Print

Mail

wiki links

Letter

A free Taiwan helps China

Recently, two US congressmen suggested that Taiwan send marines to Iraq. Morally, Taiwan should respond positively to this request. Taiwan's military is well trained and equipped with US hardware, and the commanders are generally proficient in English, so they should be able to work efficiently with US troops in Iraq. Taiwan has been involved in humanitarian aid to various smaller countries for many years, and it makes sense to also extend her helping hands to the Iraqi people.

But Taiwan does not have any official relations with the US, nor with Iraq. The Taiwan Security Act offers the only framework within which Taiwan and the US maintain communications, but this does not include any other countries. In addition, since Taiwan is not a UN member, there is no legal basis for participating in a peacekeeping mission. It is obvious that there are no diplomatic grounds for Taiwan sending troops anywhere in the world.

This dilemma illustrates why the US' support of the "one China" policy is doomed. It is in the US' interest that Taiwan should be an independent country.

For the sake of peace and stability in Asia and for the benefit of everyone, especially for China, Taiwan should be an independent country. Instead of building up its military might, China will be able to concentrate on improving the living standards of her people and many people around the world.

Of course, the people in Taiwan must strive hard to attain this goal. The US has an obligation as well as the means to speed up this process by recognizing the country and sending an ambassador to Taiwan. By failing to recognize Taiwan's independence, the US is isolating one of Asia's most important democratic nations diplomatically and economically, adding to international confusion over Taiwan's sovereignty.

Francis Lai
Massachusetts
This story has been viewed 2123 times.