Chen Shui-bian's Taiwan shaobing wrapped as Beijing mantou
Lau Guan Kim  Updated: 2004-01-20 11:11

The situation seems to be getting out of hand with the maverick Chen Shui-bian going it 'unilaterally', a starting probe how far the US may go to supporting his drive for independence.

The previous position was that "the people of Taiwan will firmly demand that the People's Republic of China immediately withdraw all the ballistic missiles targeting Taiwan and also openly and publicly announce and promise that they will not use force against Taiwan".

On January 16, this stand toned down to "Should mainland China refuse to withdraw the missiles it has targeted at Taiwan and to openly renounce the use of force against us, would you agree that the government should acquire more advanced anti-missile weapons to strengthen Taiwan's self-defence capabilities?"

A second question for the voters is: "Would you agree that our government should engage in negotiation with mainland China on the establishment of a 'peace and stability' framework for cross-strait interaction in order to build consensus and for the welfare of the peoples of both sides?"

All this change of heart came in the wake of Richard Myers' visit to China to foster closer military contact.

General Richard Myers is the current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Pentagon.

Chen Shui-bian is under pressure from Washington not to raise tension s over the referendum,

Another event that unsettled Chen Shui-bian was Washington's refusal to meet a Taiwan's delegation that sought to explain the referendum. Secretary of State Colin Powell just recently stated that Taiwan has scaled down its demands - a diplomatic grammar that says some arm twisting has produced the effect.

Chen Shui-bian, in a clever twist that anticipated China's no response to dismantling missiles or no use of force, words his watered down referendum to in the event China refuses to dismantle the missiles and no promise to not use force, he asks the Taiwan people whether they will agree to the government buying more sophisticated anti-missile weapons for self-defence.

This toned down version avoids the provocation of asking mainland China to dismantle the missiles and not to use force. This cleverly implied mainland China already refuses to comply with their original referendum. Well if that be the case the lawyer genius in Chen Shui-bian frames the toned down referendum as a response to mainland China's no to the two demands.

Of course the whole exercise is to get the Taiwan Chinese people to be so inflamed against mainland China that this translates to votes for Chen Shui-bian and a mandate to declare independence and count on the US to come charging down to protect 'democracy' inTaiwan

The flaw here is since mainland China will not dismantle the missiles nor withdraw its use of force, the question put to the Taiwan Chinese is irrelevant.

Had not the government already invested in hi-tech anti-missile weapons already? Were the Taiwan Chinese consulted before, and why this particular time Chen Shui-bian seeks the people's mandate to buy weapons?

Now, comes the bombshell to the second question put to the Taiwan Chinese. Would they sit down with mainland Chinese to chart a peace and tranquillity, a more robust contact with each other to build up consensus form the tow peoples? ? Here the lawyer Chen Shui-bian post-hypnotically put the notion that since it is a fait accompli that mainland China already does not want to dismantle the missiles and refuse to promise not to use force, would the Taiwan Chinese negotiate under duress? It is a concealed inflammation crafted in alarmist language.

At the same time the wordings are such as to make Chen Shui-bian appear dovish against the hawkish stance of mainland China.

Chen Shui-bian is a clever and cunning man, and his legal training as a lawyer makes him even craftier.

The point here I am making is what is the exercise for Chen Shui-bian to pull a civet cat out of the hat? If he clearly is for independence than he must not use subterfuge to lull the Chinese both sides of the Strait. What he pursues is perilous and disastrous for the Taiwan Chinese.

If that is what the Taiwan Chinese want, why should Chen Shui-bian go to this length to cheat and fool everyone.

Clearly that is not what the majority want except the status quo be unchanged. Would we be faulted if we say Chen Shui-bian tries to trick the Taiwan Chinese to declare independence?

He should get a mandate whether the Taiwan Chinese want independence.

And mainland China too must respond with a referendum to declare war when Chen Shui-bian leads Taiwan Chinese to break away.

Increasingly Chen Shui-bian cards are all exposed, and he has no aces left.

The fact that at this moment General Richard Myers' visit to China is a clear message to Chen Shui-bian the US is not amused. He clearly would not like to see the US tricked into an America-China War to fulfil the ambition of the separatists.

[End]

The above content represents the view of the author only.

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