01 May 2003
"Clarity Called for in Our China Policy," by Congressman Elton Gallegly
(The Washington Times 05/01/03 op-ed) (770)
(This column by Congressman Elton Gallegly (Republican-California)
first appeared in The Washington Times, May 1, 2003 and is in the
public domain. No republication restrictions.)
(begin byliner)
Clarity called for in our China policy
By Elton Gallegly
This week U.S. officials are attending a meeting hosted by China that
is meant to defuse tensions with North Korea. This is a very
constructive step, and it bodes well for peace in the Asian Pacific
region.
But today the world also has an historic opportunity to persuade the
People's Republic of China to end its confrontation with Taiwan. The
Bush administration should seize this opportunity and press the
communist rulers to stand down the weapons that now target Taiwan.
The people of Taiwan spend every day with at least 400 missiles
pointed at them by a Beijing regime that professes a desire to deal
with Taiwan in a peaceful way. This is unacceptable.
But with a combination of statesmanship and resolve, I believe there
is a chance to end this aggressive stance. Beijing has just installed
a new generation of leaders. If we act quickly, we have an opportunity
to persuade China's new ruling class that its policy toward Taiwan is
destabilizing and dangerous, particularly during this time of global
insecurity.
In October, it was reported that Chinese President Jiang Zemin had
offered President Bush a deal: The PRC will stand down its missiles
targeting Taiwan if the United States cuts back on arms sales to
Taiwan. Since then, neither government has said anything about this
offer, which was intended to turn missiles into bargaining chips in
Sino-American relations. President Bush should communicate there is no
quid pro quo and that the U.S. will not back down on its commitment to
providing much-needed arms to Taiwan.
While China's missile deployment is a continuing danger, an even
greater danger comes from the possibility Beijing will interpret
American silence as a step away from our longstanding pledge to defend
Taiwan from Chinese aggression. The generals of the People's
Liberation Army have been known to speculate that Americans wouldn't
have the stomach for a fight over Taiwan. They are wrong to think so,
as were Osama bin Ladin and Saddam Hussein, but if they continue to
misinterpret our policy it could lead to a dangerous miscalculation.
To avoid any misunderstanding, we must clearly tell Being that
continued provocations toward Taiwan will come at a steep price in
terms of their relationship with the United States.
The new members of the Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist
Party's Central Committee, the ruling group in Beijing, are young. For
the first time, none of them is a veteran of the 1949 revolution. They
have taken the helm of a China that is more powerful, prosperous and
assertive than ever before in their lifetimes. When those young
leaders look across the Taiwan Strait they see a small island, 100
miles away, with only 23 million people, a handful in Chinese terms.
But those leaders also see an economic treasure trove, with a domestic
product nearly a third the size of the mainland's output.
For them, Taiwan is more than a wayward province that must be reined
in as a matter of sovereignty and pride. It is also a way to
accelerate their progress toward hegemony in East Asia and the Pacific
region.
The Chinese communists need to know that the cost of this strategy far
outweighs any possible benefits. In taking this stand, we should here
two objectives: First, to urge Beijing to abandon the use of force,
coercive actions or the taking of any provocative military measures,
including missile deployment, against Taiwan. And second, to remind
China's new leaders both the stakes involved and the price if they
miscalculate.
It has been said there is a tension between the ambiguity inherent in
our "one China" policy and our commitment to Taiwan. That ambiguity
serves a purpose. It is there by design, and should remain. But we
know our Taiwan policy must always include the protection of that
island. Danger will inevitably follow when Washington allows Beijing
to settle comfortably into a false interpretation of that ambiguity.
The new leaders of China become more entrenched every day. Before
their seats on the Central Committee dais have grown worn, they must
be reminded of the high costs associated with any attempt to harness
Taiwan for the glory of a greater China.
(Elton Gallegly, California Republican, is a member of the U.S. House
of Representatives.)
(end byliner)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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