Bush Sends Stern Warning to Taiwan over Independence Moves

VOA News ^ | 12-9-03 | Scott Stearns

[tallhappy]

Bush Sends Stern Warning to Taiwan over Independence Moves

Scott Stearns

White House

09 Dec 2003, 17:25 UTC

 

AP

President Bush says he opposes any action by Taiwan's leaders to declare their independence from China. Mr. Bush spoke at the White House during an official visit by China's Prime Minister Wen Jiabao.

The concern over Taiwan follows a decision by the country's leaders to hold a referendum in three months that could lead to greater calls for formal independence from China.

Meeting with the Chinese Prime Minister in the Oval Office, President Bush says neither country should try to change the nature of the relationship that has separated them since 1949. "We oppose any unilateral decision by either China or Taiwan to change the status quo. And the comments and actions made by the leader of Taiwan indicate that he may be willing to make decisions unilaterally that change the status quo which we oppose," he said.

China considers Taiwan an inseparable part of the country and has long vowed to use its military to prevent any attempt at independence. Prime Minister Wen says China wants a peaceful reunification with Taiwan.

He said Taiwanese leader Chen Shui-bian is purposefully misleading the people. "The Chinese government respects the desire of people in Taiwan for democracy, but we must point out that the attempts of Taiwan authorities, headed by 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. Such separatist activities are what the Chinese side can absolutely not accept and tolerate," he said.

Prime Minister Wen said China appreciates the U.S. position on Taiwan's planned referendum.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan would not respond to reports that the Bush Administration has asked Taipei to cancel the March vote, saying only that the country's leaders are "well aware" of the president's views.

Mr. Bush says the Chinese prime minister's visit reflects increasing ties of cooperation between the countries in fighting terrorism and trying to convince North Korea to give-up its nuclear weapons program. "We are partners in diplomacy working to meet the dangers of the 21st Century," he said.

President Bush says he is grateful for China's leadership in multi-lateral talks between North Korea, South Korea, Russia, Japan, China, and the United States. The president says stopping Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program is essential to a stable and peaceful Korean peninsula.

The prime minister's visit also includes talk of differences over currency rates, Tibet and human rights. Mr. Bush says discussing those differences openly is all part of healthy U.S./China relations. "The growing strength and maturity of our relationship allows us to discuss our differences, whether over economic issues, Taiwan, Tibet, or human rights and religious freedoms, in a spirit of mutual understanding and respect," he said.

The importance of this visit was reflected in the prime minister's White House welcome, which was more similar to ceremonies for a visiting head of state with a full honor guard on the South Lawn.

[Jim Cane]

I wouldn't go so far so soon.

I would, but in Bush's defense, at least he himself gave the chicoms the nod to invade, rather than setting up a patsy the way Bush Sr. set up April Gillespie to give Saddam the nod to invade Kuwait.

[k2blader]

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

Why doesn't President Bush just say this in Texan, i.e. a plain, straightforward manner?

[SGCOS]

Talk about a rock and a hard place......

[Steel Wolf]

This was the continuing fight between the Massachussetts Bay Colony, and the English.

Good analogy, except that Taiwan and the PRC are in every way shape and form separate countries. They have separate militaries, territory and political processes. We were subjects of the King, with redcoats stationed on our land.

The Taiwanese government, as constituted, can survive for decades or centuries. The PRC government is a museaum of old men and old ideas who will not survive another generation. Why would either the U.S., or Taiwan, want to fight China? All we have to do is wait them out. If we start provoking wars, that will create a real security threat that could keep hardliners of some form in power.

The presence of our Navy is enough to deter aggression on Taiwan. This is not abandoning Taiwan, it's playing smart.

[Franking]

If this is indeed a change in status, I expect it is payment for China's helping us with the far more pressing problem, which is North Korea. There is nothing we can do with NK without Chinese help, help they are negotiating with us to provide.

F

[Gunslingr3]

This is not the same thing. This is a civil war that we are helping to keep from reigniting.

A Civil War? Is Taipie actually trying to conquer Beijing? This is about Indepedence. Even the Chinese have said this is about Indepedence.

WHEN in the Course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation.

WE hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness -- That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

[veronica]

Can't say I know all the reasons for this, but on the face of it I'm disappointed.

China provides leverage with No. Korea.

[BJClinton]

I share your frustration to some degree, but I believe you're making too much out of this. Taiwan is already, for practical purposes, an independent democratic republic. And he did say both China and Taiwan should not make any unilateral changes. Given his stance on protecting Taiwan in the past, including some significant arms shipments, this is not selling out Taiwan or democratic principles. This is simply avoiding a conflict we can't fight right now while developing close relations with a nation that can be a huge asset in dealing with North Korea.

