Richard Hartzell's letter has many good points and is mostly true, including the thought that the US reserves the right to recognize China but not Taiwan (Letters, Nov. 8, page 8).
The part I would quarrel with is that the US does not have the right or the ability to transfer sovereignty to Taiwan. The matter of the transfer of sovereignty over Taiwan was left out of the San Francisco Peace Treaty, and therefore has fallen to the people of Taiwan to decide. The US cannot change this, and should not meddle in the final choice of the free people of Taiwan.
The act of meddling in the final choice of the people of Taiwan would be a huge black mark on the name of the US. Mr Hartzell points out that he could find no date for when Taiwan became a sovereign nation. The date for sovereignty will be the much-feared (by China, mostly) date of the new constitution's implementation, because no state without sovereignty can implement a new constitution by it's people. Much ground needs to be covered between now and then. Security and international support are key to the process. Is Taiwan up to the task? I think it is ready for this.
Bode Bliss
Cleveland, Ohio
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