Posted on 07/31/2004 2:45:09 PM PDT by wagglebee
TAIPEI - Proposed Chinese legislation that would give a mandate for the reunification of Taiwan with the mainland would provide a legal basis for an attack on the island, Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian has said.
Mr Chen, speaking for the first time on the mainland's proposal to adopt a reunification law, said he was very concerned about it.
'China is undertaking a legal battle. If Taiwan does not follow, it will undertake a military battle,' he was quoted by the United Daily News as saying during a visit to the southern county of Tainan late on Thursday.
'The reunification law is a bid to obtain a basis to attack Taiwan,' he said.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is considering a proposal made in May that parliament should draft and adopt a reunification law to prevent Taiwan from edging towards independence.
A reunification law would legally bind Chinese leaders to order the 2.5-million-strong People's Liberation Army to attack Taiwan if the island declared independence.
'I am very concerned,' Mr Chen said in Tainan.
Tension has been simmering between Taiwan and Beijing, rivals since a civil war that ended in 1949. Many security analysts see Taiwan as the most dangerous flashpoint in the Asia-Pacific region.
Both sides have been holding military exercises in the waters off Taiwan, leading some military analysts to conclude that the rising hostilities may have reached a critical juncture.
On Thursday, China for the first time denied that it had set a timetable to reunify Taiwan by force within the next 20 years.
'I have not seen any reports on this in the mainland's formal media, and internally I've also not heard of such a document,' Mr Wang Zaixi, vice-director of the Chinese Cabinet's Taiwan Affairs Office, told the media while attending a forum in Hangzhou, capital of southern Zhejiang province.
Mr Wang nevertheless stressed that Mr Chen risked war with the mainland if he pushed for a new Constitution by 2008.
The island's security lay not in building up an arsenal of missiles and submarines but in offering assurances that Taiwan was not planning to declare independence, Mr Wang said.
Beijing sees Mr Chen's goal of adopting a new Constitution by the end of his term in 2008 as a drive towards a formal declaration of independence and has been preparing for a possible military showdown.
'New tensions and even a serious crisis in the cross-strait situation may arise if Chen obstinately pursues his timetable,' Mr Wang said. -- AFP, Reuters, AP
That work for the North during the 2nd War for Independence.
Can't help but wonder how Hanoi John would handle the situation if he were President? I would guess he would become the American Chamberlain!
Eventually China either has to change or the sh*t will hit the fan.
The previous Chinese leader (the one beloved of Feinstein) often used Lincoln as his model when explaining the mainland's position on using force against Taiwan.
On Thursday, China for the first time denied that it had set a timetable to reunify Taiwan by force within the next 20 years... Mr Wang Zaixi, vice-director of the Chinese Cabinet's Taiwan Affairs Office... nevertheless stressed that Mr Chen risked war with the mainland if he pushed for a new Constitution by 2008. The island's security lay not in building up an arsenal of missiles and submarines but in offering assurances that Taiwan was not planning to declare independence, Mr Wang said.Remind you of anyone else?
NOT A PING LIST, merely posted to: AM2000; Arkinsaw; BenLurkin; Dallas59; Fee; Fishing-guy; Iscool; iamright; international american; Joee; joesnuffy; Lael; Lester Moore; No_Doll_i; neutrino; PersonalLiberties; Robert_Paulson2; Sola Veritas; snowsislander; Tax Government; tbpiper; techwench; vpintheak; wagglebee; wku manConcepts of Nationalism, Unity, and the Arab NationAt a broader level, Baath Party ideology reflects the viewpoint of many Syrian citizens in championing pan-Arab nationalism and proposing unification of all Arab countries into one Arab nation stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Arabian Sea, transcending what are regarded as arbitrary and artificial borders drawn by Ottoman or European colonial rulers. However, this vision of Arab unity has not been limited to Baathists. Arab unity was the clarion call of most Arab nationalists during the struggles against European colonialism after World War I. Baathist ideology differs from this older sentiment in making socialism an integral element of pan-Arab nationalism.
