The Command Post - Global Recon - China to allow Taiwan elections.

February 11, 2004

China to allow Taiwan elections.

China accused Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian Wednesday of endangering peace with his plan to hold the island's first ever referendum but said it would not meddle in Taiwan's presidential election next month. China, which considers Taiwan a breakaway province and has threatened to attack if it declares independence, sees the referendum as a provocative move toward statehood....
Ignoring warnings from bitter rival China and Taiwan's top ally, the United States, Chen has said he is determined to go ahead with the referendum alongside the March 20 election....

The United States, which recognizes Beijing's "one China" policy but is Taiwan's biggest arms supplier, has said it opposes any change in the status quo. In December, President George. W. Bush issued a veiled criticism of Taiwan for the referendum plan....

In a sign that China has no plans to menace Taiwan with missile tests as it did in the run-up to the island's presidential elections in 1996, Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Zhang said Beijing would not interfere.
"I reiterate here our stand not to meddle in the Taiwan elections,'' he said when asked to comment on Taiwan newspaper reports that China had told mainland-based Taiwan businessmen not to campaign publicly for candidates....
"We don't care who wins the election. What we care about is the winner's attitude toward cross-Straits ties and national unification,'' Zhang said.

Via NYT

Posted by Robert Mayer at February 11, 2004 02:26 PM | TrackBack

Comments

Hmmmmmm. I dont like that response. Totally contrary to everything China has ever said. If I were Taiwan id be on alert. My spidey senses are tingling.

Posted by: Mark Buehner at February 11, 2004 06:37 PM

I agree but it is possible they are prepping to behave as the super power they are becoming. Development is leaving them little choice.

Posted by: Richard Tilley at February 11, 2004 06:41 PM

China needs cash. Taiwan has cash.

Posted by: CERDIP at February 11, 2004 06:51 PM

what is the big deal over taiwan?
I mean isnt china BIG enough that they dont need a little dinky island?

that is like us going to war with key west.

Posted by: gijoe at February 12, 2004 01:59 PM

The GDP of Taiwan is 386 billion dollars. The GDP of mainland China is 4.5 trillion. So Taiwan by itself produces about 10% of what all of China does, but more importantly most of it is computers and high tech which China lags behind in. Ten years ago it was a significantly higher ratio in favor of Taiwan, which could be an indicator of why China has chilled out slightly. I wouldnt swear to it but I believe at one point Taiwan may have been producing as much wealth as all of China put together.

Posted by: Mark Buehner at February 13, 2004 10:05 AM

China has one of the fastest growing economy on earth, many take it as a fact that they will be as wealthy as the US in our life time. I wish I could elaborate more but all the implications are a real brain twist, and it's not really something to be summed up in a coments box.

Posted by: Richard T at February 13, 2004 10:23 AM

Some sage said a couple of years ago that where there is a McDonald's, there is no war. I came back from Southern China a month ago. People there love their money more than we love ours. The People's Army is the richest organization there. They run the largest airlines, TV stations, shopping malls. Everyone who is lucky enough to belong to the army has a share of the profits. These soldiers are rich, they don't want to die in a war just because their politicians want them to. No way. By the way, they love things American. They may not love Americans, but they love things sound remotely American. One of their most popular water "uses world's no. 1 American distiller process." Don't ask me what it means, they just want the word America to be there. They also put a little Stars and Stripes on the bottle. Amway is very popular there because it is from America. In fact what the Communist Party is afraid of right now is reunification with Taiwan. They have a very tough time swallowing Hong Kong. A couple of months ago the Taipei mayor said he had no problems with reuniting with the mainland provided democratic elections are held in China. Beijin was not pleased.

Posted by: ic at February 13, 2004 10:29 PM

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