Originally posted by dragg:i hope taiwan and china will unite eventually.
china neednt use force. and i believe they wont. they will if taiwan declare independence.
i believe the status will remain for at least another decade or two.
Very difficult for them to united.
Taiwan really for war, China threaten for war, China will not go head on with Taiwan for sure. As it mean killing each other on races.
Originally posted by dragg:i hope taiwan and china will unite eventually.
china neednt use force. and i believe they wont. they will if taiwan declare independence.
i believe the status will remain for at least another decade or two.
it won't matter even if taiwan declares independence.
only thing that would stop reunification is if something horrible happens to splinter china into different parts. or some next generation chinese leader actually declares china is no longer taking back taiwan.
As the current process goes, by opening up ties and trading, China is slowly reclaiming taiwan. as long as the economy continues to do well, the taiwanese will keep going there.and encourage others to follow.
Why pay to fight a war over something when you can get it for free or even get paid for it?
Originally posted by sgdiehard:Ok, I'm on the same page with you, just a little difference in some perceptions.
mainland and taiwan were de facto independent of each other since 1949, today, despite to the different political government, the two places are closer now than ever, with Taiwanese plants all over China and Chinese tourists all over Taiwan. a status quo will give both parties the chance to develop and be fully integrated over time. any talk of independence would disrupt such peace progression.
Put it another way, I recognize China as one country including Taiwan, one people, one culture, ....however, given the historical background, it is not wise for a quick unification, or by force, and such a unification has no meaning, a political status quo today is probably the best way for the two sides to develop for better coexistance, if a full integration is not possible.
not really, same page maybe, but totally different perceptions.
I consider it hard to believe a nation used to patrolling your vicinity whenever you offend them as a friendly giant. Never in world history has a nation bought a shitload of arms and find no use for them. if the father don't used them, the son would.
PRC is such a new nation, 60 odd years of age. Who knows what they'll do when push comes to shove.
As for one nation....
And I actually recognise taiwan as the true "chinese" nation compared to PRC china, with the cultural revolution, the mindset of the whole nation changed. As far as I'm concerned, an Indonesian chinese would be more "Chinese" in culture than people from PRC.
Beyond where they're from and skin colour, I've no other reason to call them chinese
So I cannot agree with you on that.
Originally posted by oldbreadstinks:not really, same page maybe, but totally different perceptions.
I consider it hard to believe a nation used to patrolling your vicinity whenever you offend them as a friendly giant. Never in world history has a nation bought a shitload of arms and find no use for them. if the father don't used them, the son would.
PRC is such a new nation, 60 odd years of age. Who knows what they'll do when push comes to shove.
As for one nation....
And I actually recognise taiwan as the true "chinese" nation compared to PRC china, with the cultural revolution, the mindset of the whole nation changed. As far as I'm concerned, an Indonesian chinese would be more "Chinese" in culture than people from PRC.
Beyond where they're from and skin colour, I've no other reason to call them chinese
So I cannot agree with you on that.
You seem to have forgotten that 60 years ago, the chinese were fighting a civil war and PRC was born out of that, with the old regime, the ROC still exist on the other side. Both sides have always been at war technically. Have all other nations been engaging China as a "friendly" nation? with the foreign military bases in korea and japan, the 7th fleet at its backyard, US spy plane can even land on hainan island in emergency, who is patrolling in their vicinity?
the chinese in china have been ruled under communists, the taiwan under strong american influence, the HK chinese ruled by the british and have to fight for its own identity, the Malaysian chinese educated by the british and ruled by the sultan, and singapore chinese also educated by the brits and have to define its own identity, the indonesian chinese, the thai chinese, the ABC....which chinese is more chinese? I don't even believe that many Singaporean who call themselves chinese actually have any chinese culture. This you don't have to agree.
Originally posted by sgdiehard:You seem to have forgotten that 60 years ago, the chinese were fighting a civil war and PRC was born out of that, with the old regime, the ROC still exist on the other side. Both sides have always been at war technically. Have all other nations been engaging China as a "friendly" nation? with the foreign military bases in korea and japan, the 7th fleet at its backyard, US spy plane can even land on hainan island in emergency, who is patrolling in their vicinity?
