International

Taiwan issue key to Sino-U.S. ties

By Amit Baruah

SINGAPORE MAY 8. The all-crucial issue of relations between the United States and Taiwan remains a top concern for China, which has repeatedly said that the U.S. must adhere firmly to the principle of "one China''.

After a series of `downs' in the China-U.S. relationship over Taiwan, the Chinese President, Jiang Zemin, has taken a more optimistic view of this complicated relationship. Following a meeting between Mr. Jiang and the former U.S. President, George Bush, the Xinhua news agency reported: "Jiang said he was glad to see President (George W.) Bush and his aides reiterating that the U.S. Government would abide by the one China policy and abide by the principles of the three joint Sino-U.S. communiques.''

Of late, Beijing has been piqued by high-level visits from Taiwan to the United States and the increasingly senior American officials who have chosen to meet with these visitors. ``After reviewing the history of Sino-U.S. relations, Jiang said that although they had differences, China and the United States shared more extensive common interests,'' Mr. Jiang told the senior Bush, adding that the Chinese Vice-President, Hu Jintao, had recently wound up a successful visit to Washington.

Mr. Hu, who is widely regarded as Mr. Jiang's successor, made it clear in a policy speech in Washington that the Taiwan issue had always been the "most important and most sensitive'' issue at the heart of bilateral relations.

``Properly handling this (Taiwan) question is the key to promoting our constructive and cooperative relations. If any trouble occurs on the Taiwan question, it would be difficult for China-U.S. relations to move forward, and a retrogression may even occur,'' Mr. Hu said in a dinner speech in the U.S.

``The question of Taiwan is China's internal matter and should be resolved by the Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits. Since (Richard) Nixon took office as President, the successive U.S. administrations, both republican and democratic, have been committed to the one China policy and the three joint communiques....it is our hope that the U.S. side will strictly honour its commitments....and play a constructive role in China's peaceful reunification,'' the Vice-President said.

Stating that the two countries should address differences between them on the basis of mutual respect, Mr. Hu said: "For various reasons, China and the U.S. do not see eye to eye on some issues. Yet, we can through dialogue on an equal footing, increase our understanding, expand areas of agreement and gradually reduce our differences....the two sides should increase dialogue and gradually reduce our differences.''

It is apparent that China, in its current state of development, does not want confrontation with the U.S. — instead, it wants to increase the level of dialogue and thrash out differences across the table. So far, the Bush administration has played to the Taiwan gallery, and according to some commentators, abandoned the policy of "strategic ambiguity'' towards Taiwan. Though there have been many meetings at a high level, China remains suspicious of American intentions towards Taiwan while Washington is conscious of the fact that it can use this issue to prick the Chinese from time to time.

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