Source: China Broadcasting Network
On October 18, former US Secretary of State Powell died of complications of the new crown, and the DPP authorities, which have always hugged the US thigh, reacted surprisingly coldly. Compared with Kuomintang Chairman Zhu Lilun who wrote that "Powell is a true old friend of Taiwan," the Green Camp politicians were completely silenced, and Tsai Ing-wen was no exception, and only a simple tweet from Taiwan's foreign affairs department was "mourned."
The reaction of the DPP authorities is fundamentally "different" from its all-round tilt toward the United States and its frenzied "leaning on the United States to resist the mainland." Why is this so? The key is that in the eyes of the DPP and "Taiwan independence" personalities, Powell is the "least friendly" to Taiwan in history, the US secretary of state who has issued the "most severe warning" to "Taiwan independence," and is also the US secretary of state who has openly exposed the lies of "Taiwan independence."
Claiming that "Taiwan does not have a state sovereign status"
Although he served as chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff during the 1990-1991 Gulf War, dominated the war against Iraq at the time, and became a national hero, Powell described himself as "war-weary."
"Taiwan independence" means war, and once a war breaks out between the two sides of the strait, the United States is very likely to be dragged into the water by "Taiwan independence." It is precisely for this reason that the Bush Jr. administration and then US Secretary of State Powell were extremely vigilant against the Chen Shui-bian authorities and the "Taiwan independence" forces. Powell has repeatedly publicly slapped "Taiwan independence" in the face and punctured the "Taiwan independence" lies of the Chen Shui-bian authorities.
From 23 to 26 October 2004, Powell visited Japan, China and the Republic of Korea. In an interview with the Far East Economic Review before his departure (October 19), he said that for a long time, the "one China" policy has always been in line with the interests of all aspects of our country. "Our one-China policy is based on three communiques ... We have made it very, very clear that we do not support independence. Independence (of Taiwan) is not in the interest of the region. ”
On October 25, Powell, who came to China, was interviewed exclusively in Beijing by Phoenix TV commentator Ruan Cishan. This time, his stance on the Taiwan issue was clearer and his warnings about "Taiwan independence" were even harsher. Powell said, "Our policy is very clear, there is only one China, Taiwan is not 'independent', Taiwan does not have the conditions of a sovereign state, this is our consistent policy, an unswerving policy." He also said he hoped that the two sides of the strait would pursue eventual reunification.
Powell's words were like bombshells, blowing up the Chen Shui-bian authorities and the "pro-independence" forces. Chen Tangshan, then head of the foreign affairs department of the Chen Shui-bian authorities, admitted: "The US statement on Taiwan this time is the heaviest in all years." Chen Tangshan was unwilling to believe his ears and also asked Li Dawei, then Taiwan's "representative to the United States," to verify the authenticity of the speech to the United States.
A U.S. State Department spokesman responded at a later press conference that Powell accurately described U.S. longstanding U.S. policy on Taiwan's status and encouraged cross-strait dialogue.
After confirming that the information was correct, Huang Zhifang, then "deputy secretary general" of Chen Shui-bian's office (who later served as "foreign minister" of the Taiwan authorities), immediately stepped forward in fright to clarify that Chen Shui-bian's commitment to inauguration speech and the "Double Tenth" speech had not changed, that is, he hoped to maintain stability in cross-strait relations. The United States does not want to be dragged into the water by "Taiwan independence."
As Secretary of State, Powell's speech at that time certainly represented the position of the George W. Bush Administration.
Although the United States has long used the Taiwan issue to suppress Chinese mainland, its bottom line is that it is unwilling to be dragged into the water by "Taiwan independence" and unwilling to fight for "Taiwan independence." The reason why Powell issued such a stern warning against "Taiwan independence" is because Chen Shui-bian's provocation caused the situation in the Taiwan Strait to gradually slide to the brink of war, and the United States had to step on the brakes and had to carry out early warning and risk control.
In 2004, after Chen Shui-bian entered his second term of office, the arrogance of "Taiwan independence" became more and more arrogant, and he made crazy strides toward "de jure Taiwan independence." He not only used the "520 inaugural speech" and the "Double Tenth Speech" to clamor for the so-called "Taiwan independence constitution- constitution-making" with the help of the "constitutional reform" topic. On August 23 of that year, the so-called "Amendment Bill" was also passed to completely abolish the "National Assembly," which is a symbol of cross-strait ties, complete the "public entry into the Constitution," and step up the deployment of "Taiwan independence constitution-making," with the illusion that the "constitutional referendum" method will be the main way to finally realize "de jure Taiwan independence." In addition, the Chen Shui-bian authorities have also vigorously carried out the so-called "Taiwan Name Rectification Movement" and implemented "de-Sinicization" in the field of education and culture, which has aroused a high degree of tension in cross-strait relations and a turbulent situation in the Taiwan Strait.