[MJY1288]

"We oppose any unilateral decision by either China or Taiwan to change the status quo. And the comments and actions made by the leader of Taiwan indicate that he may be willing to make decisions unilaterally that change the status quo which we oppose," he said.

You see a "Nod" or OK to invade in that statement?

I Don't, I see a warning to both to kool their jets

But then again, maybe you see only what you want to

[Southack]

Your entire re-posted article was already debunked here.

Nice going by reposting the same sort of propaganda again here, and to Breaking News, at that!

No doubt some gullible ones will fall for it hook, line, and sinker.

[Cronos]

The PRC government is a museaum of old men and old ideas

I tend to wonder about that. They've got a new crop of younger leaders and they clamp down hard on dissent to their 'old' ideas. Their economy may fail (and will when their banks NPAs are too heavy to bear) but their hold on power may not abate even then.

[maui_hawaii]

The actual terminology used was "we reject the unilateral moves by Taiwan or Mainland China to change the status quo of Taiwan".

Its right out of the textbooks.

True, the PRC has a big mouth and are somewhat dysfunctional. Kind of like a husband who tells his wife, come home or I will beat you...

China definately needs to change its tune.

I don't blame Taiwan at all for wanting independence, which they have already IMO. If they go off making things official, its going to provoke those old men in Beijing.

Deluded or not, they can still launch missiles and start a shooting war.

Thats all the US's message means. Don't provoke the other side because it could get real hot real quick if you do.

No one is conceding the PRC's claims to rule Taiwan. Not at all. Just avoiding a fist fight.

[drypowder]

This is in exact contrast to what Bush said just after he took office about defending Taiwan's freedom from China. It certainly confirms the possiblity that China already rules the world. As for the US taking a back seat to China's military might, thanks to Bubba it can/will only get worse. I submit the US military is currently superior to that of China but the differense is that China will use theirs not as a defense but to impose their rule. That probably will haunt us one of these days.

[AppyPappy]

We're just telling them to shut up

America will lead by defending liberty and justice, because they are right and true and unchanging for all people everywhere. No nation owns these aspirations, and no nation is exempt from them. George W. Bush

[Steel Wolf]

A Civil War? Is Taipie actually trying to conquer Beijing? This is about Indepedence. Even the Chinese have said this is about Indepedence.

Taipei considered sending 200,000 troops during the Korean War to be used as the spearhead for a reinvasion of the mainland. For a long time the Guomindang harbored plans of returning to the mainland, even if those plans were unrealistic.

At any rate, yes, it is a civil war. Taiwan is not a renegade province, it's the vestiage of the old mainland government that was defeated by the Communists. They lost, and headed a government in exile on Taiwan.

When we had our revolution, we didn't want to keep being English. The people on Taiwan and the people on the mainland both think of themselves as Zhongguoren, or Chinese. They both want to be part of China. They want to be separate from the Communists, but they don't want to stop being Chinese. Well, guess what. They are separate from the Communists, and they are Chinese.

In most circumstances, I'd say 'Screw the PRC' and back Taiwan. The fact of the matter is that we need China's help with North Korea first. After North Korea falls, I don't care much what Taiwan does to piss them off. I hope that they do.

But for Taiwan to start trouble before we've gotten what we want from China is not in our interests. They should know better then to put us in this position. That's the issue.

[MrFreedom]

China and Iran Test-Fire Missiles
Charles R. Smith
Friday, Sept. 6, 2002
Against the backdrop of impending military action by the United States against Iraq, China and Iran have recently conducted tests of their own ballistic missile forces.

On Aug. 28, following Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage's visit to Beijing, the People's Liberation Army 2nd Artillery Corps conducted a successful flight test of its Dong Feng (East Wind) 4 missile from a launch site in southern China.

The two-stage Dong Feng 4 limited-range missile was designed initially to hit the U.S. air base at Guam and later modified to increase its range to be able to strike Moscow. The large liquid-fueled missile is armed with an H-bomb warhead equal to 3 million tons of TNT and has a range of over 4,000 miles.

China is estimated to have approximately 20 of the powerful ICBMs, which are capable of striking U.S. military assets in the Asia-Pacific theater, as well as targets in Russia and Europe.

Most of the Dong Feng 4 missiles are stored in tunnels under high mountains, and are launched immediately outside the mouth of the tunnel. The missiles must be moved into the open and fueled prior to firing, an operation dubbed "chu men fang pao" or "shooting a firecracker outside the front door."

