To the Chinese, Taiwan is still part of China. Even if for example, a democracy were to occur in China, they will still have the same sentiment. A recent poll done on the internet in China asking whether Taiwan is part of CHina and whether China would have to use force IF Taiwan declares independence was done -- over 90% said YES. When asked to volunteer to the army for the invasion, over 80% of COLLEGE GRADUATES said yes.
The problem is that the U.S. doesn't understand Chinese history at all -- it fails to note how China suffered under the Western powers in 1800's and territories, MASSIVE amounts of territories such as Mongolia, Siberia, etc. were ceded. It fails to understand the sentiment in China about the Japanese. This is why mentioning territorial integrity or sovereignty in China menas a huge deal for them.
By aligning the Japanese with the US defense pact on Taiwan, the US has essentially unified the Chinese people on the Taiwan issue. Not a very smart move by Bush.
” A recent poll done on the internet in China asking whether Taiwan is part of CHina and whether China would have to use force IF Taiwan declares independence was done -- over 90% said YES.”
Excuse me? 37000 Internet café’s where closed down in China a couple months ago. They are not back up and running. This poll is taken by only those that are alowed access to the net.
” The problem is that the U.S. doesn't understand Chinese history at all.”
You fail to note, what is today China is NOT China of the 1800’s. For some strange reason the Communist Chinese believe they are the same system that was inplace then.
” It fails to understand the sentiment in China about the Japanese.”
I know exactly what is taking place here and I believe war is envitable between China and Japan. China is sending out as much propaganda as they can to ready their people for war.
To make this perfectly clear for you. We have the same government in the US as we did when we sent the flying tigers over to protect China against the Japanese and latter had a full out war with Japan in order to save China from the Japanese. Guess whose side we are on this time? Again China IS NOT the China we tried to defend years ago.
To pretend China today has any resemblance of an honest system of government is to ignore history.