On Mon, 27 Jun 2005 06:37:22 GMT, "there's a lot of innocent people
For those of us who have been around for some time every new US president will start off with being tough on China - human rights, democracy, free trade (this is coming around to bite the US), religious freedom, emigration (that bit Carter long ago), Taiwan, etc. Whenever there is trouble at home (US) its pretty easy to yank the China Threat chain and get everyone's mind off domestic US problems. Nothing really happens and the US prez knows it. So its a cheap diversion (pun intended.) This will go on until the last year of his administration. Then he gets all sweet and toasty on China because he doesn't want to be identified as the prez that got China riled up. That would let the next prez get the credit for solving the mess he left behind. If GWB goes according to schedule he has 2 1-2 years left with which he can yank that chain. That ain't too hard for China to sit out.
Taiwan? Recently she quarrelled with Japan over the Diaoyu-Senkaku Islands. There goes Taiwan's best hopes for support for Independence. TI is a dead issue. Only Chen Suibian is giving it mouth to mouth resuscitation to keep it alive.
