The US policy toward Taiwan is still totally unacceptable to me, and we should be doing our utmost to back them in their endevours to be part of the international community of nations.  I respect Sceretary Gates, hell I have met the man, but I can not agree with the message, and by extension the position of the President ( Whom I voted for twice, and would do so again.) he delivered to Beijing.  The US should remind the PRC that they have a much weaker claim to any sort of political legitimacy than Taiwan and that they would be wise to copy their neighbors example and become a truly democratic society.

From the China Post: Gates reassures Hu on Taiwan.

     BEIJING -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Tuesday assured China's President Hu Jintao that the U.S. government is "categorically" opposed to any moves by Taiwan toward independence.

     Gates met with Hu in Beijing's Great Hall of the People after two days of talks -- characterized by both parties as "candid but friendly" -- that raised U.S. concerns about China's rapid military build-up and Iran's nuclear program.

     "I restated our position that we're categorically opposed to any efforts by anyone to unilaterally change the status quo," Gates told reporters after his talks with Hu.

     "I basically reiterated that the U.S. government has been quite clear in its messages to Taiwan not to change the status quo," he said, citing Chinese fears of "de jure independence" for Taiwan.[color]

    Heh, the last line in the quote is telling, Beijing is admitting that it has no control over Taiwan and is de facto an independant nation.  What difference then would it make if it is made official.  This kind of like objecting to having a wedding ceremony for two people that are allready married by common law, but not in the "offical" sense.  It has already happened and does in fact habe a basis in the law so one might as well make it "offical."

Posted by: raging tachikoma at 12:01 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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