In fact, Chen Shui-bian's crazy act of "seeking independence" is also an important time and space background for the mainland side to decisively take action to pass the "Anti-Secession Law" on March 14, 2005. The "Anti-Secession Law" draws the most basic bottom line for safeguarding state sovereignty and territorial integrity and realizing the goal of national reunification, and is a powerful countermeasure against the "Taiwan independence" forces provoking cross-strait relations and engaging in separatist activities.
Chen Shui-bian's "Taiwan independence" has gone too far, and he has gradually lost the trust of the United States. Taiwan media have reported that President George W. Bush was very dissatisfied at that time, and even privately called Chen Shui-bian a "S.O.B twice. (Adopted by a dog mother). It is also against this background that Powell twice gave the political signal of the sternest warning to "Taiwan independence" through interviews with the media.
Huang Defu, spokesman for the KMT caucus at the time, held that Powell's remarks showed that the United States was dissatisfied with Chen Shui-bian's actions and was also a warning to the "Taiwan independence" personalities that "'Taiwan independence' is a dead end."
Taiwan is only a pawn and not a core U.S. interest
Bush Jr. and Powell's stern warnings against Chen Shui-bian and "Taiwan independence" also reflect the difference between the status and importance of Chinese mainland and Taiwan in the eyes of the United States.
But anyone with a little common sense knows which is more important. The degree of anti-China fierceness, such as trump and the like, has made it clear that for the United States, Chinese mainland is like a big table, and Taiwan is just a small nib.
Although the confrontation between the United States and Chinese mainland is currently on the rise, and their relations have entered the lowest trough of more than 40 years, they still have extensive cooperation in bilateral relations and global and regional affairs, and many issues must cooperate. Many of these cooperation issues involve important or even core interests of the United States. Just as the George W. Bush administration must cooperate with China in order to fight terrorism around the world. Under such circumstances, it is only natural that the Taiwan authorities will be temporarily abandoned by the United States.
Jie Wenjie, a former "representative of the Taiwan authorities in New Zealand," recently said that a country's interests are divided into core interests, important interests, secondary interests, and ordinary interests. For China, the Taiwan issue involves core interests. For the United States, Taiwan can only be regarded as an ordinary interest. "If a Sino-US military conflict arises because of the Taiwan Strait issue, the US military and the US mainland are very likely to be attacked, which will endanger the core interests of the United States, so the United States will do everything possible to avoid a military conflict with the Chinese mainland, and the United States will not fight for Taiwan or for 'Taiwan independence.'" As a veteran diplomat on the island, Jie Wenji's remarks were not known to the ears of those green camp people who believed that the United States would send troops to protect Taiwan.
The United States cares about its own national interests, and Taiwan is only its tool and pawn. Since the chess pieces can be used, they can also be discarded at any time. Taiwan is just a "card" in the hands of the United States, how to play this card? To what extent? It is not up to the "Taiwan independence" forces to play as they want, but it is up to the United States to decide.
Last year, Wu Zhaoxie, head of the foreign affairs department of the Tsai authorities, once submitted a letter to foreign media, clamoring for the establishment of "diplomatic relations" with the United States, and the escalation of the Taiwan-US collusion led to a high degree of tension in the Taiwan Strait. After seeing that the situation was not good, Wu Zhaoxie had to openly show weakness in an interview with npr, saying that he would not seek to "establish diplomatic relations" with the United States. Most public opinion believes that behind the emergency brakes of the United States, the Tsai authorities must send Wu Zhaoxie to clarify and cool down the situation in the Taiwan Strait.
In the face of the Americans, Taiwan can only be at the mercy of the United States, and "Taiwan independence" is a fantasy that is completely impossible to realize. The DPP and the "Tsai Ing-wen" are more aware of this than they are, but they are constantly manipulating the "Taiwan independence" issue for the sake of political self-interest. What is sad is that under the long-term deception of the DPP and the coercion of the "Taiwan independence" forces, many people on the island do not have a clear understanding of Taiwan's role in the eyes of the United States. This is one of the important factors that are unfavorable to the development of cross-strait relations. (Source: Huaguang WeChat Haiping)