The ties that break: tensions heighten between Taiwan and China

By Daniel Sandiford
Collegian Editor
March 1, 2006

On Monday, Taiwan’s president, Chen Shui-bian, scrapped an advisory board that sought to unify the island nation with China. The move sent shockwaves from Beijing to Washington as the Chinese government warned that a serious crisis might arise.

The decision to scrap the National Unification Council (NUC) and close the door to possible guidelines that would reunite the two nations came despite warnings from Washington, a close ally of Taiwan.

“The National Unification Council will cease functioning and the budget no longer be appropriated,” Chen said.

Chen went on to say that the decision was a result of “China’s persistent military threat and its attempts to use non-peaceful means to unilaterally change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.”

In recent years, China has stockpiled approximately 700 ballistic missiles targeting Taiwan. The Chinese have also threatened to invade Taiwan if the country ever declares its formal independence.

The U.S. has taken the position that Taiwan should not seek its own independence, and opposes any change in the status quo by either side.

“What we are doing today is to safeguard freedom, democracy, human rights and peace of the status quo, to protect the right of free choice of the 23 million Taiwan people,” said Chen.

Chen did not say that he wanted to cut off diplomatic relations with China.

In 1949, the two countries fought a civil war that resulted in Taiwan separating from China. The Chinese, have always claimed that the island nation is part of its territory and that it would forcibly take over if Taiwan declared its independence. The two have had a strained relationship ever since.

“This is a dangerous sign of the escalation of activities by Taiwan separatists,” said Chen Yunlin, director of the mainland’s cabinet-level Taiwan Affairs Office. The office’s website states that Chen’s move “will certainly trigger a serious crisis across the Taiwan Straits and destroy peace and stability in the Asia Pacific region.”

In 1990, Taiwan’s previous Nationalist Kuomintang government formed the NUC. The council was formed to advise the president on various ways to reunify the two nations. The council was formed with 32 leaders from both the private sector and the government.

Chen was elected in 2000 as a member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DDP), a group that favors independence. Chen vowed during his inauguration in 2000, and again after his re-election in 2004, that he would not disband the NUC or get rid of any of the guidelines.

Chen changed his tune a month ago and expressed interest in getting rid of the NUC. The DDP voted to support this effort.

Many lawmakers in opposition to Chen have threatened to launch major protests to his plan.

sandifordd1@lasalle.edu
Information gathered from www.news.yahoo.com