you see the Next Media Senkaku/Diaoyutai re-enactment?
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_gPr33SuI4&feature=player_embedded

    When the Chinese ship steams up to the islands it has a sign (in English) on its side: "Eternally ours, since 1971". Ha ha ha.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Japan needs to wake up!

    Tokyo should have let Paris Hilton
    in while shoving the Chinese boat captain out!

    Makes more sense.

    Richa

    ReplyDelete
  5. Japan has released the Captain. I wish Taiwan could stand up to Japan like China did. Do you foreigners even know how many times Japanese navy abused Taiwanese fishermen for fishing in 釣魚台 which belongs to Taiwan and is practically in our backyard. Japanese navy sometimes purposely damage their boats, DEMAND $3M NT to release their boat and crew and imprison the captain again and again. I wish Taiwan could stand up to Japan like China did.
    Japan was the aggressor that killed 20 million Chinese during WWII, and is still the bully to Taiwanese as of today.

    ReplyDelete
  6. "which belongs to Taiwan and is practically in our backyard"

    This sounds very much like a PRC meme.

    But 台灣人, how can Taiwan claim anything when it isn't legally recognized as an independent nation, and is also claimed as the territory of China?

    Is this part of the porcupine defense I've heard talk of?

    ReplyDelete
  7. "But 台灣人, how can Taiwan claim anything when it isn't legally recognized as an independent nation, and is also claimed as the territory of China? "

    Are you a PRC spokesman?


    I know its a natural stance of Americans here in Taiwan to side with Japan since their great country USA have a defense treaty with Tokyo.

    But it would have been nice for those Americans who have Taiwanese wives and are already considerend old timers here to sometimes prick thier Pres. Obama to give Taiwan diplomatic recognition so that we may not suffer the insult from the above commenter again.

    Richa

    ReplyDelete
  8. Richa - as a typical Taiwanese, you're incapable of knowing an ironic statement even if it came up and bit you on the nose.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Richa - as a typical Taiwanese, you're incapable of knowing an ironic statement even if it came up and bit you on the nose.

    Are you married to an ironic Taiwanese?

    Do you know when a nosy irony becomes
    an insulting bite?

    Then please urge Allah O'Akbar Obama to give diplomatic recognition to Taiwan that was cancelled by Cardinal Carter :)

    Richa


    Richa

    ReplyDelete
  10. What is "nosy irony"

    ReplyDelete

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