SOH News

Edge on China – Should We Say Nothing?

I often ask myself why the democratic countries in the world support a communist regime like China, when unelected Chinese leaders bully small countries whose citizens put their leaders in office as part of a voting system.

While reading The Australian this week, again I queried why so few support Taiwan?

Aren’t there troops from around the world in Iraq, Afghanistan and East Timor in the name of democracy?

Taiwan Upsets China Over Kosovo

Rowan Callick, China correspondent

TAIWAN has rushed to be among the first countries to recognise Kosovo, irritating China and hoping to pick up a rare diplomatic coup in Europe, where its only other partner is the Vatican.

China, like other countries with fractious potential breakaway areas – including Tibet, and Xinjiang in the northwest – is trenchantly opposed to Kosovo’s declaration of independence.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said: “China is deeply worried about its severe and negative impact on peace and stability of the Balkan region and the goal of establishing a multi-ethnic society in Kosovo.”

China’s position on Taiwan recognising Kosovo is “quite clear to everybody”, he said.

“Taiwan is a part of China and has no right or eligibility to give so-called recognition.”

Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry said: “Despite a multitude of barriers, the people of Kosovo have insisted on an ideal that they believe in, which is to peacefully pursue independence, without being threatened or scared away.

“Self-determination is a right recognised by the United Nations. In no way should the independence of one nation be denied by another.”

Su Tseng-chang, a vice-presidential candidate for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party at Taiwan’s presidential election on March 22, and a former prime minister, said Taiwan was better equipped for independence, and had more justification, than Kosovo.

“Taiwan, the hard-built ship of democracy with a polished deck, should never be sailed into another country’s harbour,” he said.

Taiwan’s governing DPP, trailing in the polls, is eager to engage China on such issues and to drag Beijing in to a war of words that it believes would gain it votes.

So far, Beijing has carefully avoided exciting voter opposition in Taiwan, where its preferred candidate, Ma Ying-jeou, the leader of the Kuomintang (KMT, or Nationalist) party, is well positioned to win power – following a landslide KMT victory at parliamentary elections last month.

Kosovo has presented China with a tough challenge, which it cannot comfortably avoid.