Report: U.S. Warships to Sail Past Taiwan

UPI February 24, 2000

Officials of Taiwan's National Defense Ministry declined comment Thursday on reports that a United States Navy carrier left Japan for a "test cruise" and routine training near the Philippines, a trip that would take the group past Taiwan.

Military analysts said the U.S. action would help curb tensions in the Asia-Pacific region, a reference to recent threats from China regarding its desire to have reunification talks with Taiwan.

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense officials said that the USS Kitty Hawk's movements "belongs to a U.S. military activity, and we are not in any position to comment."

However, military analysts interpreted that the U.S. carrier's timely cruise in the waters near Taiwan and the Philippines will definitely help ease military unrest in the area, following China's white paper statement Monday, warning Taiwan not to delay discussions on peaceful reunification with China, or the mainland may use force to take Taiwan.

Reports from Beijing Thursday indicated that the China's People Liberation Army lauded the Chinese document for pushing Taiwan to hold reunification negotiations.

Taiwan's front-running presidential candidate, former Taiwan Gov. James Soong, declared that the people of Taiwan do not fear peace talks with the Beijing authorities.

"We will not negotiate under any threat. We only have peaceful dialogues on political issues, and sign a peace treaty (with China) under the condition of dignity and human rights," Soong said.

The independent presidential candidate made the remarks during a tour to Taiwan's front line posts and offshore island of Quemoy. He is one of the top three candidates favored to win the elections on March 18. The other two are Nationalist Vice President Lien Chan and opposition nominee Chen Shui-bian.

Dispatches from Washington, D.C., indicated that the U.S. Department of Defense said that the Kitty Hawk is conducting its scheduled two-week routine training at sea, and the carrier will not cross the Taiwan Strait. This has nothing to do with China's white paper statement nor Taiwan's presidential elections, according to the dispatches.

The Pentagon has said that any military action against Taiwan would be considered as a threat in the South China Sea and to Asia's security and stability.

China and Taiwan have ruled their respective territories separately across the Taiwan Strait since 1949. Taiwan urged the Beijing authorities to acknowledge the reality of two political entities in Taipei and Beijing. China considers Taiwan a breakaway province.

-- Copyright 2000 by United Press International. All rights reserved.

http://www.newsmax.com/articles/?a=2000/2/24/62935

-- PA Engineer (PA Engineer@longtimelurker.com), February 24, 2000

Answers

Thanks PA,
Which will have an X class flare first, the Sun or Taiwan?
(yes I am that worried about Taiwan.)

-- Possible Impact (posim@hotmail.com), February 24, 2000.

Does anyone here know the *exact* wording of the Chinese statement on Taiwan?

It is my understanding that when the Chinese make a very clear specific threat, in the form of "if (not) this, then we will do this", they are 100% prepared to follow through. General MacArthur found this out in Korea.

In diplomacy, nuance counts for a lot. When the nuance disappears, then the bluntness *is* the nuance.

-- Brian McLaughlin (brianm@ims.com), February 24, 2000.

Brian,

Yep, that's what worries me too. Korea. The Chinese have shown before that on their home ground they don't play around, and their current leadership doesn't seem too ideologically different than it did 50 yrs. ago, unlike our own.

Oh well, we'll see,

Frank

-- Someone (ChimingIn@twocents.cam), February 24, 2000.

Just a thought....but do you think the Taiwanese will finally ally themselves with China when they finally see that we are going to sell them out? They are the same 'race' after all. It may be a matter of which side they realize their bread is buttered on. Hong Kong seems to be relatively OK, at least as far as bloodshed goes.

-- canthappen (n@ysayer.com), February 24, 2000.

I suspect that Taiwan will wait for our election before considering whether or not they'll be sold out...

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), February 24, 2000.

Mad Monk, why, do you think which white guy the sheeple elect matters to anyone else in the world?

-- INever (inevercheckmy@onebox.com), February 24, 2000.

Someone please enlighten this old privateering space hand as to exactly how adding a carrier task group to the Chinese/Taiwanese situation will "calm the situation in the south China Sea"????

This looks like floating speed bumps, people. Your "leader" is setting himself up to either have to use the "football" that the Secret Service guy carries (and thereby getting himself probably the biggest and most intense hard on thrill of his sordid life) OR to "geek" and give in, in the interests of "humanity" or "the childrun"

Joss

PS I ain't sure that he has the stones to actually push that button, unles he has worked himself and everybody else up to it. You are looking at the first steps in the foreplay. "Why don't you slip into something more comfortable".

-- Joss Metadi (warhammer@Pride.of.Mandeyne), February 25, 2000.