*EPF405 05/01/2003
Byliner: Congressman Gallegly Calls for Clarity in U.S. China Policy
(The Washington Times 05/01/03 op-ed) (770)

(This column by Congressman Elton Gallegly (Republican-California) first appeared in The Washington Times, May 1, 2003 and is in the public domain. No republication restrictions.)

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Clarity called for in our China policy
By Elton Gallegly

This week U.S. officials are attending a meeting hosted by China that is meant to defuse tensions with North Korea. This is a very constructive step, and it bodes well for peace in the Asian Pacific region.

But today the world also has an historic opportunity to persuade the People's Republic of China to end its confrontation with Taiwan. The Bush administration should seize this opportunity and press the communist rulers to stand down the weapons that now target Taiwan.

The people of Taiwan spend every day with at least 400 missiles pointed at them by a Beijing regime that professes a desire to deal with Taiwan in a peaceful way. This is unacceptable.

But with a combination of statesmanship and resolve, I believe there is a chance to end this aggressive stance. Beijing has just installed a new generation of leaders. If we act quickly, we have an opportunity to persuade China's new ruling class that its policy toward Taiwan is destabilizing and dangerous, particularly during this time of global insecurity.

In October, it was reported that Chinese President Jiang Zemin had offered President Bush a deal: The PRC will stand down its missiles targeting Taiwan if the United States cuts back on arms sales to Taiwan. Since then, neither government has said anything about this offer, which was intended to turn missiles into bargaining chips in Sino-American relations. President Bush should communicate there is no quid pro quo and that the U.S. will not back down on its commitment to providing much-needed arms to Taiwan.

While China's missile deployment is a continuing danger, an even greater danger comes from the possibility Beijing will interpret American silence as a step away from our longstanding pledge to defend Taiwan from Chinese aggression. The generals of the People's Liberation Army have been known to speculate that Americans wouldn't have the stomach for a fight over Taiwan. They are wrong to think so, as were Osama bin Ladin and Saddam Hussein, but if they continue to misinterpret our policy it could lead to a dangerous miscalculation.

To avoid any misunderstanding, we must clearly tell Being that continued provocations toward Taiwan will come at a steep price in terms of their relationship with the United States.

The new members of the Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party's Central Committee, the ruling group in Beijing, are young. For the first time, none of them is a veteran of the 1949 revolution. They have taken the helm of a China that is more powerful, prosperous and assertive than ever before in their lifetimes. When those young leaders look across the Taiwan Strait they see a small island, 100 miles away, with only 23 million people, a handful in Chinese terms. But those leaders also see an economic treasure trove, with a domestic product nearly a third the size of the mainland's output.

For them, Taiwan is more than a wayward province that must be reined in as a matter of sovereignty and pride. It is also a way to accelerate their progress toward hegemony in East Asia and the Pacific region.

The Chinese communists need to know that the cost of this strategy far outweighs any possible benefits. In taking this stand, we should here two objectives: First, to urge Beijing to abandon the use of force, coercive actions or the taking of any provocative military measures, including missile deployment, against Taiwan. And second, to remind China's new leaders both the stakes involved and the price if they miscalculate.

It has been said there is a tension between the ambiguity inherent in our "one China" policy and our commitment to Taiwan. That ambiguity serves a purpose. It is there by design, and should remain. But we know our Taiwan policy must always include the protection of that island. Danger will inevitably follow when Washington allows Beijing to settle comfortably into a false interpretation of that ambiguity.

The new leaders of China become more entrenched every day. Before their seats on the Central Committee dais have grown worn, they must be reminded of the high costs associated with any attempt to harness Taiwan for the glory of a greater China.

(Elton Gallegly, California Republican, is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.)

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(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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