Time seems to be on the mainland's side was the feeling I got from a recent speech by Senator Dianne Feinstein. She mentioned that President Hu is making friendly gestures to the Taiwanese. Some are
1. Increasing imports from Taiwan.
2. Allowing the Taiwanese to sell fish to the mainland.
3. Recognizing degrees granted in Taiwan on the mainland.
4. Allowing Taiwanese doctors to practice on the mainland.
Oh, and the mainland offered to send over a couple of Pandas as ambassadors. (She didn't mention this.)
Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yaun. Tuanyuan, btw, means 'reunion' in Chinese. Coincidence?
President Chen of Taiwan doesn't want to accept the Pandas, but he does what the Mainland's business. Go figure.
The people of Taiwan support better ties with the mainland. Double digjt growth of China's military budget while Taiwan did nothing and 800 ballistic missles pointed at them may have something to do with that.
Right now, Taiwan is more vulnerable than ever, Feinstein said, and more reliable on the US than ever. This, makes the situation much too volatile.
The key - maintain the status quo - Taiwan promises to NOT claim independence and China foreswears the use of force - and the US pledges to mind its own business.
Another key - the American business community taking steps to improve relationships and ease tensions rather than seek self gain. Yeah, right?
Are we in trouble when we leave relationships to the results of business deals? I saw a friend tip over the Monoply board the other day when he lost.
What happens when real countries play Monopoly for real and one side loses big?
1. Feinstein's husband Richard Blum has 00s of millions in investments in China. That's why she shills for Beijing.
The key - maintain the status quo - Taiwan promises to NOT claim independence and China foreswears the use of force - and the US pledges to mind its own business.
China was not forsworn force -- it has 800 missiles pointed at us right now. What is has done is go on a fake charm offensive. Last year it was fruit tariffs, and nobody noticed that Taiwan does not export any of the fruits that tariffs were lifted on, until the ag minister commented on it months later. This year the fish tariffs work the same way. The US media doesn't do its due diligence, and uncritically report what China wants them to. Sad.
The panda affair is too complex to cover here. Suffice to say that if someone points guns at you and then offers you flowers, it doesn't mean much, does it? Also, every Taiwan environmental organization was against the deal, and once it became known that the costs were enormous, the public didn't support it either. Finally, the whole idea of giving pandas to Taiwan was a trick -- if Taiwan were sovereign, they'd have to be rented, but China offers them free to its own holdings. Hence the hidden claim to Taiwan packaged in the pandas.
Michael
The View from Taiwan
http://michaelturton.blogspot.com
Posted by: Michael Turton | April 26, 2006 8:56 AM | Permalink to Comment