In the world of sport, Japan has come up against both Taiwan and China recently, competing against the latter in the Asian Cup soccer and against the former in baseball at the Athens Olympics. The Japanese teams won on both occasions, but the reactions of the Taiwanese and Chinese fans were in complete contrast. Chinese fans, driven by nationalist sentiment, caused riots, while Taiwanese fans recognized the outstanding performance of their rival, but still felt proud of their achievement.
The reactions to the results of these competitions reflect the general attitudes and socialization on the two sides of the Strait. Japan's soccer and baseball teams are clearly stronger than those of Taiwan or China. That is simply a fact, and the Taiwanese people are able to make a rational judgment about this. Although we hope to see Taiwan win, we do not become emotional and irrational if we do not.
However, the Chinese government, the soccer association and the Chinese media have stirred up nationalism among their people. As a result, the public's emotions could hardly be controlled. This led to attacks on the Japanese team's bus and harassment of its fans.
This difference in the two societies is reflected in their contrasting policies and manner of dealing with the cross-strait issue. Due to the power struggle between Chinese President Hu Jintao (
Premier Yu Shyi-kun's recent comments in New York about China being a "source of chaos" threatening world peace come as no surprise. Government reports indicate that Chinese surveillance ships sailed close to Japanese territorial waters 14 times last year and seven times this year. This threatening behavior has caused considerable unease in Japan. Surveillance ships have also sailed "numerous times" off Taiwan's east coast. In his speech, Yu pointed out that by pushing its surveillance further into the Pacific Ocean, China aims to break through the encirclement of the island chain that stretches from Japan to Taiwan and the Philippines, to project force directly into the Pacific and directly confront the US there. This is a considerable threat to peace in Asia.
The threat of China's military force is not only Taiwan's problem. It also affects Japan, Korea and southeast Asia. Though they all feel the heat, they can only swallow their anger. Even Singapore has bowed before the punitive diplomatic and economic moves made against it after Lee Hsien Loong (
If members of the international community, due to their own selfish concerns, continue to allow China to act against its neighbors with impunity, they will be fostering the creation of a tyrannical regime akin to the Nazis.
China's popular sentiment, political structure and military deployments have become a threat to peace and security in Asia. If the international community does not protest Beijing's immoderate language and actions, they will be a party to this ominous development.
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
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Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.
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