Talk Radio:
Bill Bennett
Mike Gallagher
Dennis Prager
Michael Medved
Hugh Hewitt
BREAKING NEWS
Register
|
Sign In
Search
SIGN UP NOW!
Columns, funnies & more in your inbox!
Login
|
What's Hot
Townhall Daily Alert
Your daily must-read of conservative columns, cartoons and news. Coulter, Sowell, Krauthammer and more.
White House & Capitol Report
Townhall.com’s weekly inside scoop on what’s happening behind the scenes in the world of politics. When news breaks, we report.
Daily Conservative Cartoon
Signup to receive the latest daily Townhall cartoons
Columnists
|
News
|
Video
|
Podcasts
|
Photos
|
Cartoons
|
Blog
|
Your Blogs
|
Issues
|
Get Magazine
|
Finance
Mike Gallagher
|
Mary Katharine Ham
|
Hugh Hewitt
|
Michael Medved
|
Michael Barone
|
Thomas Sowell
|
Tony Blankley
|
Ann Coulter
|
Dennis Prager
|
More
Wednesday, April 25, 2001
The Taiwanese Threat
by
Armstrong Williams
0
Armstrong Williams' Email
|
Armstrong Williams
|
Author Biography
Read Comments
|
Post Comments
Forward
Print
Share
Single Page
Vote on It:
Average Vote:
[+]
Text
[-]
Will the Dems' health care Christmas Present to America be an improvement or detriment to our health care system?
Improvment
Detriment
We'll have to wait and see
Improvment (2 %)
Detriment (97 %)
We'll have to wait and see (2 %)
Taiwan, a small island off the southeastern coast of China, is a foreign relations time bomb that could potentially envelop the United States and China in armed conflict. Presently, China is asserting it's right to assimilate the province into the mainland. Taiwan, which has maintained its sovereignty for more than five decades, is rehearsing possible defense scenarios. It is against this backdrop, that President Bush must now weigh whether to equip Taiwan with sophisticated military technology necessary to defend the county against invasion. If President Bush intervenes, he will likely offend the Asian Goliath and exacerbate the already fraying tapestry of U.S.-Sino relations. If he attempts to appease Mainland China, on the other hand, he may risk sending the message that their threats of military expansion will garner respect. The situation is further complicated by internal struggles on the mainland, including domestic rioting, a recent military crackdown on civilians and a ruling party that is slouching toward transition. Amid such domestic uncertainty, it might be tempting for the Chinese leadership to rally the citizenry by defining the United States as an evil microbe in their midst. For this reason, the United States must be cautious not to economically isolate and marginalize China, as some of our more reactionary leaders are advocating. Clearly, China has emerged as the dominant economic and military power in that region. Ignoring this fact and treating it as a tin-pot dictatorship would, at best erode our influence in that region and at worst provoke China to lash out in a show of masculine dominance. The latter possibility was implicit following China's initial detention of American servicemen following the collision of a Chinese fighter jet with a U.S. reconnaissance plane on April 1. China's ominous stance was an attempt to project the threat of serious military entanglement if the United States digs in its heels around Taiwan's defense. Otherwise stated, China is testing the new president's resolve. After eight years of Clinton's naive appeasement plan, China's leaders are curious to gauge how the new administration will respond to their provocation. A brief recap: One of President Clinton's sacred cows was that a policy of "engagement" with Beijing was the most effective means of stemming Chinese militarism. That is to say, by wooing China, we could influence them to honor human rights, soothe their military aggression, alter their very political system, and convert the Asian Goliath into a kinder, more peaceful world presence. The reality was that Clinton's naive appeasement plan neither altered China's human rights policies nor restrained its military expansionism. What's worse, the absence of clearly defined foreign policy goals, coupled with Clinton's desperate attempt to appease China even as they threatened military expansion, sent the message that intimidating behavior was a good strategy for getting what they wanted - including credibility as a global player. Though we must be cautious not to overreact to China's most recent saber rattling, the Bush administration must also place clear limits on Chinese aggressions. The deployment of American military forces would send the unmistakable message that further acts of aggression will no longer be indulged. At the same time, however, the United States must continue to pursue open trade with China while facilitating their participation in the World Trade Organization (WTO). Opening Beijing's markets will further tie China into the international community and thus represents the greatest end game for long-term stability. In the short term, though, the Bush administration must send the unmistakable message that there will be serious repercussions for any further military provocation. The failure to do so, could have repercussions no less pervasive than war between the two countries.