ROC as a "old" regime, never seem to have lasted too long either as an authority in China.
Anyway you're still trying to sell the idea that I'm being biased towards PRC while thinking better of her neighbours. Something I already disagreed with.
I'm usually even more critical of US' actions, but we're not really focusing on them now.
But for China's current predicament, it only makes sense to follow your line of thought if China is the size of Singapore. But she's not, she's darn big, holds more than 1 billion of the world's population, an influential economy, a big army currently looking for ways to project power beyond her shores.
Under such reasoning, what reasons does the current hegemon, the States have not to keep an eye on China. and not to use her allies in this?
Russia/India's already made the silly mistake of testing China's resolve to use military means.
Originally posted by sgdiehard:
the chinese in china have been ruled under communists, the taiwan under strong american influence, the HK chinese ruled by the british and have to fight for its own identity, the Malaysian chinese educated by the british and ruled by the sultan, and singapore chinese also educated by the brits and have to define its own identity, the indonesian chinese, the thai chinese, the ABC....which chinese is more chinese? I don't even believe that many Singaporean who call themselves chinese actually have any chinese culture. This you don't have to agree.
identity yes, but culturally we do still try to follow what our fore fathers passed down. most of us anyway.
Its like how Korea claimed itself to be the legitimate sucessor(Xiao Zhong Hua) to chinese culture when the Manchus conquered Ming. With hindsight, we know today the Qing embraced chinese culture and took it further.
But that's for later generations to decide.
Right now, even the PRC is trying to "reclaim" what they destroyed because they realised how influential it can be and benefits of having a society with its own identity.
Originally posted by oldbreadstinks:As far as I'm concerned, an Indonesian chinese would be more "Chinese" in culture than people from PRC.
Chinese-Indonesians: Is a Once Forbidden Identity Fading?
Just as China is ascending the world stage as an economic superpower, so too, is Chinese culture becoming increasingly visible in Indonesia.
Chinese New Year, banned during the repressive New Order period, is now a national holiday that sees almost every mall in the city festooned in red and gold lanterns in hopes of boosting sales. Students all over the country are learning Chinese language to get a leg up in an international job market where Mandarin is fast becoming as big an asset as English.
So why is it that, while this boom in Chinese culture is going on, so many young Chinese-Indonesians are slowly losing touch with their cultural heritage?
Prisca Muljadi, 18, is Chinese by blood, but, when asked how much she knows about her Chinese culture, she was taken aback. It was as if she was being asked about something completely foreign.
After a thoughtful silence, she said, “To be honest, when I think about it, I don’t really know much about Chinese culture.
“I’ve always wondered how Chinese people ended up living in Indonesia, but I accepted it as a fact and don’t feel curious or question it at all,” she continued.
She confessed that she had never really thought about Chinese culture until the topic was brought up.
Muljadi neither speaks a Chinese language nor does she know which generation Chinese she is. She said that, if anything, she identifies more with Western culture. “I went to an international school, speak English, and go to college in the US,” she explained.
Natasha Silfanus, a 19-year-old Chinese-Indonesian, said, “I cannot speak for anybody except for myself and my circle of friends. But I believe we lack an understanding and, more importantly, an interest in Chinese culture.”
Silfanus’s parents urged her to study the Chinese language, but she said she was “just not interested.” She said she did not know her family history and thought that, although her parents practiced some Chinese traditions, they were not important to her personally.
She put part of the blame on her lack of knowledge about Chinese culture on her family. “My family isn’t that Chinese culturally — we are very much adapted to the Indonesian way of life, with some Western influences,” she said.
More bluntly, Jason Utomo, another 19-year-old student, said of Chinese culture, “Yeah, I’m definitely ignorant.”
Although Utomo is fluent in Mandarin, he said it would be just “too much effort” to preserve his family’s Chinese traditions when he raises his own family.
The sentiments of these three Chinese-Indonesians are echoed again and again by young members of the minority group, forming a trend that experts say has clear historical causes.
