John Bolton, named to be the new US ambassador to the UN, long has believed Washington should simply recognize Taiwan.
"Diplomatic recognition of Taiwan would be just the kind of demonstration of US leadership that the region needs and that many of its people hope for," Bolton said in a 1999 statement as scholar with the conservative think tank, the American Enterprise Institute.
"The notion that China would actually respond with force is a fantasy, albeit one the Communist leaders welcome and encourage in the West," he said.
ILLUSTRATION: YU SHA
As a democracy and one of the world's largest international traders, Taiwan meets the UN charter's definition of "statehood," Bolton asserted in the Washington Times the same year, adding that he found it a "palpable unfairness" that Taiwan was not part of the UN.
This exclusion of Taipei not only proved China's "petulant opposition," but also showed "the organization's detachment from international reality," he wrote.
During questioning from members of the US Congress during his confirmation hearing after being nominated last week by US President George W. Bush, Bolton conceded that "things have changed" since his nomination.
However, he said, "I stand by the analysis," while adding that "it's not on my checklist of things to do at the state department."
Amid the recent tension between China and Taiwan over Beijing's "anti-secession" law, Taiwanese media have reminded Bolton of his past analysis.
Taiwan's sovereignty and the right to self-determination by the nation's 23 million people are at the center of the debate over China's anti-secession law.
The law legitimizes "non-peaceful means and other necessary measures" if Taiwan is seen to be moving toward formal independence or if efforts for peaceful unification are "completely exhausted."
This is where the complexities arise. How can Taiwan split from the People's Republic of China (PRC), when it has never been part of it, independent experts argue.
Since it has never been a province of the PRC, how could it then be considered "renegade." Finally, how can something be "united" that has never been one, they say.
When Japan was stripped of Taiwan after World War II, the San Francisco Peace Treaty Conference of 1951-1952 did not specify the new sovereign. Most participants at the conference agreed on the right of self-determination by the Taiwanese people.
After fleeing China with the Chinese Nationalist troops following their defeat against the communists and the founding of the People's Republic in 1949, Chiang Kai-shek (
Since the end of martial law in 1987 and subsequent democratization, the government in Taipei still views itself as the legitimate ruler of the Republic of China, which was founded in 1912 in China.
Unlike Beijing though, the government in Taiwan no longer claims sovereignty over China.
For Taipei, China has been divided since 1949, is ruled by two sovereign governments and exists as two "political entities." From an international legal perspective, experts view Taiwan as meeting all requirements to be considered a sovereign state.
Even those who accept Beijing's classification of Taiwan for political reasons must give the nation the status of "de-facto regime," experts say.
Most international legal experts agree that such a regime deserves the same international protection as any recognized state, including the nonaggression provisions in the UN Charter.
Beijing's "one China" doctrine stands in the way of any creative new peace proposals. As an interim solution, independent experts have proposed an agreement similar to the 1972 accord between West Germany and East Germany.
The former German accord could be a model for Taiwan, they say, as it renounced the use of force and stated mutual respect, paving the way for more cooperation, while leaving difficult issues like unification for the future.
The Chinese government on March 29 sent shock waves through the Tibetan Buddhist community by announcing the untimely death of one of its most revered spiritual figures, Hungkar Dorje Rinpoche. His sudden passing in Vietnam raised widespread suspicion and concern among his followers, who demanded an investigation. International human rights organization Human Rights Watch joined their call and urged a thorough investigation into his death, highlighting the potential involvement of the Chinese government. At just 56 years old, Rinpoche was influential not only as a spiritual leader, but also for his steadfast efforts to preserve and promote Tibetan identity and cultural
Former minister of culture Lung Ying-tai (龍應台) has long wielded influence through the power of words. Her articles once served as a moral compass for a society in transition. However, as her April 1 guest article in the New York Times, “The Clock Is Ticking for Taiwan,” makes all too clear, even celebrated prose can mislead when romanticism clouds political judgement. Lung crafts a narrative that is less an analysis of Taiwan’s geopolitical reality than an exercise in wistful nostalgia. As political scientists and international relations academics, we believe it is crucial to correct the misconceptions embedded in her article,
Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), the leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), caused a national outrage and drew diplomatic condemnation on Tuesday after he arrived at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office dressed in a Nazi uniform. Sung performed a Nazi salute and carried a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf as he arrived to be questioned over allegations of signature forgery in the recall petition. The KMT’s response to the incident has shown a striking lack of contrition and decency. Rather than apologizing and distancing itself from Sung’s actions,
Strategic thinker Carl von Clausewitz has said that “war is politics by other means,” while investment guru Warren Buffett has said that “tariffs are an act of war.” Both aphorisms apply to China, which has long been engaged in a multifront political, economic and informational war against the US and the rest of the West. Kinetically also, China has launched the early stages of actual global conflict with its threats and aggressive moves against Taiwan, the Philippines and Japan, and its support for North Korea’s reckless actions against South Korea that could reignite the Korean War. Former US presidents Barack Obama
RSS