Commentary: Never Impose on Others What You Hate to Be Imposed Upon

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, March 20, 2002

Commentary: Never Impose on Others What You Hate to Be Imposed Upon

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Freezing wind blowing in China-U.S. relations

As recently as in late February, China and the United States enjoyed a thaw in bilateral relations when U.S. President George W. Bush visited China and both sides also marked the 30th anniversary of the landmark Shanghai Communique. However, since the beginning of March, what the U.S. government has done with regard to bilateral ties is putting them in jeopardy with its erroneous move.

In March, the U.S. government allowed Tang Yiau-ming, Taiwan's so-called "defense minister," to visit the United States to attend the U.S.-Taiwan defense talks.

A freezing wind is blowing in China-U.S. relations, which runs counter to the spirit and principles of the three joint communiques between China and the United States. The U.S. government must correct this serious mistake and put up no new barriers to the development of China-U.S. relations.

Backgrounder:Three Sino-U.S. Joint Communiques

Joint Communique between the People's Republic of China and the United States of America (February 28, 1972 )

Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the People's Republic of China and the United States of America (January 1, 1979)

Joint Communique between the People's Republic of China and the United States of America (August 17, 1982)

In all the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques -- The Shanghai Communique, Joint Communique on the Establishment of Sino-U.S. Diplomatic Relations and Sino-U.S. Joint Communique on the U.S. Arms Sales to Taiwan -- the United States commits itself to pursuing the one-China policy, acknowledging that Taiwan is part of China.

The Taiwan question: core of the three joint communiques

The United States also made commitments in the Sino-U.S. Joint Communique on the U.S. Arms Sales to Taiwan, which was issued on August 17, 1982, saying it would gradually reduce its arms sales to Taiwan, leading to a final resolution of the issue.

Mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity and non-interference in each other's internal affairs are established by the three joint communiques as the guiding principles for the China-U.S. relations.

The Taiwan question is the core of the three joint communiques which serve as the foundation of the China-U.S. relations. The Taiwan question is also a most important and sensitive issue in bilateral relations.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, the two countries have experienced many troubles and frustrations, most of which are over the Taiwan issue and have been caused by the United States breaching the three joint communiques.

Recently, the U.S. government has once again challenged the principles of the three joint communiques.

U.S. behaviors entirely run counter to its commitments in the three communiques

In disregard of China's solemn representations and strong opposition, the U.S government, acting arbitrarily, allowed Taiwan 's so-called "defense minister" Tang Yiau-ming to visit the United States and arranged meetings between Tang and high-level U.S. government officials, such as Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz.

It is also reported that the U.S. side is now considering allowing another Taiwan military official and Lee Teng-hui, the notorious "trouble-maker," to travel to the United States.

Under the Joint Communique on the Establishment of Sino-U.S. Diplomatic Relations, the United States recognizes the Government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legitimate government representing the whole of China. Within this context, the people of the United States will maintain cultural, commercial, and other unofficial relations with the people on Taiwan.

However, the U.S. government reneged on its solemn commitments and tried different ways to develop official relations with Taiwan in the military area.

The U.S.-Taiwan defense talks in Florid touched on the question of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. The U.S even arranged for Taiwan's so-called "defense minister" to deliver a speech at the meeting.

In the China-U.S. Joint Communique issued on August 17, 1982, the U.S. states that its arms sales to Taiwan will not exceed, either in qualitative or in quantitative terms, the level of those supplied in recent years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and China, and that it intends gradually to reduce its sale of arms to Taiwan and find a final resolution over a period of time.

However, what the United States has been doing is entirely to the contrary with regard to its commitments made in the August 17 joint communique. The U.S. has upgraded its arms sales to Taiwan in both quantitative and qualitative terms over the past decade. Since last year, the U.S. has sold several billion U.S. dollars worth of weapons to Taiwan, which are more sophisticated and in a greater amount.

What is more, the "Nuclear Posture Review" submitted to the Congress recently by the U.S. Department of Defense openly stated that nuclear weapons would be used in the event of military confrontation in the Taiwan Straits.

These perfidious acts by the U.S. side trample on the one-china policy and the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques, interfere in china's internal affairs, and represent a provocation to the Chinese people. It will send another wrong message to the pro- Taiwan independence forces, boosting their arrogance, and will greatly undermine China-U.S. relations and the cross-Strait relations.

History is a mirror. The Lincoln administration once fought resolutely against the "two Americas" plot on the political, military and diplomatic fronts. Today, certain Americans should learn from the history and do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself -- as the old Chinese proverb goes.

Some "hawks" in the U.S., however, is bent on acting in a diametrically opposite way -- to do to others what you do not want done to yourself. What is the logic? In the eyes of the "hawks," Taiwan, the strategically important island, has become a key leverage tool for the United States to push ahead its policy of containment against China. If Taiwan is reunified with China's mainland, the island will lose its such role. That is why the U.S. has time and again sold advanced weapons to Taiwan and try to maintain the status quo of "neither reunification nor independence " on the issue of cross-Strait relations.

The reunification of motherland common aspirations of all Chinese people

Nobody can contain the rise of a strong China. There is only one China in the world and the mainland and Taiwan are both part of China. China's sovereignty and territory brooks no separation. The settlement of the Taiwan issue concerns the national feelings of the Chinese people, China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and China's development. Some people in the United States fancy themselves smart by making use of Taiwan to contain China. But they are actually coming to a dead end and will end up finding themselves stupid without gaining the benefits they had desired. Even if their forefathers would have raised their eyebrows at what these people are doing.

The reunification of the motherland has been the common aspirations of all the Chinese people, Taiwan compatriots included. It is the trend of the times that no one can hold back.

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