With hard work, perseverance and ingenuity, post-World War II Taiwan has emerged as one of Asia's most advanced economies and one of its most free and democratic countries. Indeed, Taiwan is, in the word of US Secretary of State Colin Powell, a "success story," and a true multi-party democracy worthy of emulating by all developing countries.
Every four years, just as the Americans do, the Taiwanese people freely elect the president of their country.
The US and Taiwan have been allies for decades. The freedom-loving Taiwanese treasure this valuable and mutually-beneficial relationship. They, however, were disheartened be the remarks of the State Department's two highest-ranking officials. On Oct. 25 last year, when speaking about the US' "one China" policy, Powell said, "Taiwan is not independent. It does not enjoy sovereignty as a nation."
He went a step further to express an erroneous view that "reunification" with China is a goal sought by the Taiwanese as well as the Chinese.
The fact is that Taiwan has never been, historically or legally, a part of China since 1895 when the Qing Dynasty ceded Taiwan to Japan. Japan ruled Taiwan as a colony for half a century until its defeat in 1945. By virtue of the 1952 San Francisco Peace Treaty, Japan renounced control of Taiwan. In the minds and hearts of the great majority of the people of, Taiwan is a democracy with all the characteristics of a sovereign nation.
In addition, survey after survey has unmistakably shown that the majority of the Taiwanese people do not wish Taiwan to become part of China. Although through Powell later backtracked on his words and acknowledged that he meant peaceful "resolution" of differences between Taiwan and China and not "reunification," he has yet to retract his prejudicial remarks about Taiwan's sovereignty.
The Taiwanese people were even more dismayed when Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, in an interview with PBS' Charlie Rose on Dec. 10, stated, "We all agree that there is but one China and Taiwan is part of China."
He added that the US is not legally obligated to defend Taiwan in the event of a military attack. Since 1972, the official position of the US, as manifested in the three joint communiques between the US and China, has been that the US "acknowledges" the Chinese claim that Taiwan is part of China.
Nowhere is it mentioned that the US "agrees" with China's position. Armitage's remarks are a significant departure from long-standing US policy. Furthermore, Armitage's interpretation of the Taiwan Relations Act that the US is not legally bound to defend Taiwan contradicts President George W. Bush's 2002 pledge that the US would "do whatever it takes" to defend Taiwan.
At a time when the US is committed to establish democracy in Middle East and other regions, it certainly does not bode well for the administration's credibility when the State Department chooses to adopt the position that the Taiwanese should live under the terms of authoritarian China.
One must realize that the tensions across the Taiwan Strait are nothing more than a result of China's territorial ambitions.
China today not only has nearly 600 missiles targeting Taiwan, it also has been steadily upgrading its nuclear capabilities.
The Chinese military modernization in reality is posing a threat not only to Taiwan but also to other Asian countries. It has become increasingly clear that with its rapidly growing economic prowess and military might, China will soon be in the position to recreate an "Asian co-prosperity sphere" that imperial Japan attempted to build during World War II -- but brought disastrous results to itself and its neighbors.
Recognizing China's ambition to be the dominant power in Asia, Japan has perceived China's rise as a threat to its security. Likewise, India is apprehensive of China's rising influence in the region. The urgent task for the US is to refocus on Asia and not to stand idle when democratic Taiwan is intimidated militarily China.
The timing of the State Department officials' remarks reiterating the Chinese position before their pending departures from is both regrettable and perplexing. Proclaiming that "Taiwan is part of China" not only offers US endorsement of Taiwan's eventual annexation, it also emboldens China to enact its so-called "anti-secession law" to justify such an action.
We sincerely hope that with the departure of Powell and Armitage, their recently expressed views on Taiwan will be forgotten. History will show that when the US steadfastly sides with freedom and democracy, it exerts a greater influence on humanity.
We also hope the US will encourage Beijing to respect the wishes of the Taiwanese, as this offers the only meaningful solution to the cross-strait impasse.
To continue to discourage the Taiwanese from pursuing their own destiny -- a right sanctioned by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights -- puts the US in the unenviable position of siding with China, a rising military power that the US-based Freedom House has ranked over the last two decades as one of the world's most unfree countries.
Henry Wang,
North American Taiwanese Professors' Association
New Jersey
There is much evidence that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is sending soldiers from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — and is learning lessons for a future war against Taiwan. Until now, the CCP has claimed that they have not sent PLA personnel to support Russian aggression. On 18 April, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelinskiy announced that the CCP is supplying war supplies such as gunpowder, artillery, and weapons subcomponents to Russia. When Zelinskiy announced on 9 April that the Ukrainian Army had captured two Chinese nationals fighting with Russians on the front line with details
On a quiet lane in Taipei’s central Daan District (大安), an otherwise unremarkable high-rise is marked by a police guard and a tawdry A4 printout from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicating an “embassy area.” Keen observers would see the emblem of the Holy See, one of Taiwan’s 12 so-called “diplomatic allies.” Unlike Taipei’s other embassies and quasi-consulates, no national flag flies there, nor is there a plaque indicating what country’s embassy this is. Visitors hoping to sign a condolence book for the late Pope Francis would instead have to visit the Italian Trade Office, adjacent to Taipei 101. The death of
By now, most of Taiwan has heard Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) threats to initiate a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet. His rationale is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government’s investigation into alleged signature forgery in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) recall campaign constitutes “political persecution.” I sincerely hope he goes through with it. The opposition currently holds a majority in the Legislative Yuan, so the initiation of a no-confidence motion and its passage should be entirely within reach. If Chiang truly believes that the government is overreaching, abusing its power and targeting political opponents — then
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), joined by the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), held a protest on Saturday on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei. They were essentially standing for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which is anxious about the mass recall campaign against KMT legislators. President William Lai (賴清德) said that if the opposition parties truly wanted to fight dictatorship, they should do so in Tiananmen Square — and at the very least, refrain from groveling to Chinese officials during their visits to China, alluding to meetings between KMT members and Chinese authorities. Now that China has been defined as a foreign hostile force,
RSS