Michael Lev reports that among the many issues over which the United States and China face off, the Taiwan issue, more than any other, promotes mistrust of America (“Chinese give Bush speech high marks,” News, Feb. 23). Indeed Taiwan has been a prime dispute in Sino-American relations, along with four other T’s: technology transfer to rogue states, Tiananmen (referring to human rights abuses and other closely related issues, such as religious freedom), trade (the ever-growing American deficit with China that exceeded $83 billion in 2001) and Tibet.
Why does Taiwan stand out? The reason is simply because Taiwan is the amalgam of all the differences and conflicts of values and ideology existing between China and the Western world.
America and Taiwan share a joint vision and a profound commitment to regional security, democracy and prosperity. In fact, Taiwan is the only Chinese society that echoes America’s values in every essential aspect–democratic principles and political institutions, a free market, respect for human rights and religious freedom, free speech, free press and strategic goals of peace and prosperity. Taiwan is clearly highly motivated and capable of contributing to the safeguard and promotion of America’s strategic, political and economic interests as well as its long-term goals in East Asia.
Lev also reported that most Chinese consider Taiwan to be an inseparable part of China. Taiwan has never paid a cent of tax to the PRC. During hard times, the PRC never rendered any assistance to Taiwan. Beijing has worked to push Taiwan out of its legitimate space in the international community. If Taiwan has never been a part of the entity known as the People’s Republic of China. How can it now be “inseparable”?
