Bush warns Taiwan against independence

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2003
Bush warns Taiwan against independence
19
Wed, 12-10-2003 - 11:52am

Comments?


 


SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/151755_china10.html

Bush warns Taiwan against independence


The announcement is a shift in U.S. policy toward Beijing


Wednesday, December 10, 2003


By BOB DEANS
COX NEWS SERVICE


WASHINGTON -- Sending a blunt warning to a longtime Asian partner, President Bush cautioned Taiwan's leadership yesterday against "comments and actions" aimed at independence, telling visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao that the United States opposes such steps.


Bush also put Wen on notice that any military action against Taiwan by China would invite a forceful response from the United States, reiterating an earlier pledge to defend the island republic from potential mainland aggression.


The comments came amid mounting U.S. worries over escalating tensions between Taiwan and China. Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian has called for a referendum next March calling for China to withdraw all missiles aimed at Taiwan and to renounce the use of force against the island. Beijing, which has deployed 500 offensive missiles within striking distance of Taipei, views the referendum as a move toward independence.


"We oppose any unilateral decision, by either China or Taiwan, to change the status quo," Bush told reporters during a brief Oval Office photo session with Wen. "And the comments and actions made by the leader of Taiwan indicate that he may be willing to make decisions unilaterally to change the status quo."


Wen, the first of a new generation of Chinese leaders to visit the White House, responded that China would seek to settle its differences with Taipei peacefully, "so long as there is a glimmer of hope" for doing so.


He also accused Chen of trying "to split Taiwan away from China."


Beijing regards Taiwan as a breakaway province, owing to its 1949 split from the mainland in the midst of civil war when communists took control of China. Since then, Taiwan has functioned as a sovereign entity.


"The Chinese government respects the desire of people in Taiwan for democracy," said Wen, who, as premier, is the No. 2 official in China's one-party communist government. He accused Chen, though, of "only using democracy as an excuse and attempt to resort to (a) defensive referendum to split Taiwan away from China."


Bush's comments, following a 40-minute Oval Office meeting with Wen, appeared to tilt U.S. policy slightly toward Beijing on a delicate subject that has for decades been a major irritant in Sino-American relations. A senior aide to Bush later told reporters the shift in emphasis was spawned by growing fears of a potential conflict across the 90-mile strait dividing Taiwan from China.


On other issues, Wen promised steps to cut the U.S.-China trade gap -- which has ballooned this year to $120 billion, in China's favor -- and to continue to press North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program. Both Bush and Wen cast the day's developments as reflective of the growing stakes in U.S.-Chinese relations.


"We are partners in diplomacy working to meet the dangers of the 21st century," Bush said during a South Lawn welcoming ceremony for Wen that included a 19-gun salute and the playing of both countries' national anthems.


© 1998-2003 Seattle Post-Intelligencer


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iVillage Member
Registered: 08-10-2001
Wed, 12-10-2003 - 5:26pm
I don't know...maybe the President is just wanting to concentrate military use in the Middle East and if we had to go in to help Taiwan

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Alexa

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-27-2003
Wed, 12-10-2003 - 9:15pm
I think that Mr. Bush forgets he's not president of the world just president of the US.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-18-2000
Thu, 12-11-2003 - 10:01am

>"Bush also put Wen on notice that any military action against Taiwan by China would invite a forceful response from the United States, reiterating an earlier pledge to defend the island republic from potential mainland aggression."<


Hope Bush doesn't

 


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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2003
Thu, 12-11-2003 - 10:17am

Hope Bush doesn't


iVillage Member
Registered: 04-16-2003
Thu, 12-11-2003 - 1:04pm
<>

Agreed. This conflict emerges every few years. The situation doesn't really depend upon GWB; IMO, it depends upon whether China, undoubtedly aware of US weakness, wants to take advantage. Taiwan may be bluffing for political purposes.

For those who may not be aware of Chinese history, Taiwan has always been part of China. It is only 22 miles off the mainland. When Mao's army took control of the government in China, the previous gov't moved to Taipei. For years we recognized this government as the Chinese gov't because mainland China was communist.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-16-2003
Thu, 12-11-2003 - 5:57pm
From Aljazeera--an Arabic POV

Taiwan sticks by referendum pledge

Thursday 11 December 2003, 10:37 Makka Time, 7:37 GMT

Chen Shui-bian has promised the Taiwanese new voting rights



President Chen Shui-bian of Taiwan has reaffirmed his commitment to a referendum on the island's future, despite stern warnings from Washington and Beijing.


