Raleigh News and Observer

April 21, 2001

"Standing with Taiwan"

Dear Editor, 

Wake up and smell Taiwan's democracy, Mr. Weil ("..Respect China or risk another Asian war"-April 18). The Taiwanese have established a democratic nation. They are not pawns of American "imperialism" as Mr. Weil would have us believe. How could the world body today try to trade the democratic Taiwan for the authoritarian ruled China? Mr. Weil also needs a Taiwanese history lesson.  China thought so little of this "mud ball" island that it ceded the island to Japan "in perpetuity" in 1895. It was that same year that the Taiwanese people revolted against Japanese rule and established the first Republic in Asia. 

Today, the U.S. policy toward Taiwan is insisting that any settlement of the Taiwan Strait issues be peaceful and have the "consent" of the people of Taiwan.  The 23 million Taiwanese living on the island today are masters of their own fate.  Nobody but the people of Taiwan has the right to determine the future of Taiwan. 

Joyce C. Shieh 

1101 Vestavia Woods Dr. 

Raleigh, NC 27615