Lies, lies and more lies
In an interview with CNN reporter Christiane Amanpour reported in your paper, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) announced to the world that he would “never” ask the US to fight for Taiwan (“KMT downplays Ma comment,” May 3, page 1).
So much for the “strategic ambiguity” that has long been a crucial aspect of US policy toward China and Taiwan. The ambiguity of what measures the US would take if war were to break out across the Taiwan Strait was a sort of “wild card” that the US held close to its chest. In its counterintuitive way, the US refusal to show all its cards has contributed to peace across the Taiwan Strait.
Ma would have done well to keep his mouth shut. But no, Mr “golden-mouth” had yet another in what can only be termed as a series of brain farts. For example, in a speech in Panama, he gave the wrong date for the founding of his own country (or what he claims is his own country, although that fact — along with his true allegiance — is highly debatable). Then, wonder boy brilliantly announced to the world that he would never ask the US to fight for Taiwan should there be a cross-strait war.
However, Ma, in his effort to tickle the rectal bristles of Chinese officials and sell out Taiwan, is forgetting one thing: The decision to assist Taiwan against a military invasion or blockade by China is not his decision alone to make. One cannot exclude or factor out the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA). The TRA is legally binding for the US, a hell of a lot more binding than any groveling bullshit that Ma will ever be able to concoct.
The TRA provides that it is up to the US “to maintain the capacity of the United States to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security, or the social or economic system, of the people of Taiwan.”
In other words, not only is the US legally bound to supply weapons of a “defensive variety” to Taiwan, the US is also obligated to defend Taiwan.
Whether the US will aid Taiwan in the event of a war is not a unilateral decision made by a kowtowing, toady turncoat like Ma. I wonder if Ma has any idea of how much tonnage of shipping passes through the Taiwan Strait on a daily basis. Does anyone sincerely think that the US (or Japan and South Korea) would stand by twiddling their thumbs if the Taiwan Strait were blocked? One look at history shows that the US invariably takes military action whenever its shipping lanes are threatened.
In the interview, Ma brazenly continued to lie to the public. For example, when Amanpour asked why the US should risk so much for Taiwan, Ma responded that “the risk for the US is [the] lowest it has been in 60 years,” thanks to his administration’s efforts to improve cross-strait relations. Pure codswallop. The Ma administration’s policy of unabashed pandering and relentless appeasement of China has in fact increased the threat of violence in the Taiwan Strait to the highest level it has been in 60 years.
Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) downplayed the president’s statement by claiming that Ma was “simply highlighting Taiwan’s determination to defend itself.” According to Du, Ma’s remark showed the “determination and confidence” of Taiwan. Du said that “this is what a leader should say.” Yeah, right. And, may I ask Du with what is Taiwan expected to defend herself? I’m sure that the four submarines in Taiwan’s possession paralyze everyone in the Chinese navy with fear.
One last question: Does anyone find it the least bit odd that — coincidentally enough — just as Ma makes such an outrageous remark, there are quite a few Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) bigwigs in Shanghai, inspecting the “Chinese Taipei” pavilion at the Shaghai Expo?
Michael Scanlon
East Hartford, Connecticut
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