PRC Missile Diplomacy

The Chinese missile test was considered by Western intelligence sources to be a signal by Beijing that it will continue to develop, deploy and export missile technology despite a new agreement with the Bush administration on weapons proliferation.

According to a recent report by the U.S.-China Security Review Commission, China is a leading exporter of missile technology. According to the report, Chinese proliferation of weapons, "particularly in the Middle East and Asia," poses a serious threat to the security of the United States.

"China fails to control the export of dual-use items that contribute to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems," noted the commission's report, which was published in August.

"China is a leading international source of missile-related technologies," states the report. The report also noted that China has reneged on previous promises and continues to export missile technology to Libya, Iran and Syria.

State Department Denies Visas to Chinese Space Experts

In a move seen as a response to Beijing's missile diplomacy, the U.S. State Department has decided to deny visas to about 20 Chinese space experts invited to attend the World Space Conference in Houston this fall. Over 6,000 scientists, engineers and policy-makers are expected to show up for the space conference scheduled to start in October.

The State Department flagged several members of the Chinese delegation due to "technology-transfer concerns." The word inside Capitol Hill is that the attendees were actually high-ranking military officers from the Chinese Army 2nd Artillery Corps.

North Korea and Iranian Missiles

Meanwhile, Iran also carried out an unsuccessful test of its Shahab-3 missile. The failed test flight from northern Iran occurred late last month. The Shahab missile test reflects ongoing Iranian development of the medium-range rocket, which can strike Israel, Turkey and parts of India.

The Shahab missile is reported to be a derivative of the North Korean No Dong missile. U.S. intelligence sources have accused North Korea of working with Iran for several years to develop the Shahab system.

In a recent speech in South Korea, Under Secretary of State John Bolton labeled Pyongyang "the world's foremost peddler of ballistic missile-related equipment, components, materials, and technical expertise" and a top exporter of missiles to "notable rogue state clients such as Syria, Libya and Iran."

According to Bolton, North Korea's connections with Iran and Iraq, the other countries labeled by President Bush as constituting the "axis of evil," are reason enough to continue sanctions against Pyongyang.

"There is a hard connection between these regimes – an axis along which flow dangerous weapons and dangerous technology," stated Bolton.

Another sign of war in the Middle East comes from Israel. Israel has moved to defend critical targets in case of attack from Iran or Iraq. The Israeli air force has deployed units of U.S.-made Patriot anti-ballistic missiles close to the Dimona nuclear reactor in the south of the country. The Patriots are expected to assist a unit of Arrow anti-ballistic missiles already deployed in southern Israel in the event of retaliatory missile strikes from Baghdad.

U.S. Tomahawk Armed With Directed-Energy Warhead

An additional indication that war with Iraq is in the near future comes with reports that the U.S. Navy is deploying Tomahawk cruise missiles armed with newly developed "directed energy" warheads. Several Navy warships in the Gulf region are armed with the new Tomahawk missiles.

According to U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper, the strategy to use the new missiles is "in the works."

"You have to coordinate the effects, no matter what forms they take," noted Gen. Jumper. The new Tomahawk missiles are said to be equipped with warheads that produce high-power microwaves. The directed-energy warheads are intended to scramble military computers and destroy sensitive electronics. The most likely targets for the new warheads are Iraq's Chinese-made air defense system and Iraqi chemical storage facilities.

[Michael81Dus]

One can say many things about you, American FReepers, but one cannot say that you´re not fighting for the cause of freedom - everywhere. Be proud that you criticize the attitude of President Bush! Be proud to stand tall, even when it hurts, when others fall on their knees. It´s a shame that the leaders of the free world alltogether have forgotten that China´s state colour is RED.

I hope the best for Taiwan, and I´m convinced that Taiwan must be free.

God bless you and God bless all those who speak out loud for Freedom - everywhere!!

[Jim Cane]

WHEN in the Course of human Events,

Take that seditious commie marxist pinko crap back to DU!

[tallhappy]

Your comments are the obtuse ones. They are also consistent with the idea we provoked the 911 attacks by support for Israel, troops in Saudi Arabia etc...

[zarf]

So what do you suggest? A hardline policy that will force possible Chinese military action and the loss of China as an influence over North Korea?

Our prority is to reign in North Korea and we need the Chinese for that.

Any attempt to force the Taiwan issue would be stupid at best.

Does it contradict our stated policy in the short term? Yes. In the long term? Who knows. Attaining goals in international affairs demands give and take....and sometimes, yes, hypocracy.