In Nod to China, Bush Warns Taiwan on Independence

[Hobarticus]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush offered Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao a key concession on Tuesday, responding to demands from Beijing and warning Taiwan the United States "opposed" any move toward independence.

China, under U.S. pressure to take steps to revalue its currency, agreed in turn to talks with U.S. officials on the tightly held yuan and pledged to attack the trade gap, which could hit $120 billion this year by U.S. accounts.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=1YENGT0YVAH2MCRBAELCFEY?type=topNews&storyID=3965703

[benfranklin1776]

1. Isn't Junior supposedly promoting democracy these days?

Last I looked Taiwan had a functioning flourishing democracy while Communist China was functioning as a backward repressive police state. But of course once more we see money talking as it always does with Junior. He would never anger the source of all of those dirt cheap sweatshop workers.

[onebigbadwulf]

2. Silly rabbit

democracy is for oil barons!

[benfranklin1776]

5. OOPS I had a lapse......

You are right. Oligarchracy is the new order of governance.

[WhereIsMyFreedom]

15. You should take another look at China

China is neither Communist nor a backward repressive police state. They embrace more capitalist policies than Communist policies these days, and their government isn't all that different from ours--elected representatives to a legislature and such.

[koopie57]

3. Well,

Bush wanted Iraq to be a free democracy and look what happened there, maybe Taiwan is breathing a sigh of relief. Having * as a friend really is not a good thing.

[David__77]

4. At least China isn't in the crosshairs.

I'm glad that Bush made this statement and I hope he upholds the one-China policy in practice and not just words. Of course, unlike Iraq or many other countries, China probably has the capacity to somewhat effectively defend itself against aggression.

[lucky777]

7. Huh???

Why do you support the One China policy, when in fact Taiwan has not been a "part" of China historically? On what do you base your support for that policy?

[David__77]

13. Is Hawaii "historically" a part of the USA?

I also support a "one USA" policy, despite the fact that the country annexed--undemocratically--many independent entities. If Taiwan is a nation, so is Hawaii. This is a question of averting war and respecting our commitments that we have made. When we established relations with the PRC, we said "no 'independent Taiwan.'" We need to stand by that and support a "one China" policy.

[WhereIsMyFreedom]

17. Taiwan is a part of China historically

There are a number of reasons to base support for the One China policy. For example, every other major country in the world and the UN support the One China policy. And historically, Taiwan was part of China. Then in their last revolution, the losers fled to Taiwan. The only reason that China didn't follow them and finish the job was because of the US. First we distracted them with North Korea, and then we sat a carrier there preventing China from finishing their internal affair (their civil war) all while agreeing with China that Taiwan is theirs.

[lucky777]

6. What a Hypocrite

I don't understand why people aren't outraged over Bush's hypocrisy. He allows trade with communist China but not with Cuba; he goes to war in Iraq to establish democracy (ha!) while warning Taiwan to have self-rule. This is straight-up bullshit.

[Say_What]

11. People aren't outraged because everybody's asleep at the switch

The Weasel in the WH is a madman with his finger on the nuclear trigger and people don't even notice. Pretty sad if you ask me.

As for Cuba, he's just pacifying the Gusanos in FL hoping they'll help him swing the election in FL again in 2004 like they did in 2000.

His words/actions redefine the word "hypocrite". It's surreal. :wtf:

Welcome to DU, lucky777 :hi:

[Gman]

8. China handed his ass to him in crates

that contained that downed airplane. The crates included Bush's ass.

Now he's caved to China and no more of the hard-asa talk. This will play absolutely wonderfully with the freepers.

[Goldenboy]

9. This is making a mountain out of a molehill

US-China relations are too complicated to try to explain this as partisan politics vis-a-vis Bush.

Bush is simply continuing the long standing US policy of 'strategic ambiguity' towares Taiwan since 1979---which is a balancing act between the PRC and Taiwan. In other words, we want to have good relations with both China and Taiwan, trade with them, etc---which can be contradictory at times.

Our policy is to sell Taiwan "arms of a defensive nature" but not want Taiwan to provoke China into war with them. The idea is to allow Taiwan to maintain its status quo such that China can't take it over, but not support any declarations of Taiwan independence. The TRA does not explicitly commit the US to defend Taiwan against PRC aggression, but in 1996 the US sent the Seventh Fleet in and around the waters of the Taiwan Straits around the time of the 1996 elections because Beijing was doing a lot of sabre-rattling against Lee Teng-hui. Translation to Taipei: There is a limit to US support for Taiwan, so don't push the envelope.

[Hobarticus]

12. Good point

You're right, this is an extension of a long-standing policy. But, I can't recall when a president flat-out warned Taiwan not to get uppity, especially in a time of relative calm, or during a state visit from China. Was this to butter up China to get them to budge on monetary policies?

Not so much partisan politics, but at least clumsy statesmanship? The notion of Bush giving a verbal warning to Taiwan with Jiaboa standing next to him struck me as too bizarre, you have to admit.

[David__77]

14. Clinton did it--Reagan too,

Every so many years, the president--of whichever party--warns that unilateral moves concerning Taiwan are a bad thing. They reiterate the US "one China" policy. When Clinton visited China, he did the same thing.

[SteveG]

10. This is going to hurt him on his Right flank

Criticism from the Right is already coming out. If enough of this stuff happens, and a good portion of the right stay home on election day.....(wistful sigh)

[DeathvadeR]

16. I hate to say this...What else was Dumya gonna do?

I don't think so Mr. Wen!!!! Taiwan is our buddy and we are gonna back them up till the end? He (we) are in no position to do so. He has to play Wen's biatch on this one.

If this war happens, it would pose grave consequences that would affect the US. Consequences that would ruin us. Who would make all those christmas gifts? Elfs?