Taiwan Increases Tensions

The Times reports that a war of words has broken out between Taiwan and China yesterday “when Beijing criticised the President of Taiwan for making strident calls for independence.”

For those who don’t know, Tainwan’s president Chen Shui-bian said: “Taiwan should be independent. Taiwan is a country whose sovereignty lies outside the People’s Republic of China.” Also:

The President, speaking in his native Taiwanese dialect, proposed what he called a “four wants� policy: independence, a new constitution, development and new names for local companies that use the word China in their title. This is a shift from his previous “four nos� pledge in 2000 not to move towards independence if China did not threaten the use of force. Mr Chen, weakened by a corruption scandal involving his son-in-law and wife, is trying to drum up support for his Democratic Progressive Party before legislative elections at the end of the year. His actions in recent weeks have been apparently aimed at portraying himself and his party as willing to stand up to threats from China in the interests of greater independence for an island that has ruled itself for nearly 60 years.

China’s Foreign Minister, Li Zhaoxing, responded: “don’t listen to local leaders. Whoever wants to split away will become a criminal in history.â€?

The U.S. will be in a difficult position if the situation escalates:

America switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing from Taipei in 1979, recognising “one China�, but is obliged by the Taiwan Relations Act to help the island to defend itself.

Time for some serious diplomacy then. It is understandable that Taiwan wants to officially independent but… the deal it has now isn’t that bad: it is practically independent as it is. I do not see how causing an international crisis will help Taiwan.