US Secretary of State Colin Powell is in South Korea today, after visits to Beijing and Tokyo, in the hope of gaining these nations' support for the US position against Iraq and North Korea. Powell was hoping to gain Beijing's support for a UN resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq and for China to pressure Pyongyang to make compromises. But Powell left Beijing empty-handed, having been politely spurned by Vice President and Communist Party General Secretary Hu Jintao (
The crisis over North Korea's nuclear program has deepened as Pyongyang rattles its sabers in Washington's direction. As North Korea's tradition ally, China has relations with Pyongyang that are unmatched by any other country. Every year, China provides oil and food to North Korea at prices far lower than the international market. All this has made the international community think that Pyongyang will not take Beijing's opinions lightly. With its veto power in the UN Security Council and its influence on non-aligned countries, China also possesses considerable leverage on the issue of a US attack on Iraq.
Some people have even suggested that the US should make concessions on the Taiwan issue in exchange for Chinese support in the Iraq and North Korea issues. This is not only wishful thinking, it could be disastrous in the long run.
China and the US share a desire not to see North Korea cross the nuclear threshold. However, Beijing does not support US military action against Iraq, nor does it support US military action or economic sanctions against North Korea. That is because economic sanctions will worsen the poverty in North Korea and could lead to turmoil that might affect China. For this reason, Beijing will not cut off economic aid to Pyongyang.
China hopes to have the UN Security Council handle the North Korea issue. This runs counter to US policy. Even if Washington does make concessions on the issue of arms sales to Taiwan, China may still not side with the US.
Beijing is an important provider of weapons to North Korea and Iraq. It has maintained diplomatic and geopolitical influence in those countries via arms sales and economic aid. In fact, as China's rise to the status of an Asian regional power becomes more obvious, it will inevitably become a strategic competitor of the US, both in the region and globally.
If the US sacrifices this country's military or diplomatic interests for the sake of short-term benefits, it will help increase China's pressure and military threat against Taiwan. The loss of an important pawn like Taiwan may cause the entire US defense line in East Asia to collapse. This is simply not worthwhile.
Powell should be very clear about the long and the short benefits of any offer from Beijing. Others in the US should also understand the contention between US short-term and long-term strategic interests.
The way the US handles the North Korea and Iraq issues will mold the future international order. Even if the US attack on Iraq and its handling of the North Korea issue may not have a direct impact on this country, an early response from the government is still necessary to cope with the strategic changes in Northeast Asia.
With the Year of the Snake reaching its conclusion on Monday next week, now is an opportune moment to reflect on the past year — a year marked by institutional strain and national resilience. For Taiwan, the Year of the Snake was a composite of political friction, economic momentum, social unease and strategic consolidation. In the political sphere, it was defined less by legislative productivity and more by partisan confrontation. The mass recall movement sought to remove 31 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators following the passage of controversial bills that expanded legislative powers and imposed sweeping budget cuts. While the effort
There is a story in India about a boy called Prahlad who was an ardent worshipper of Lord Narayana, whom his father considered an enemy. His son’s devotion vexed the father to the extent that he asked his sister, Holika, who could not be burned by fire, to sit with the boy in her lap and burn him to death. Prahlad knew about this evil plan, but sat in his aunt’s lap anyway. His faith won, as he remained unscathed by the fire, while his aunt was devoured by the flames. In some small way, Prahlad reminds me of Taiwan
When Hong Kong’s High Court sentenced newspaper owner Jimmy Lai (黎智英) to 20 years in prison this week, officials declared that his “heinous crimes” had long poisoned society and that his punishment represented justice restored. In their telling, Lai is the mastermind of Hong Kong’s unrest — the architect of a vast conspiracy that manipulated an otherwise contented population into defiance. They imply that removing him would lead to the return of stability. It is a politically convenient narrative — and a profoundly false one. Lai did not radicalize Hong Kong. He belonged to the same generation that fled from the Chinese
President William Lai (賴清德) on Sunday congratulated Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on their historic landslide victory in Japan’s general election. The LDP secured the largest single-party majority in post-World War II Japan, winning 316 seats. The win is expected to strengthen ties with Japan’s allies and potentially deter Chinese aggression in the region. American Institute in Taiwan Director Raymond Greene on Monday said that under Takaichi’s leadership, he anticipates deeper coordination among the US, Japan and Taiwan to promote regional stability and prosperity. US President Donald Trump has also shown his strong support for Takaichi,
RSS