Rocky Mountain News

March 9, 2005

News adrift in its One China policy assertions

The News' Feb. 26 editorial, "Tancredo's foolish crusade on China," harbors contradictions that misrepresent the strategic and political climate of the Taiwan Strait.

For one, the editorial states the One China policy "helped encourage China to move away from Mao, and helped Taiwan move to a prosperous, stable democracy." When it was conceived in the late 1970s, the One China policy was seen not as a means of making China less Maoist, but as a way for the U.S. to make an ally in the area to counter Soviet expansion. Also, it reflected U.S. abandonment of Taiwan, and there was nothing inherent within it that "helped Taiwan move to a prosperous, stable democracy." If anything, it only subjugated Taiwan to greater oppression and stunted its democratic maturation.

Then, the editorial's conclusion that Tancredo's resolution shows no "prudence and restraint," but is a "capricious \[action] that invites conflict," reflects glaring misunderstanding of the Taiwan Strait dilemma. Prudence and restraint are not words that characterize Chinese actions, unless one considers annual military exercises simulating the invasion of Taiwan and defense papers calling it the "sacred responsibility" of China to "crush" Taiwanese independence to be prudent and restrained. Tancredo's resolution is not an invitation to conflict, but it is a response to Chinese aggression, a call for a reassessment that will encourage greater dialogue between two equal states, Taiwan and China.

Though the editorial fails to recognize this, conflict in the Taiwan Strait is already here - every day an ominous red cloud grows ever closer to Taiwan, a belligerence that has far-reaching ramifications.

Tancredo's resolution is an attempt to uphold the democracy and liberty of Taiwan.

The U.S. claims to be the world's leader in promoting liberty and democracy. So it must not forget the 23 million peace-loving citizens of Taiwan. Therefore, it should and must revoke the ignominious fallacy that is the U.S. One China policy.

Charles Wu
President, Formosan Association for Public Affairs, Colorado Chapter
Centennial