China raises the stakes as USA again breaks protocol

The climate of tension between the People’s Republic of China and the USA is rising, as Bush makes threatening and abrasive comments, inflaming the Chinese authorities while at the same time approving the sale of the greatest arms package to Taiwan since 1992, in direct violation of a protocol assumed in 1982, when the USA pledged to progressively reduce arms sales to Taiwan. Under this administration, protocols apparently are not worth the paper they are written on, as shamefully, properly signed agreements are sneered at and forgotten, in a total lack of respect for international law and worse, a lack of respect for the USA itself. Bush’s statement that the USA would do whatever was necessary to defend Taiwan particularly inflamed the Chinese, who demand an explanation. The reaction from Peking is that the USA is following a “dangerous path” and Washington is requested to “correct its mistakes”. Zhang Qiyue, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, made the following statement : “ China is deeply worried” about the US declaration to “do whatever is necessary” to defend Taiwan against an attack by the People’s Republic of China. “The erroneous declaration by the United States seriously violates the three Sino-American Agreements and important undertakings made by the USA. It puts the peace and stability in the Straits of Taiwan at risk and damages bilateral relations even further”. Washington’s position in this crisis has certainly been handled with a total lack of intelligence, but then our worst fears about the capacity of George Bush to unite the minimum conditions necessary to fulfil his duties are being confirmed. The period of grace is over. The fact is that the Chinese authorities are issuing statements such as : “The Chinese people and government are willing to defend the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country”. Such alarming increases in regional tension are provoked by Washington’s greed to sell arms, divide and rule. The fact of this matter is that in 1972, President Richard Nixon recognised a single state of China, in an agreement signed by himself and Chairman Mao Tse Dong. In 1979, China and the USA re-established diplomatic relations. At that time, Washington pledged to assume “non-official relations” with Taiwan, but this agreement was short-lived, because the US Congress soon approved a law to sell arms to Taipei. Based on this law, the USA now makes a sale of 5 billion USD of arms to Taiwan, days after the spy-plane incident. With President Bush now making statements which has the Chinese authorities alluding to nuclear attacks. He would be well advised to forget the return of his spy-plane, for want of appearing like a lost little boy, saying “Can I have my ball back, please?” to his neighbour. The reply is already known and is unprintable, here.

TIMOTHY BANCROFT-HINCHEY, PRAVDA.RU, LISBON