There is a looming Taiwan-China crisis on the horizon. After his party's election defeat, Taiwan's president Chen is trying to firm up the support of his hard-core base and play the dangerous cat-and-mouse game with Chinese on the Taiwan independent issue.
Taiwan's President Chen Shui-bian, who on Monday scrapped guidelines on unification with China, is determined to draft a new constitution that better suits Taiwan's current situation, the Yomiuri Shimbun daily said on Saturday.
China has sharply criticized Chen's independence-minded stance, and his abandoning of a council and guidelines focused on ultimate reunification drew harsh warnings from Beijing.
In an interview with the conservative Yomiuri conducted in Taipei on Friday, Chen said he was resolved to draft a new constitution but avoided comment on whether the new document would include phrases changing the status quo in Taiwan, including its official name, the Republic of China..
"I'll push forward with procedures for a new constitution that is more suited to Taiwan's present circumstances," Chen was quoted as saying.
Chen also indicated that five promises he had made in his inaugural address in 2000, which included maintaining the unification council and guidelines, were no longer valid because the conditions on which they were based no longer existed.
"The precondition was 'as long as China had no intention of using military force against Taiwan'," Chen was quoted as saying.
"However, China's intention to invade Taiwan is visible now," he added, noting that the number of Chinese missiles aimed at Taiwan had increased to some 784 over the past few years.
Chen is obsessed with the idea of becoming Taiwan's independent father. I have no doubt he will push for his 'independence' pet project and move toward the dangerous 'red' line for his remaining two-year tennure. The question is whether U.S. should tango with him?
Those pro-independence radicals in Taiwan always have two wishful assumptions: 1)All China's threats are empty, they don't dare to invade since they don't want to bear the economic consequences; 2)U.S. will always come to defend Taiwan no matter what.
Based on these assumptions, they're making dangerous move to provoke China and on the verge of breaking the suble status quo balance. The assumption that China will never invade Taiwan is just laughable. If China perceive their national sovereignty/interest is undermined, there'll be no way for them to avoid a war. Look at the Korean war, the communist troops were poorly equiped then, did that deter them from fighting a war against U.S.
The second assumption is just ridiculous and very unfair to American people. If those Taiwanese are not willing to stand up and fight for their own independence, why should American soldiers spill their blood and be drawn in? It is just hilarious to read the reports that all these Taiwanese' plan in the event of emergency is to open a bank account in U.S. or Canada and purchase a air ticket to flee.
It is time for U.S. to change its Taiwan policy. U.S. government should firmly tell President Chen that U.S. does not have the obligation to defend them if they want to change the status quo but unwilling to defend themselves. U.S. government should abolish its restriction on weapons sale to Taiwan. If Taiwan wants more advanced weapons to defend themselves, so be it, sell whatever they want, there's no need to let Chinese government stand in the way. On the other hand, U.S. government should tell Taiwanese there will be no blank cheque in terms of defending Taiwan, it is their responsibility to consider all consequences of their actions. If they want independence, if there is a war, they should fight for themselves. Don't count on American blood.