U.S. SHOULD REASSURE TAIWAN OF SECURITY COMMITMENT: DAILY TELEGRAPH
20031128
London, Nov. 28 (CNA) Washington should reassure Taiwan that it
will receive whatever is necessary to defend itself from an invasion
by mainland China after Thursday's passage of a bill by Taiwan's
Legislative Yuan to allow Taiwan to hold referendums, a major British
daily urged Friday.
In an editorial titled "Taiwan's democracy, " the Daily Telegraph
noted that Beijing has warned that it sees the bill as a step closer
to Taiwan independence that could have disastrous consequences.
The paper pointed out that U.S. President George W. Bush has
spoken eloquently of the need to nurture democracy around the world.
"In the face of Beijing's threats, Taiwan has a prime claim on
his attention," it said.
The Daily Telegraph noted that Beijing's bullying of Taiwan has
proved counterproductive. In 1996, when Taiwan held its first direct
presidential election, Beijing conducted missile tests off Taiwan's
coast, but the threat boosted the vote of Lee Teng-hui and brought
two U.S. air carrier battle groups to the Taiwan Strait.
In 2000, threats of invasion made by Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji
against Taiwan independence helped the cause of Chen Shui-bian, the
first president of the Republic of China on Taiwan not to belong to
the Kuomintang.
The newspaper said Taiwan has had little to do with mainland
China since Taiwan was ceded to Japan in 1895. Although there was
brief unification in 1945, it was soon followed by de facto
independence under Chiang Kai-shek and his successors. The separation
between and the mainland has further increased after Taiwan became a
full-fledged democracy while the mainland was slow in its political
liberalization.
(By N.K. Han)
ENDITEM/mw
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