Aimee Dawis, a lecturer at the University of Indonesia and the author of “The Chinese of Indonesia and Their Search for Identity,” said Chinese-Indonesians born after 1980 are prone to apathy when it comes to their culture. She believes that this particular generation is in a unique position because their parents grew up in a period where any displays of Chineseness were systematically erased by the state.
“Their ignorance may have to do with their parents,” Aimee said. “But you can’t really blame those parents, because they grew up in the Suharto era, when everything Chinese was discouraged and banned.” She added that many people hid the fact that they were Chinese due to the stigma once attached to it.
Chinese culture was banned in the Suharto era due to the alleged role of the Chinese in supporting the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI). For 33 years, any expression of Chinese culture was banned, including celebrations, schools and Chinese languages.
After a substantial period of cultural repression, the prohibition of Chinese culture was lifted by former President Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid in the early 2000s. In what Aimee calls a “renaissance of Chinese culture,” Chinese language is now being taught in many national-plus schools, Chinese New Year became a national holiday, and there is no longer a significant sense of fear associated with being Chinese.
The Chinese in Indonesia currently make up about 2 percent of Indonesia’s 240 million people. Chinese culture is now legally allowed to thrive in Indonesian society. The question is, with so many Chinese-Indonesian families not being used to practicing their culture openly, is it too late for it to be revived?
Angeline Ang, a mother of three young children, said that she considered Chinese culture important and was doing her best to keep it alive in her family. She said she wanted to teach her children to value and cherish Chinese ideals and traditions. Additionally, she said that she wanted her children to learn a Chinese language for cultural reasons.
“Even without the business and vocational advantages of speaking Chinese, I’d still encourage my children to learn the language,” Ang said.
She said, however, that she hoped her children would still identify as Indonesian because they were born and raised here.
“But we can’t forget our Chinese heritage as well,” she added. “I’m proud to be Indonesian and I think Indonesian culture is valuable. At the same time, I will never forget my heritage, no matter what my citizenship is. You can’t throw away your heritage.”
Likewise, Aimee believes Chinese-Indonesians should identify themselves primarily as Indonesians, without completely losing their connection to Chinese culture.
“Being a Chinese-Indonesian simply means being an Indonesian of Chinese descent,” Aimee said. “I think it’s very important to identify as an Indonesian first and foremost.”
As a Chinese-Indonesian mother herself, she wants her children to feel truly Indonesian — which means sending her children to a school where they have flag-raising ceremonies and giving her first daughter a distinctly Indonesian name, Putri, a practice that was enforced under the New Order.
Aimee agreed that many Chinese-Indonesian young people are increasingly ignorant about Chinese culture, but also emphasized that the Chinese community is extremely diverse.
“There is a big Chinese organization called the Chinese-Indonesian Social Association (PSMTI) which has a very active youth division,” she said. “They’re very aware of their identity and discuss issues of identity openly. So we can’t generalize this trend at all. Family backgrounds and history matter significantly.”
The youth division of PSMTI, the Association of Chinese-Indonesian Youth (IPTI), is led by Andrew Susanto. It was created in 2007 and now spans the archipelago’s 33 provinces, with thousands of members from ages 16 to 35.
According to Susanto, the main goal of the association is to instill a strong sense of identity in young Chinese-Indonesians.
“There are a lot of young Chinese-Indonesians that have grown indifferent [to their heritage], and that’s why the association was formed,” he said. “We want to give them lessons on Indonesian nationality that are specifically tailored to Chinese-Indonesians.”
He also believes that Chinese-Indonesians should see themselves as fully Indonesian. “I don’t even think it’s necessary for Chinese-Indonesians to speak a Chinese language fluently,” he said. “If they can, that’s great. But there is no obligation for them to learn a Chinese language when they need to see themselves as Indonesian first and foremost.”
Susanto said a lack education had played a major role in creating a generation that was unconcerned about their cultural heritage and identity. He argued that because the history of Chinese-Indonesians was rarely touched on in schools, Chinese-Indonesians did not see themselves as vital parts of Indonesia.
“[IPTI] is trying to open up that history,” he said. “In every pivotal moment of Indonesian history, there were Chinese figures that fought for the good of this country. They played a role in the building of Indonesia.
