Chinese spokespersons confidently predict that George W. Bush's impertinent statements on China and Taiwan will soon yield to reality, just as Ronald Reagan abandoned his campaign promise to recognize Taiwan and Bill Clinton forgot his aversion to the "butchers of Beijing."
But it is China that is changing the modus vivendi and threatening the stability of the three-party relationship, the linchpin of which is the peaceful resolution of the China-Taiwan dispute.
It is to be hoped that China's leaders will return to a policy of patience, restraint, and prudence before they choose to test the commitment of the new administration.
Joseph Bosco is a Washington attorney and adjunct professor in the Asian Studies Program at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service.
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