[Jeff Head]

[gondramB]

It would be nice if they would wait til we get done with
Iran.

[Gay State Conservative]

Productive people in Taiwan had better start looking for another place to live.The Butchers of Beijing will have their way,regardless of what anyone in Taiwan,China,The United States or at UN Headquarters thinks.

[KungFuBrad]

I live in China, teach English here, First, about the sea lanes. What I am told by my Chinese friends is that they would like to control the sea lanes between Taiwan and China so they could put more pressure on Japan. If Japan does something they don't like they can shut down that area of the ocean for shipping to Japan. Ships would have to take the long way around.

Second, I have a plan. I think, and this is a little tongue in cheek, that the U.S. should let China have Taiwan but they must also take North Korea. Who would not rather have North Korea controlled by China instead of the Crazy man who is there now. I know this isn't completely serious but I don't think its that bad of an idea.

[Lancer_N3502A]

[Windcatcher]

Maybe it's because I am *not* Chinese, but I fail to understand what in the heck ethnicity, language, writing, or anything else has to do with this. Taiwan doesn't "belong" to China any more than the U.S. to Great Britain.

- We speak English here in the U.S. yet we have *no* allegiance to the U.K.
- The majority of Americans are still of British descent, yet we have *no* allegiance to the U.K.
- The U.S. even used to be a British colony, yet today we have *no* allegiance to the U.K.

Sheesh. It's really simple -- the Communists swept over the mainland and those who didn't want to live under a totalitarian, murderous, UNfree society collectively said SCREW YOU to the Communists and fled to the island.

When the people on the mainland ditch Communism, when they let people WHO AREN'T COMMUNISTS run for office, when they let people vote for these NON-Communists, when they throw their totalitarian regime onto the ash-heap of history, *then* people might be willing to join them. Why doesn't Taiwan want to join the mainland? HOW DO YOU SAY 'DUH' IN CHINESE???

[tet68]

So why bother to risk antagonizing them again?

Some people just NEED antagonizing!

[WestVirginiaRebel]

You can thank the Useless Nations for expelling Taiwan in 1971 in order to accomodate China.

[tallhappy]

The Bush administration is publicly siding with the communists.

Adam Ereli needs to be fired.

[Free Baptist]

Beijing: "China is one country and Taiwan is part of it."
KMT: "China is one country and the Mainland is part of it."
Chen Shui-bian: "China is one country, but let's be honest -- Taiwan has been ruling itself for 57 years - MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY - and have proven that we do not adhere to the same political principles, and we are Chinese making the decisions, not westerners, so don't assume or consume us in your Stalinist/Marxist/Maoist stupidity."

I like Mr. Chen.

[Antoninus]

Self-determination for Taiwan. Hands off, Chicoms.