posted on October 26, 2004 03:14:18 PM new
TAIPEI, Taiwan - Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) has angered Taiwanese officials and lawmakers by making unusually strong comments denying that the island is an independent nation and suggesting Taiwan should unify with China.
Washington usually avoids weighing in on the touchy split, which arose when Mao Zedong's communist army won control of the Chinese mainland in 1949 and anti-communist forces took refuge on Taiwan.
But Powell waded into the unification question Monday in interviews with CNN and Hong Kong-based Phoenix Television during a one-day visit to China.
According to a State Department transcript, Powell told Phoenix: "There is only one China. Taiwan is not independent. It does not enjoy sovereignty as a nation, and that remains our policy, our firm policy."
That was a departure from the U.S. government's longtime "one China policy," a purposely fuzzy approach that merely "acknowledges" people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait agree there is one China. Washington also insists differences should be settled peacefully and in recent years has emphasized that the Taiwanese people should have a say in the matter.
Taiwan is highly sensitive to any kind of language especially from Washington that might suggest their democratic island is part of the communist mainland. Taiwanese view China's government to be repressive and have spent decades resisting rule by Beijing, which occasionally threatens to use force to bring the island under its sway.
Rebuking Powell without mentioning him by name, Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian told visiting former South Korean President Kim Young-sam on Tuesday that the island is a separate nation.
"Taiwan is absolutely a sovereign, independent nation. It's a great nation, and it absolutely does not belong to the People's Republic of China. That is the present situation, that is the reality," Chen said.
Using the island's official name, Republic of China, Chen said no country had the right to tell Taiwan it isn't independent.
"Other countries, whether they have official diplomatic relations with our country or not, have no way of influencing or deny the present situation and the fact that the Republic of China or Taiwan is a sovereign, independent nation," Chen said.
Taiwanese Premier Yu Shyi-kun made a terse response to Powell's comment. "Taiwan is a sovereign, independent nation. This is reality," Yu told reporters Tuesday.
Foreign Minister Mark Chen told lawmakers that Powell used "heavy language" that left "a deep impression" on Taiwan. He also complained Washington didn't warn Taiwan that Powell would depart from long-standing policy.
"They (America) hope that we'll try hard not to give them any surprises. They've really dropped an extremely big surprise on us," said Chen, adding that Taiwan had asked for explanations from U.S. officials in Washington and Taiwan.
Lawmakers with the ruling Democratic Progressive Party also complained.
"This kind of talk ignores reality. The Democratic Progressive Party's legislative caucus absolutely won't accept it," lawmaker Tsai Huang-liang said.
In an interview with CNN, Powell appeared to suggest Taiwan and China both favor unification. He said he didn't want to see either side "take unilateral action that would prejudice an eventual outcome, a reunification that all parties are seeking."
The Taiwan issue is extremely awkward for the United States. Washington doesn't want to appear to be forcing Taiwan to become part of the communist mainland. But the United States doesn't want Taiwan to provoke a war with China a conflict that would likely involve U.S. forces.
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If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
Beijing is enlisting the Bush administration's support by using China's leverage with North Korea over its nuclear program as a tool to influence U.S. policy on Taiwan, and to use the belief that Washington had no stomach for a showdown with China at a time when its energies were focused on events in the Middle East.
"Preoccupied with Iraq and eager to enlist Beijing's support vis-ΰ-vis North Korea, the administration has apparently determined that maintaining the status quo is simply too important at this time to be placed in jeopardy by election year gimmickry in Taipei. This contrasts rather starkly with Bush's previous comments shortly after his election, pledging to do "whatever it takes" to defend Taiwan. But the geopolitical winds have shifted since those halcyon days before September 11, 2001, and China has potentially much more to offer in the "war on terrorism."
posted on October 26, 2004 05:21:43 PM new
Communism's days in China are numbered. As the Chinese gain wealth through capitalism, they will want freedom. No need to get in a war with Communist China when it will fall on its own.
posted on October 26, 2004 08:28:23 PM new
ebayauctionguy, once again you prove your lack of knowledge. Russia is the only communist country that fell apart trying to out do the U.S. in arms. China,Viet Nam,N.Korea, and Cuba plus the Mid East terrorist and oil producing countries have found a new way to try and defeat the U.S. They are quickly sucking away America's wealth and doing a very good job of it. ebayauctionguy's greedy stupid failed leaders bush/cheney are playing right into their hand blinded by their own GREED.
America lost thousands of brave soldiers in both Korea and Viet Nam for nothing. Now your GREEDY failed leader wants to normalize relations with Viet Nam. Normalize for what, so they can make cheap products for WalMart to sell. Ebayauctionguy and others like him will live long enough to realize how wrong their thinking was in 2004.
posted on October 26, 2004 10:56:06 PM new
You know, I'd enter into this battle of wits with you Stone but it's just plain unsportsmanlike to do battle with an unarmed competitor.
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If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
posted on October 28, 2004 12:23:09 PM new
But it's OK for kerry to have been a commie sympathizer and collaborator causing the further torture of American POW's.
You libs are such hypocrites.
Hey, hey Ho, ho Kerry - sign the 1-8-0
"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The person who has nothing for which he is willing
to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."
--John Stuart Mill
posted on October 28, 2004 02:10:04 PM newBut it's OK for kerry to have been a commie sympathizer and collaborator causing the further torture of American POW's.
Just like it is fine for Bush to be friends with the Bin Laden family.
There's an old saying in Tennessee I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee that says, fool me once, shame on shame on you. Fool me you can't get fooled again." George W. Bush, Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002
---------------------------------- "Give it up for George W. Bush, the best friend international jihad ever had."