He said people's rights could not be deprived "by any country, government, political party or individual".

Chen maintained, in a meeting with Scott Horton, President of International League for Human Rights, that on 20 March, the day of the Taiwanese presidential election, he would ask China to remove its missiles targeting the island and renounce the use of force against Taiwan.

The president stressed that the deployment of 496 ballistic missiles along China's southeastern coast posed a great threat to the people of Taiwan.

"To advance Taiwan's democracy and safeguard peace, security and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, (we) will ask China on the March 20 presidential election day to immediately remove missile deployment and openly renounce the use of force against Taiwan," he said.

'Basic human right'

Chen's plans to hold the "anti-missile, anti-war" referendum provoked a stinging rebuke from the United States and anger from China, which considers the island part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary.

Washington and Beijing fear the referendum would eventually lead to a vote on Taiwan's independence from China.

"The comments and actions made by the leader of Taiwan indicate that he may be willing to make decisions unilaterally to change the status quo, which we oppose"

"The 23 million people in Taiwan should enjoy the basic human right of holding referendums like people in the rest of the world. This right cannot be deprived by any country, government, political party or individual," Chen told Horton.

The Taiwan leader also referred to the "American spirit" in expressing his disappointment at US President George Bush's rebuke of his referendum proposal.

"The American spirit should not take the missile deployment as a matter of course, nor should it regard the pursuit for peace and democracy by the Taiwanese people as provocation," Chen said.

US rebuke

Bush on Tuesday voiced Washington's strong disapproval of the proposed ballot.

"We oppose any unilateral decision by either China or Taiwan to change the status quo," Bush said after talks with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

"And the comments and actions made by the leader of Taiwan indicate that he may be willing to make decisions unilaterally to change the status quo, which we oppose," Bush added.

Chen said, "We want to maintain a status quo of peace and stability instead of one of missile deployment and military threat."



Bush (R) stands with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao against Taiwan independence



Washington has observed the "one-China" policy since it switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979.

Wen said China would not tolerate any moves towards independence by Taiwan.

"The attempts of Taiwan authorities, headed by (President) Chen Shui-bian, are only using democracy as an excuse and (an) attempt to resort to a defensive referendum to split Taiwan away from China," Wen said.

US opposition weighs in

Congressional Democrats slammed Bush for abandoning Taiwan in its push for democracy, exposing as hollow his oft-stated commitment to promoting "freedom" around the world.

"By rebuking (Chen) for advocating the most basic of democratic values - the right of free people to express their views by voting - President Bush badly damaged the tradition of the United States of standing with those who want democracy and freedom," said House of Representatives Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi.

Chen said the 2004 presidential elections, in which he is running against Lien Chan from the Kuomintang (KMT), would be a contest between "one side, one country" and "one China" ideologies.

The KMT favours co-existence with the mainland and an eventual reunification of the two rivals, separated in 1949 at the end of a civil war.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/940C686E-5CC3-47EF-AA76-76614A6A193A.htm

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2003
Thu, 12-11-2003 - 6:09pm

And it should be up to the people of Taiwan to determine their course...not Bush or our current administration.


iVillage Member
Registered: 04-16-2003
Fri, 12-12-2003 - 11:05am
<>

It is a case of idealism meeting realism. I agree its hypocritical, but what's new?

This is interesting because there has been no vote, in this case China doesn't even want Taiwan to discuss this issue.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-10-2001
Fri, 12-12-2003 - 6:14pm
What makes it so complicated is that China is on board with us when dealing with N. Korea and their nuclear weapons.

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Alexa

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-06-2003
Fri, 12-12-2003 - 10:52pm
I think it's more than just self-determination.

Traditionally, Taiwan doesn't consist solely of the island - if you look at Taiwanese maps, the ROC involves the islands, the mainland and even parts of Mongolia (ie, pre-WW2 China). And the PRC contains what is mainland China today, as well as part of Taiwan.

So really, all Bush is doing is maintaining the "One China" policy that we've held for years (like all well-conceived diplomatic measures, it's nicely ambiguous).

I think if Chen succeeds in declaring independence and rallying the Taiwanese (there is a large population who wouldn't support disrupting the status quo), he'll start a war.

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