Patience running thin over long-delayed US promises
- Source: Global Times
- [21:19 February 02 2010]
- Comments
GT: US hawks have predicted dire results from this arms deals. Looking at bilateral relations over the past three decades, how important is this?
Meng: US arms sales to Taiwan are the biggest impediment in US-China relations. More common interests entail more frictions.
This is natural, but the bottom line cannot be crossed. In other words, the two partners shouldn't violate each other's key interests.
Looking back over the past three decades, China has never offended the US's key interests. Lately, its key interests are anti-terror and weapons of mass destruction proliferation and saving US economy. China is cooperative in all respects, as the US admits.
The Chinese stress "giving a plum in return for a peach." If one party cannot return a favor with a favor, at least it shouldn't repeatedly challenge the other's red line.
Americans even say that they can have discussions with the mainland before closing arms deal with Taiwan to see what kind of arms sale can be tolerated by the Chinese.
That's the typical logic of hegemony. It's like a person wanting to know how hard he can slap another before he extends his hand. The US now regards this as a compromise and bargaining chip. It's pushing things too far.
GT: China fired back after the Obama administration approved the arms sale package. It's attitude is unprecedentedly severe. Is it high time for China to stop being tolerant over this issue?
Meng: The old problem cannot be solved overnight. US's arms sale to Taiwan should be a key subject in US-China strategic dialogue.
The two countries should return to discussing the Joint Communiqué on Arms Sales to Taiwan on August 17, 1982, when the US promised to gradually wind down arms sales.
In academia, the short-term means within five years, mid-term five to 10 years and the long-term more than 10 years. Now that nearly 30 years passed, the arms sale issue seems to become a term-less one.
A package solution means returning to these promises and coming out with a schedule that both parties can agree with. We should clearly see how the US plans to cut arms sale to Taiwan and finally bring them to an end.