“We need to teach young Chinese-Indonesians that we are not simply temporarily staying in Indonesia. If they can see themselves as playing a role in Indonesian history, they will eventually realize that this is our country and our home.”
For those like Muljadi, Silfanus or Utomo, who have not given much thought to their Chinese heritage, Susanto said it was only a matter of time before they started to question their identity.
“Sure, they might not ponder their identities now. But there will come a point, whether it’s when they settle down or have their own children, where they will ask pertinent questions about identity to ultimately decide what cultural legacy they will pass on for their children,” Susanto said.
Until then, Susanto said the subject of Chinese identity in Indonesia should be more openly discussed in schools, daily conversations, and the media. He said he hoped his association could offer support to young adults who were starting to think about the deeper questions of their identity as Chinese-Indonesians.
“I usually tell people I’m Indonesian because that’s what it says on my passport,” Muljadi said. “But when I really think about it, I don’t fully identify with Indonesian culture. Yet when I say I’m Chinese, I don’t truly identify with Chinese culture either.
“Then I think that, perhaps due to my upbringing and experience studying in the United States, I may be more of a Westerner. But Western culture is not something I completely belong to either. So I guess, I really don’t know.”
But will they sell advanced anti-air assets?
deny the PLA of air space
BEIJING - China said Monday that any successor chosen by the Dalai Lama would be "illegal" after the Tibetan spiritual leader announced that he, and not Beijing, would decide whether he should be reincarnated.
The Dalai Lama, who is 76, said on Saturday he would decide when he was "about 90" whether he should be reincarnated, in consultation with other monks, and that China should have no say in the matter.
Under Tibetan tradition, monks identify a young boy who shows signs he is a reincarnation of a late leader, but many predict China will simply appoint its own successor to the Dalai Lama.
"China adopts a policy of religious freedom which includes respecting and protecting the form of succession of Tibetan Buddhism," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told journalists at a briefing.
"The title of Dalai Lama is conferred by the central government and is illegal otherwise.
"There is a complete set of religious rituals and historical conventions in reincarnation of the Dalai Lama and a Dalai Lama identifying his own successor has never been the practice."
Tibet's spiritual leader said he had decided to lay out "clear guidelines to recognise the next Dalai Lama" while he was still "physically and mentally fit" so that there was "no room for doubt or deception."
The Dalai Lama made the statement in a 4,200-word document issued after a gathering of leaders of the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism in the northern Indian hill town of Dharamshala, home of the exiled government.
He had earlier signalled a willingness to break with custom by choosing a successor before his death or among exiles outside Tibet. He had also said he might be open to electing the next Dalai Lama.
China's stance raises the prospect of two Dalai Lamas - one recognised by Beijing and the other chosen by exiles or with the blessing of the current Dalai Lama.
This happened in 1995, when China rejected the Dalai Lama's choice to be the next Panchen Lama, the second-highest ranking Tibetan Buddhist, and picked its own reincarnation.
The Chinese-raised Panchen Lama, Gyaincain Norbu, is now 21 and often extols Beijing's rule over Tibet. The Dalai Lama's selection, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, has not been seen since 1995 after he was detained by China.
The Dalai Lama fled Tibet following a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959. He later founded the government in exile in Dharamshala after being offered refuge by India.
China vilifies him as a "separatist" who incites violence in Tibet, while he insists his sole focus is a peaceful campaign for greater autonomy for his homeland.
Originally posted by Dalforce 25:Chinese-Indonesians: Is a Once Forbidden Identity Fading?
Just as China is ascending the world stage as an economic superpower, so too, is Chinese culture becoming increasingly visible in Indonesia.
Chinese New Year, banned during the repressive New Order period, is now a national holiday that sees almost every mall in the city festooned in red and gold lanterns in hopes of boosting sales. Students all over the country are learning Chinese language to get a leg up in an international job market where Mandarin is fast becoming as big an asset as English.
So why is it that, while this boom in Chinese culture is going on, so many young Chinese-Indonesians are slowly losing touch with their cultural heritage?
