To the Editor of the New York Times

Chevy Chase, April 15th, 1997

Dear Sirs,

Your editorial titled "the Taiwan Factor" shows a distinct lack of understanding of the important nuances regarding Taiwan and US policy towards Taiwan. It totally fails to distinguish between the Chinese mainlanders, like John Huang, and the Taiwanese and the Taiwanese-Americans who are working hard for a free, democratic and independent Taiwan.

The attempts by Mr. Huang, and the likes of Johnny Chung and Charlie Trie, to buy influence in the United States are indeed an outrage and very troubling. However, they consider themselves Chinese-American and have nothing to do with the Taiwanese-American community.

As far as President Lee Teng-hui's visit is concerned: if a mere visit of Mr. Lee to his alma mater can already lead to "...a crisis in relations between the US and China" then we wonder if the United States will really have the courage to stand up for the principles embodied in the Charter of the United Nations. These principles give the people of Taiwan the right to self-determination and the right to determine their own future, without any outside interference by other countries such as China.

The people of Taiwan simply ask China to respect the right of the Taiwanese to choose "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" as a free and independent country, which lives in peaceful coexistence next to its big neighbor.

The people of the United States chose to provoke a crisis 200 years ago by declaring themselves independent from the mightiest power on earth at that time, the British Empire. If you refer to our attempts to establish an independent nation as "diplomatic adventurism", then certainly you should be consistent, and condemn U.S. independence. Why would it be right for the US to be independent from Britain, and not right for Taiwan to be an independent nation ?

Your editorial also mistakenly states that the present US policy "...commits Washington to recognize only one government, Beijing's, within the historic boundaries of China, which includes Taiwan." The US in 1972 indeed started to switch its recognition from the government in Taipei to those in Beijing, as government of China.

However, the US did not recognize China's claim to Taiwan; the 1972 Shanghai Communiqué stated only that the US "acknowledged" (=took note of) China's position. Taiwan has never been part of the PRC and there is no reason that it should be.

Also, the historic boundaries of China do not include Taiwan: before the 1600s, only aborigines lived on the island, and when the Dutch landed in Anping (present-day Tainan) they found no trace of administration by any mainland authority. Only after the Dutch developed plantations there, did Chinese laborers from the coastal provinces start to migrate to the island. They intermingled with the aborigines, and a new identity was born, the Taiwanese.

Only in 1887, did the Chinese Emperor declare Taiwan a province of China, but this exercise was short-lived: at the 1895 Treaty of Shimonoseki, the Chinese emperor ceded sovereignty over Taiwan to Japan, in perpetuity. Taiwan remained an integral part of the Japanese empire until 1945, and most older Taiwanese speak only Japanese and Hok-lo (Taiwanese), no Chinese Mandarin.

The sensitive issues surrounding relations with Taiwan and China should be dealt with in a fair, informed and just manner. Your editorial was misinformed on a number of key facts, and thus did not treat these issues in a fair and objective manner.

The United States has had a long and prosperous relationship with Taiwan. As a member of the House International Relations Committee, I believe the US must do more to stand by the 21.5 million Taiwanese in their struggle for sovereignty against the Peoples Republic of China (PRC).

America has refused to recognize Taiwan diplomatically, even though the U.S. is Taiwan's largest trading partner and a close military ally. Instead, U.S. policy defers to a communist regime, which claims to represent all of China, including Taiwan. Our appeasement of the Chinese government reached new lows two years ago when the State Department denied the duly elected leader of Taiwan, President Lee Teng-hui, a visa to visit the United States in a private capacity. We cannot justify such actions. On 2 May 1995 I voted with my colleagues in Congress, strongly asking the State Department to reconsider its decision. Our efforts led to the reversal of that decision....

We should reaffirm our relationship with Taiwan and show our commitment to the island's people by supporting Taiwan's entry in the United Nations. I have led support for a bill (H.Con.Res. 63) that states (1) Taiwan should be a full participant in the UN and its related agencies; and (2) the Clinton Administration should immediately encourage the UN to accept Taiwan as a member. This bill lays the foundation for a sustained relationship between the United States and Taiwan. In addition, I believe Taiwan should be allowed to join the new World Trade Organization that was created by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.

Taiwan is a model emerging democracy, with 21.5 million peaceful people eager to join the international community. As the leading nation in the world promoting democracy, the United States has both a duty and obligation to support the growing democracy in Taiwan through the Taiwan Relations Act. I fully support upholding this Act and sponsored legislation last year (H.Con.Res. 140) that called upon the President to review the defense needs of Taiwan and take appropriate action where needed. This crucial legislation declared that any attempt by the PRC to threaten the peace and security of Taiwan would be a threat to the peace of the pacific and a threat to the interests of the United States. China should no longer be allowed to threaten the safety of the people of Taiwan.

I am not suggesting that the United States should completely sever its relations with mainland China. persuading the Chinese government to peacefully resolve the Taiwan issue is in the interest of all three countries. Right now, the best means to promote fairness is to pressure international bodies to recognize Taiwan as an equal participant.