Taiwan’s Demand For Independence Nags The Bush Administration
Taiwan’s President Chen Causing Trouble
President Chen Shui-bian said Taiwan will press ahead with a controversial referendum on whether the self-ruled island should apply for U.N. membership under the name Taiwan, dismissing U.S. objections as appeasement of China. Chen’s defiant stand, outlined in frank language during an interview Friday, raised the prospect of a rocky period in Taiwan’s relations with the Bush administration and a rise in tension across the volatile 100-mile strait separating Taiwan from mainland China.China and the United States have complained that the referendum, which would have little practical effect, in fact is designed to promote a change in the island’s official name, from Republic of China to Taiwan. This, both governments charged, could be read as a unilateral change in the island’s status, something China’s leaders have said they will not tolerate. China has said the island must one day reunite with the mainland and has vowed to use force if necessary to prevent a decisive move toward independence — such as changing the official name to Taiwan.President Chen stated that he cannot understand on what grounds the Bush administration voiced objections. “Is it about the matter of holding a referendum itself?” he asked. “Or about joining the U.N.? Or about using the name Taiwan? What is there to oppose in any of this?” Officials in Washington should not worry so much, he said, because applying for U.N. membership under the name Taiwan would not affect the island’s official name, which is defined elsewhere. As a result, he added, it would not constitute a violation of the pledges he made to the Bush administration to avoid changes — including changing the name — that could be viewed as provocative by China and perhaps lead to a crisis in the Taiwan Strait.
The United States, under the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, has pledged to aid Taiwan in defending against any attack by China. It is unclear whether this would mean military intervention. But with the war in Iraq consuming attention in Washington, the Bush administration is eager to avoid having to face such a choice.