Prisca Muljadi, 18, is Chinese by blood, but, when asked how much she knows about her Chinese culture, she was taken aback. It was as if she was being asked about something completely foreign.
After a thoughtful silence, she said, “To be honest, when I think about it, I don’t really know much about Chinese culture.
“I’ve always wondered how Chinese people ended up living in Indonesia, but I accepted it as a fact and don’t feel curious or question it at all,� she continued.
She confessed that she had never really thought about Chinese culture until the topic was brought up.
Muljadi neither speaks a Chinese language nor does she know which generation Chinese she is. She said that, if anything, she identifies more with Western culture. “I went to an international school, speak English, and go to college in the US,� she explained.
Natasha Silfanus, a 19-year-old Chinese-Indonesian, said, “I cannot speak for anybody except for myself and my circle of friends. But I believe we lack an understanding and, more importantly, an interest in Chinese culture.�
Silfanus’s parents urged her to study the Chinese language, but she said she was “just not interested.� She said she did not know her family history and thought that, although her parents practiced some Chinese traditions, they were not important to her personally.
She put part of the blame on her lack of knowledge about Chinese culture on her family. “My family isn’t that Chinese culturally — we are very much adapted to the Indonesian way of life, with some Western influences,� she said.
More bluntly, Jason Utomo, another 19-year-old student, said of Chinese culture, “Yeah, I’m definitely ignorant.�
Although Utomo is fluent in Mandarin, he said it would be just “too much effort� to preserve his family’s Chinese traditions when he raises his own family.
The sentiments of these three Chinese-Indonesians are echoed again and again by young members of the minority group, forming a trend that experts say has clear historical causes.
Aimee Dawis, a lecturer at the University of Indonesia and the author of “The Chinese of Indonesia and Their Search for Identity,� said Chinese-Indonesians born after 1980 are prone to apathy when it comes to their culture. She believes that this particular generation is in a unique position because their parents grew up in a period where any displays of Chineseness were systematically erased by the state.
“Their ignorance may have to do with their parents,� Aimee said. “But you can’t really blame those parents, because they grew up in the Suharto era, when everything Chinese was discouraged and banned.� She added that many people hid the fact that they were Chinese due to the stigma once attached to it.
Chinese culture was banned in the Suharto era due to the alleged role of the Chinese in supporting the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI). For 33 years, any expression of Chinese culture was banned, including celebrations, schools and Chinese languages.
After a substantial period of cultural repression, the prohibition of Chinese culture was lifted by former President Abdurrahman “Gus Dur� Wahid in the early 2000s. In what Aimee calls a “renaissance of Chinese culture,� Chinese language is now being taught in many national-plus schools, Chinese New Year became a national holiday, and there is no longer a significant sense of fear associated with being Chinese.
The Chinese in Indonesia currently make up about 2 percent of Indonesia’s 240 million people. Chinese culture is now legally allowed to thrive in Indonesian society. The question is, with so many Chinese-Indonesian families not being used to practicing their culture openly, is it too late for it to be revived?
Angeline Ang, a mother of three young children, said that she considered Chinese culture important and was doing her best to keep it alive in her family. She said she wanted to teach her children to value and cherish Chinese ideals and traditions. Additionally, she said that she wanted her children to learn a Chinese language for cultural reasons.
“Even without the business and vocational advantages of speaking Chinese, I’d still encourage my children to learn the language,� Ang said.
She said, however, that she hoped her children would still identify as Indonesian because they were born and raised here.
“But we can’t forget our Chinese heritage as well,� she added. “I’m proud to be Indonesian and I think Indonesian culture is valuable. At the same time, I will never forget my heritage, no matter what my citizenship is. You can’t throw away your heritage.�
Likewise, Aimee believes Chinese-Indonesians should identify themselves primarily as Indonesians, without completely losing their connection to Chinese culture.
“Being a Chinese-Indonesian simply means being an Indonesian of Chinese descent,� Aimee said. “I think it’s very important to identify as an Indonesian first and foremost.�
As a Chinese-Indonesian mother herself, she wants her children to feel truly Indonesian — which means sending her children to a school where they have flag-raising ceremonies and giving her first daughter a distinctly Indonesian name, Putri, a practice that was enforced under the New Order.
