Senators taken to task for timid Taiwan stance

 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

WASHINGTON TIMES, March 30, 2001

Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Craig Thomas seemed to have forgotten one important truth — it takes two to tango ("Caution or urgency in arms for Taiwan?" Op-Ed, March 28).

Taiwan´s President Chen Shui-bian is already committed to the "meaningful dialogue" the two senators say the Bush administration should seek between China and Taiwan. China´s response has been to completely ignore this democratically elected official and instead insist on the acceptance of its one-China principle as a precondition for dialogue.

There also were two tango steps to the three joint communiques that the senators are so concerned about: A good relationship with the United States is dependent upon China´s commitment to peaceful resolution of the Taiwan issue. We´ve kept our dance in order. China keeps stepping on our toes and threatening force against Taiwan.

Rather than worrying about how China might perceive the sale of Aegis-equipped destroyers to Taiwan, perhaps the senators would follow the lead of Adm. Dennis Blair, our commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific. He told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee this week that he worried about the continued buildup of Chinese intermediate-range missiles pointed at Taiwan. This puts muscle to Chinese bluster.

China is the provocateur, senators, not Taiwan.

CHIH-MEI L. CHEN
McLean