The problem is China

January 11, 2008

International Herald Tribune

Yun-han Chu and Andrew J. Nathan ("A time for moderation," Views, Jan. 10) attempt to portray the Taiwanese voter as weary of the pro-independence policies of Taiwan's president, Chen Shui-bian, and they emphasize the need for the president's successor to put forth moderate cross-strait policies.

The writers have overlooked that the obstacle to peace and stability in East Asia lies with China, not Taiwan.

Taiwan's assertion of its sovereignty is consistent with Taiwan's public, which supports its entry into world bodies like the United Nations.

The true source of tension is China, whose missiles and belligerent military rhetoric threaten the island. China's reluctance to acknowledge the achievements of democratization on Taiwan, and its refusal to recognize the right to self-determination of the Taiwanese people, were hardly mentioned by Chu and Nathan.

Stan Lai, Freiburg, Germany