Counting his remaining days as Taiwan's president and worrying no successor to his perilous game of seeking secession from China, Chen Shui-bian is bent on expediting his agenda to propel a looming disaster that could also complicate U.S. in a military conflict beyond Iraq. The U.S. stand on Taiwan issues was best summarized by then Secretary of State Collin Powell at an interview with Hong Kong's Phoenix Television on October 27, 2004: "There is only one China. Taiwan is not independent, it does not enjoy sovereignty as a nation, and that remains our policy, our firm policy." Nevertheless, a headstrong Chen has never been daunted, especially when he needs to garner support for his political buddies in the coming presidential election in 2008 amid his family financial scandal that shocked the world. Chen has not only repeatedly ignored Washington's warnings of his serial provocative and irresponsible acts that challenge the U.S "One China" policy, but also set out to insult international collective intelligence by applying to join the United Nations under the name "Taiwan", an island that Beijing regards as its renegade province. The U.N. flatly rejected his request on July 24, 2007, for having violated a 1971 resolution that granted Beijing membership. A face-losing Chen then barked at the U.N. secretary generalĄ¯s office in questioning the resolution. Chen also lost his bid to join WHO last April. The hazard lies in the clear evidence that Chen never takes a NO for no. In his recent speeches and interviews, he vowed to never "surrender without putting up a fight" with mainland China while he has determined to risk everything to go ahead with his long planned referendum for Taiwan's "independence", a bottom line that Beijing says it will never tolerate and has repeatedly pledged to avoid with nothing ruled out, including military options. Under the Taiwan Act, the U.S. is obligated to defend Taiwan if it's attacked by mainland China, given that Taiwan doesnĄ¯t provoke first. Chen has his own plans, in which he is taking the ACT into his own hand and binding the U.S. to his warring wagon. Especially, as his days at power are numbered, Chen, without increasing pressures, seems irreversible down a path that leads to nowhere but catastrophic consequences across the Taiwan Straits and very likely for the U.S.. American people should know better what's like if a war is taken lightly. Wei Rao Executive Secretary of the American Chinese Alliances for China's Peaceful Reunification at Chicago 630-728-7012 wei.rao@sinostudio.com July 25, 2007 |