Share:
Digg
Del.icio.us
Facebook
Newsvine
My Web
MySpace
Forward
Print
Single Page
Vote on It:
Average Vote:
About The Author
Armstrong Williams is a widely-syndicated columnist, CEO of the Graham Williams Group, and hosts the Armstrong Williams Show. He is the author of
Beyond Blame
.
TOWNHALL DAILY: Be the first to read Armstrong Williams' column.
Sign up today
and receive Townhall.com daily lineup delivered each morning to your inbox.
News Articles On This Topic
Giuliani not running for NY Senate or governor
White House prods Iran over nuclear deadline
White House confident of health overhaul enactment
Keep IRS auditors away: Earn less than $200,000
Pain before gain in health care overhaul
Ala. Dem defects to GOP over health care, policy
Dems, White House predict success on health care
Report: Campaign finance laws full of loopholes
FAA reminds employees to act with decorum
No peeking: Obama getting Christmas 'sports stuff'
Popular Articles By
Williams
It's About to Get Real Ugly
The Real Barack
The Phantom Menace: Obama and Co. Fight Their Own Shadow
Join The Debate!
Post Your Comment
(
0
comments so Far)
View in ascending order
View in descending order
(
Read all 0 comments
)
Sign Up to Post Your Comments
Sign Up to Post Your Comments
If you are already registered, click
here
to login. Otherwise, please take a few seconds to register with Townhall.com. Once you sign up, you’ll be able to post your comments immediately, use the action center, get podcasts, and more!
Need an account?
Login
Login
Your Email:
Password:
Get Your Password
|
Register
Note: Fields marked with a red asterisk (
*
) are required.
Salutation:
Mr.
Mrs.
Ms.
Miss.
First Name:
*
Last Name:
*
Email:
*
Nickname:
*
Note:
Nick name will be shown when you post comments.
Address 1:
*
Address 2:
City:
*
State:
AE
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
*
Zip:
*
Phone:
Townhall Daily Alert
Your daily must-read of conservative columns, cartoons and news. Coulter, Sowell, Krauthammer and more.
Townhall.com Spotlight
(Bi-Weekly) We highlight the best opportunities from our partners for surveys, action items and more.
New Blog Posts
Video
Audio
You Will Subsidize Abortion
posted at 04:53 PM
Wash Times: Nelson Sold His Soul On Abortion Amendment
posted at 01:26 PM
Two Republicans Withdraw Endorsement of Crist
posted at 01:16 PM
Morning Market Update
posted on:06/05/2009
Keepin' Away the Skeeters
posted on:06/05/2009
Man vs. Animal
posted on:06/05/2009
Panel Discussion: Remembering Reagan
posted on:06/23/2009
Chris Daggett
posted on:10/07/2009
The First Team Hour 1
posted on:12/19/2009
Today's Columns
Kudlow :
The Yield Curve Is Signalin...
Patterson :
Obama's Forgotten Health...
Greenberg :
It's Still a Wonderful L...
Olasky :
Manhattan Microcosm
Charen :
Maximum Achievable Damage
Feulner :
A Hand Up, Not a Hand Out
Prager :
Democrats Ensure America Wi...
Lukas :
Failing Public Schools Cost ...
Saunders :
A Cool Wind Braces the Ho...
Norris :
Away With the Manger
Adams :
Apology to a Sociology Stude...
Benson :
The Department of Injustice
Blackwell :
Senator J. Wellington Wi...
Thomas :
Snow Jobs
Sowell :
The "Science" Mantra
Limbaugh :
Obamacare Hazardous to Am...
MacKinnon :
A Warning and a Ray of H...
Schlafly :
Cut the Power of the Fami...
Hagelin :
One Solitary Life
Buchanan :
America's Party
All Columns
AE
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Save my list
THANK YOU
Your email has been sent.
News
Video
Audio
MARGERY A. BECK : Neb.'s Nelson sees backlash on health reform plan
MARK WILLIAMS : Gas could be the cavalry in global warming fight
PETE YOST : Obama plan could limit records hidden from public
Today's Cartoons
Tuesday, Dec. 22
Michael Ramirez
Gary Varvel
Lisa Benson
Eric Allie
More