Federal Research Division
Library of Congress
Country Studies/Area Handbook Program
U.S. Department of Army
Although most Syrians support pan-Arabism, some view it negatively. In many respects, the notion of pan-Arab nationalism contradicts Syrian nationalism because Syria would be subsumed in the larger entity and its identity subordinated to that of the new superstate. Aware of this paradox, Syrian officials reserve for Syria a special place in their utopian ideal as the "beating heart" of the Arab nation. However, Syrian religious minorities fear that extreme pan-Arab nationalism would entail Islamic fundamentalism because Islam is an important common denominator of many Arabs and a potential vehicle for uniting the Arab countries. Therefore, religious minorities, particularly Christians, have stridently resisted proposed unification with other Arab nations, while at the same time supporting the notion of a Greater Syria, which includes Lebanon and other areas with a large Christian population. Some minorities oppose unification; for example, Kurds and Assyrians in northeastern Syria have vivid memories of persecution in Iraq, from which they sought refuge in Syria, and naturally oppose being brought again under Iraqi jurisdiction.
Because using Islam as the defining criterion of Arabism is prejudicial to minorities, Syrians have instead emphasized the common cultural heritage of all Arabs. Specifically, the Arabic language is perceived as the root of Arab nationalism. Additionally, the nearly universal antipathy toward Zionism is another factor around which Arabs can rally, regardless of their ethnicity or religion.
It sounds very much like the Baath party example you offer. It also has distinct similarities to the Japanese nationalism (and expansionism) of the late 1930's up until 1941.
There are two nasty little problems. First, China is now the center of manufacturing for the world - and, should they decide to wage war, they would have a notable advantage over the rest of us. We would have trouble even finding clothing or shoes for our troops if we were in a conflict with them.
The second problem - which connects with the previous thread on oil - is that if their economy stagnates for whatever reason (say, high energy prices or a global recession) the populace might become restive. And they wouldn't be the first country to choose war as a diversion for an unhappy population.
The U.S. Navy will conduct a major “surge” exercise (Summer Pulse 04) off the China coast later this Summer. Seven carrier task forces (or “strike groups”) will rendezvous near Taiwan and conduct joint exercises with the Taiwanese navy. This is part of the new American Fleet Response Plan (FRP). The new plan keeps strike groups in port more, making it possible to concentrate more of them at a major trouble spot in a hurry. The FRP calls for sending six 'forward deployed' (already at sea) or 'ready to surge' (in port) carrier task forces to a trouble spot within 30 days.We had some threads about this here at FR. This is Bush's message to the Chinese, crafted along the lines of Rumsfeld's new military deployment strategies.
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I think we have a mandate to put a base on Taiwan.
D-Day x 10. Chicoms lose.
Something must be done immediately to diffuse this dangerous situation. We MUST protect the free flow of $49 VCR's!
Bingo. Bingo has been called. We have a winner.
The differences in your comparisons is one was/is a government of elected representatives the others were not.
First, China is now the center of manufacturing for the world - and, should they decide to wage war, they would have a notable advantage over the rest of us. We would have trouble even finding clothing or shoes for our troops if we were in a conflict with them.Luckily, a conflict with China won't last long. I say "won't" rather than the subjunctive mood "would" because I'm convinced that it is a matter of time.
The second problem - which connects with the previous thread on oil - is that if their economy stagnates for whatever reason (say, high energy prices or a global recession) the populace might become restive. And they wouldn't be the first country to choose war as a diversion for an unhappy population.I quite agree. China's stupid ZPG policy (which is actually a population decline policy) has resulted in a surplus of around 40 million men and boys. That's one reason (besides policy differences) that I think a war with China (started by China) is only a matter of time. As Mao said, "I believe it is characteristic of the situation today that the East Wind is prevailing over the West Wind." That kind of hubris (from 1957, not long after the Chinese fed American guns to the tune of 100s of 1000s in Korea) is still there.
Second Taiwan Strait Crisis: Quemoy and Matsu IslandsAmerican naval aircraft also helped the Nationalist air force establish control of the region’s airspace. Nationalist pilots flying American-made fighters defeated their Communist opponents in a series of air battles that cast doubt on the quality of Communist’s pilots and aircraft.
Don't they need UN authorization or something? ;)
Do you work for the ChiComs?
Are you just a sympathizer?
Well...
Perhaps some our marines would like to fry some froglegs too.
to be honest George...
you don't need to feed my "despise quotient" for the french.
I find it difficult to not wish upon them, the just deserts of housing and supporting al queada against us.
Makes me want to say "Damn them, and damn the horse they rode in on.
We should have NEVER returned france to the french... but instead insisted that MONTY govern the area as a british protectorate until the pussie who run that nation, could be rooted out, root, and branch.
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