Aimee agreed that many Chinese-Indonesian young people are increasingly ignorant about Chinese culture, but also emphasized that the Chinese community is extremely diverse.
“There is a big Chinese organization called the Chinese-Indonesian Social Association (PSMTI) which has a very active youth division,� she said. “They’re very aware of their identity and discuss issues of identity openly. So we can’t generalize this trend at all. Family backgrounds and history matter significantly.�
The youth division of PSMTI, the Association of Chinese-Indonesian Youth (IPTI), is led by Andrew Susanto. It was created in 2007 and now spans the archipelago’s 33 provinces, with thousands of members from ages 16 to 35.
According to Susanto, the main goal of the association is to instill a strong sense of identity in young Chinese-Indonesians.
“There are a lot of young Chinese-Indonesians that have grown indifferent [to their heritage], and that’s why the association was formed,� he said. “We want to give them lessons on Indonesian nationality that are specifically tailored to Chinese-Indonesians.�
He also believes that Chinese-Indonesians should see themselves as fully Indonesian. “I don’t even think it’s necessary for Chinese-Indonesians to speak a Chinese language fluently,� he said. “If they can, that’s great. But there is no obligation for them to learn a Chinese language when they need to see themselves as Indonesian first and foremost.�
Susanto said a lack education had played a major role in creating a generation that was unconcerned about their cultural heritage and identity. He argued that because the history of Chinese-Indonesians was rarely touched on in schools, Chinese-Indonesians did not see themselves as vital parts of Indonesia.
“[IPTI] is trying to open up that history,� he said. “In every pivotal moment of Indonesian history, there were Chinese figures that fought for the good of this country. They played a role in the building of Indonesia.
“We need to teach young Chinese-Indonesians that we are not simply temporarily staying in Indonesia. If they can see themselves as playing a role in Indonesian history, they will eventually realize that this is our country and our home.�
For those like Muljadi, Silfanus or Utomo, who have not given much thought to their Chinese heritage, Susanto said it was only a matter of time before they started to question their identity.
“Sure, they might not ponder their identities now. But there will come a point, whether it’s when they settle down or have their own children, where they will ask pertinent questions about identity to ultimately decide what cultural legacy they will pass on for their children,� Susanto said.
Until then, Susanto said the subject of Chinese identity in Indonesia should be more openly discussed in schools, daily conversations, and the media. He said he hoped his association could offer support to young adults who were starting to think about the deeper questions of their identity as Chinese-Indonesians.
“I usually tell people I’m Indonesian because that’s what it says on my passport,� Muljadi said. “But when I really think about it, I don’t fully identify with Indonesian culture. Yet when I say I’m Chinese, I don’t truly identify with Chinese culture either.
“Then I think that, perhaps due to my upbringing and experience studying in the United States, I may be more of a Westerner. But Western culture is not something I completely belong to either. So I guess, I really don’t know.�
Originally posted by alize:Successor chosen by Dalai Lama 'illegal': China
BEIJING - China said Monday that any successor chosen by the Dalai Lama would be "illegal" after the Tibetan spiritual leader announced that he, and not Beijing, would decide whether he should be reincarnated.
The Dalai Lama, who is 76, said on Saturday he would decide when he was "about 90" whether he should be reincarnated, in consultation with other monks, and that China should have no say in the matter.
Under Tibetan tradition, monks identify a young boy who shows signs he is a reincarnation of a late leader, but many predict China will simply appoint its own successor to the Dalai Lama.
"China adopts a policy of religious freedom which includes respecting and protecting the form of succession of Tibetan Buddhism," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told journalists at a briefing.
"The title of Dalai Lama is conferred by the central government and is illegal otherwise.
"There is a complete set of religious rituals and historical conventions in reincarnation of the Dalai Lama and a Dalai Lama identifying his own successor has never been the practice."
Tibet's spiritual leader said he had decided to lay out "clear guidelines to recognise the next Dalai Lama" while he was still "physically and mentally fit" so that there was "no room for doubt or deception."
