Download the letter (pdf file).
United State Congress
Washington, D.C. 20510
March 14, 2007
Dear Honorable Senator/House Representative,
As the Chinese New Year starts with full vigor and bright expectation,
we are writing to draw your attention to some worrisome aspects of the
Taiwan Strait situation.
You may already know that lately the struggle across the Taiwan Strait
has been burgeoning again due to President Chen Shui-bian’s persistent
and provocative Taiwan independence advocacy. Alarmed by a foreseeable
cross-strait military showdown in 2008, we plead your honor to promptly
and resolutely act to rein in Chen’s dangerous “fire playing.” Here is
a quick review of his recent provocations:
Fire Playing:
1) On January 1, 2007, Chen’s New Year message proclaimed that “Taiwan
is a part of the world, not China.” This seriously violated the
One-China Principle recognized by the world community. China slammed
his remarks and warned the U.S. that 2007 would be the most dangerous
year for keeping the cross-strait peace and stability. We regret that
after Chen’s declaration, the U.S. still granted him a transit stay
in San Francisco and Los Angeles in January en route to Nicaragua.
2) On February 2, 2007, Chen said that Taiwan should “act now” to draw
up a new constitution, otherwise it “cannot be called a normal, complete
and progressive new democracy.” U.S. State Department’s No 2 official
John Negroponte said that there is a “distinct possibility” that such
a proposed new charter would be at “cross purposes” with America’s
one-China policy.
3) On February 8, 2007, Chen waged a new wave of “de-sinicizing” moves
for all state-run firms on Taiwan by replacing China by Taiwan in their
titles. While 55% of the Taiwanese people did not support this move,
only 21% showed approval; 64% thought it would incur huge social cost.
On February 9, 2007, U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack
rebuked Chen’s move saying that Chen’s act was “unhelpful,” and “the
United States does not, for instance, support changes in terminology
for entities administered by Taiwan authorities,” or any administrative
measure to unilaterally change Taiwan’s status quo towards Taiwan
independence. But he avoided answering the question whether Chen’s
action altered the status quo unilaterally. The low-keyed U.S. response
encouraged the Chen entourage to take it as a “red light” turning into
a “blinking yellow light,” meaning “do not support, but give tacit
approval,” similar to the U.S. past stance on Taiwan independence of
“do not support, but this does not mean ‘oppose.’”
4) On March 4, 2007, Chen made a new pledge of “Four Wants and One
Without,” to participants at the Formosan Association for Public Affairs’
(FAPA) 25th anniversary dinner, which broke the “Four Noes and One
Without” promise in his inaugural speech on May 20, 2000. Taiwan’s stock
market dropped precipitously the next day. His pledge infringed upon
America’s national interest, as pointed out by a series of politicians
and scholars like J. Warner (Rep, Vir), Jeffrey A. Bader (Brookings
Institution) and Bonnie Glaser (Center for Strategic and International
Studies). Earlier on February 28, 2006, Chen already announced that the
National Unification Council (NUC) “ceased to function” and the National
Unification Guidelines (NUG) “ceased to apply,” as a symbol of abolishing
the aim of reunification with the mainland of China.
| Then: Four Noes and One Without
| Now: Four Wants and One Without
|
|
1. Taiwan will not declare independence
| 1. Taiwan wants independence
|
2. Taiwan will not hold referendums on Taiwan’s
nationhood
| 2. Taiwan wants a new constitution
|
3. Taiwan will not change its national
title
| 3. Taiwan wants to rectify its title
|
4. Taiwan will not enshrine “state-to-
state” relations with China in the
Constitution
| 4. Taiwan wants development
|
5. Taiwan will not abolish the NUC and
the NUG
| 5. There is no left-right political axis
in Taiwan, just the question of
independence or unification
|
A Man with No Integrity and No Political Merit:
Taiwan’s recent TVBS survey showed that more than 50% of the Taiwanese
people did not support Taiwan independence and 56% worried about the
cross-strait tension. Also, with Chen Shui-bian’s reputation as Time
Magazine’s Man of the Year for his corrupt government and a “trouble
maker generally acknowledged by the international community,” only
16% were satisfied with his performance.
Taiwan’s opposition Kuomintang (KMT) warned that Chen’s move is a
step-by-step de jure independence. If he succeeds in stirring a military
clash with China and drags America into war, he could call off the 2008
presidential election and declare himself to be the first President of
the Republic of Taiwan. But what will be the fate of the Taiwanese
people? Will his son and daughter be willing to fight for the war of
Taiwan’s independence?
Will the Fire Be Put Off?
In terms of curtailing Taiwan independence, the U.S. Government so far
only made a few mild verbal rebukes to Chen. We are also disturbed and
disappointed by the proposed legislation H.Cong Res 73 by Rep. Thomas
Tancredo and others, “[e]xpressing the sense of Congress that the United
States should resume normal diplomatic relations with Taiwan (the
Republic of China), and for other purposes.”
The U.S. Government recently approved a US$421 million sale of Advanced
Medium Range Air-to-Air missiles and Maverick missiles to Taiwan to back
Chen’s government. These weapons will enable Taiwan to launch attacks
reaching as far as China’s Yangtze River Three Gorges Dam. The U.S. is
also making active war preparations by shifting major military force to
the Asia-Pacific region. Meanwhile, Beijing’s sudden willingness to
showcase its sophisticated weaponry may be a belief that only a credible
military threat can deter Taiwan’s independence movement.
For Whom the Bell May Toll?
Ernest Hemingway published in 1941 For Whom The Bell Tolls, a best seller,
in which he described his experiences in the Spanish Civil War, into
which many other European countries were also dragged by taking sides.
Will a similar military conflict take place between Taiwan and China,
which would include the active participation of the U.S. and surrounding
nations for the discredited Chen Shui-bian?
If it were to happen, Taiwan would naturally suffer the first and
heaviest blow and the Chinese and the Americans could become enemies for
generations to come. So, if we do not resolutely stop Taiwan independence
now, but wait until more silver-haired American parents greet their sons
and daughters’ cold bodies inside flown-back coffins, we would be
regretful and shameful to see American dreams broken and the American
national interest diminished.
Dear Sir, we respect your wisdom and wish you understand and share
similar thoughts with us. We look forward to hearing from you and having
the opportunity to meet with you.
With best regards,
Yonggao Wang
Executive President of Chinese American Alliance for
China's Peaceful Reunification in USA
Tel no: 312-286-1063
Fax no: 312-275-7853
caacpr@comcast.net
Sheng-Wei Wang
President
China-US Friendship Exchange, Inc.
curra888@yahoo.com
Zhonying Zhao
President
Chinese American Tribune
zhongzhao@sbcglobal.net
Isolde W. Chen
Acting President
Global Chinese Alliance for the Unification of China
isoldechen@yahoo.com
Tony Zheng
President
Pennsylvania Chinese American Association for China’s Peaceful Reunification
sixinliang49@yahoo.com
Pius Hsu
President of the Alliance for Peaceful National Reunification of China
piushsu@yahoo.com
Hunter Huang
President
The National Association for China's Peaceful Unification
nacpu@yahoo.com
Download the letter (pdf file).
|
