[smalltown]

Bush is doing what he has to do. He's simply trying to prevent Taiwan from forcing the issue to the point of a war which would be disasterous for all, and unnecessary because, as others have said, Taiwan is free despite the empty threats from the PRC.
From what I have seen of President Bush, he takes this pragmatic position with a great deal of distaste.
One point of clarification, the criticism of Taiwan's President Chen Shui-bian is by the PRC's Premier Wan, not by Bush. This particulat article is unclear but others show that the quote about "misleading" was by Wan.

[Arthalion]

He's simply trying to prevent Taiwan from forcing the issue to the point of a war which would be disasterous for all, and unnecessary because, as others have said, Taiwan is free despite the empty threats from the PRC.

Umm....OK. You're essentially saying that Taiwan is free as long as they don't try to exercise their freedom. Since China won't attack them if they comply with China's wishes, they aren't really being oppressed? By that logic, all of the people of Iraq were truly free and prosperous under Hussein. After all...he only beat and tortured them if they refused to do what he said. If they complied with his wishes, they were free to do whatever he wanted.

That's a pretty twisted view of freedom.