EU misguided
Desperate people do desperate things. A child feels he or she is ignored, and does something awful, hoping for attention. Wanting to prove he is bigger or better, or grown up, he does something inadvisable just because he can. The EU, desperate to be a force in the world and desperate for attention, is considering lifting the 15-year-old embargo on arms sales to China. Could anything be more overtly petulant? Or stupid?
The EU of course acknowl-edges the US is steadfastly opposed to arms sales to China, but of course, being the petulant child, smugly states that it will consider such objections only. No one will tell the EU what to do. But hopefully the EU will screw its head on straight before it makes a decision.
The embargo arose out of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre and crackdown on democracy protests. Hundreds died then. Thousands have likely died or disappeared since -- so have basic human rights such as freedom of speech, freedom of worship and freedom of the press.
The timing of the suggested change in the embargo is strange. Human rights in China have not improved since 1989; they have worsened. And China's aggression has not improved either. It has moved ahead with eugenics in Tibet, gobbled up Hong Kong and it continues to increase the number of its missiles aimed at Taiwan.
This week, France plays host to Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤). What better way to lay rose petals at the feet of the Chinese emperor, than to bear gifts -- in this instance, bombs, fighter jets and missiles?
The French are behind the changes. France has been cozying up to China for some time. It would love to sell its Mirage jets and other arms products to the world's largest consumer of arms in the world. It is the short-sighted plan of what can only be characterized as a group of discontented "spoilers" -- now largely impotent nations searching for long gone days of glory and influence, trying to whip up market share in China.
In the course of its petulance, however, the EU could endanger the lives of 23 million Taiwanese, 120 million Japanese, all of Tibet, South Korea and who knows how many others in the Asia Pacific region and the world. Arming China has to be one of the worst ideas in the last 100 years. Not to mention selfish and childish. But of course, we knew that. I wonder what the EU will cook up for a constitution.
Lee Long-hwa
United States
Don't count on US
It seems lately that every time I read opinion pieces there's an American telling the Taiwanese how to act in order to assure the good grace of the US. Most of these letters generally have an implicit message of principle that goes something like, "The US is committed to defending Taiwan, but you have to play by the rules."
A recent letter even had the audacity to suggest that the "defensive referendum" threatened American lives because it was Americans that would be defending Taiwan in the event of an invasion.
Such messages from Americans are not only arrogant and irresponsible, but also worrisome because they promote the naive belief among Taiwanese that the US will defend Taiwan according to some principle such as "The US stands for freedom" or "The US protects democracy."
The US government has no genuine, altruistic concern for Taiwan. It has been using Taiwan as a pawn for half a century, and it continues to do so. Overall, this relationship has benefited Taiwan. But Taiwan is now the small wife in a very turbulent and sexy love affair between the US and China. The US could dump Taiwan in a heartbeat.
This is why the US wants to maintain the status quo. So while both Taiwan and China are trying to get things moving in one way or another, the US is trying to pretend that everything is fine just as it is. But ultimately, the US will align itself with the sweetest pot of honey.
The only reason the US supports Taiwan is for strategic purposes. There are 101 reasons why the US might indeed defend Taiwan militarily, but one thing is for sure: it will never defend Taiwan out of lofty, democratic principle.
US foreign policy is not based on any romantic principle of democracy or honor; it is based on capitalism. Does anyone really believe that the US will forego trillions of dollars in trade with China to defend Taiwan based on principles of democracy and freedom?
Why does it bother me when I read references to the prospect of the US defending Taiwan? Because I really like living here for many reasons, not the least of which is that the people of Taiwan, for the most part, still actually like Americans. I don't want to see that screwed up by dashed hopes of US military support.
Some predict that 2008 will be a turning point in cross-strait relations due to a number of factors including China's unwillingness to take drastic actions before the Olympic Games and because of what will be its justified sense of enhanced international stature as a result of the likely successful completion of the Olympics. I hope Taiwanese still like Americans in 2010.
I hope I don't have friends asking embarrassing questions like, "Hey, when China put a naval blockade on Taiwan and coerced other countries into refusing inbound and outbound flights, and our currency and real estate fell by 80 percent and we were brought to our knees without a single bullet being fired, why didn't the US intervene?"
I hope Taiwanese don't count on the US, and I wish people would stop repeating the mantra of US defensive support for Taiwan. It's a gamble not worth taking.
Dan Roggenkamp
Pingtung
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