The Dalai Lama made the statement in a 4,200-word document issued after a gathering of leaders of the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism in the northern Indian hill town of Dharamshala, home of the exiled government.
He had earlier signalled a willingness to break with custom by choosing a successor before his death or among exiles outside Tibet. He had also said he might be open to electing the next Dalai Lama.
China's stance raises the prospect of two Dalai Lamas - one recognised by Beijing and the other chosen by exiles or with the blessing of the current Dalai Lama.
This happened in 1995, when China rejected the Dalai Lama's choice to be the next Panchen Lama, the second-highest ranking Tibetan Buddhist, and picked its own reincarnation.
The Chinese-raised Panchen Lama, Gyaincain Norbu, is now 21 and often extols Beijing's rule over Tibet. The Dalai Lama's selection, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, has not been seen since 1995 after he was detained by China.
The Dalai Lama fled Tibet following a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959. He later founded the government in exile in Dharamshala after being offered refuge by India.
China vilifies him as a "separatist" who incites violence in Tibet, while he insists his sole focus is a peaceful campaign for greater autonomy for his homeland.
much of the discussion in this thread is pretty much focus on China vs USA...the standard sterotype of excessive american bad policies influence the east....But i think it is pertainence to think about why it is still remain Asia interest to have Taiwan remain status quo.......
I think my post and oldbreadstinks post got edited.
its okay its a boring thread anyway
WASHINGTON: The US military expects high-level exchanges to continue with China, despite a recent arms sale to Taiwan.
China's Foreign Ministry said the almost US$6 billion sale will disrupt relations.
It
has already cancelled high-level visits and joint exercises. But unlike
with previous arms sales, it has not cancelled overall
military-to-military ties.
This latest arms deal will help
improve Taiwan's defensive capabilities, but will not alter the overall
balance of capabilities across the Taiwan Strait, according to Admiral
Robert Willard.
"I think it's important to recognise that
Taiwan's arms sales in and under themselves are not going to re-balance
the cross-Strait elements of combat power. Again, when we look at the
combat power from ballistic missiles to integrated air-missile defenses
to fighter aircraft and much more that exist across the strait, Taiwan
arms sales are not going to ever achieve that," said Admiral Willard.
US law obliges the Obama administration to provide arms sales sufficient for Taiwan's defence.
But China perceives such actions to be interference in its internal affairs.
Experienced former Asia diplomat Alan Romberg said he thinks the sale strikes the right balance.
Alan
D Romberg, director, East Asia Programme at Stimpson Centre said:
"This has nothing to do with constraining China, this has everything to
do within the US view in maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan
straits and letting the two sides move ahead to adjust their
relationship in a peaceful and non-coercive fashion."
The deal involves high-tech upgrades of 145 Lockheed Martin F-16 models A and B.
But the US has not agreed to sell Taiwan new and more advanced F-16 model C and D jets.
Former
National Security Council official Jamie Fly said this failure to
replace elements of Taiwan's ageing fleet may erode confidence among
regional allies.
Jamie Fly, executive director of the Foreign
Policy Initiative said: "A sense that some of our allies in Asia have is
that maybe the US is not as focused on Asia as it should be. And I
think when we send half-hearted signals to allies like Taiwan, others
like Japan, Korea and Australia will interpret that as perhaps a lack of
significant US commitment going forward. It might increase their
concerns."
The overriding interest for all the region's players
should be in breaking down strategic mistrust, according to veteran
diplomat and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.
"If we
have a cooperative relationship, then the nations of Asia do not have to
choose between China and the United States," said Mr Kissinger.
China's
Foreign Minister has urged Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to cancel
the sale, warning that it will undermine trust and confidence.
But
the White House has no intention of reviewing the decision and the
Obama administration hopes that Washington's long-term relationship with
Beijing will recover from the short-term tensions the announcement has
created.
- CNA/cc
==============================================
why dont china do the same with the arab nations?
Originally posted by alize:I think my post and oldbreadstinks post got edited.
I read oldbreadstinks loud and clear, I think your got edited, or did you forget what you wrote?