At a meeting in Hong Kong on July 14, China's Major General Zhu Chenghu (
Even though Beijing said the general's views were his own and not official policy, it is hard to know what China's real position is. But no matter what, his threat was enough to remind the world about the possibility of Beijing's determination to resolve the "Taiwan question" by any means necessary, including the use of nuclear arms. People should therefore prepare for the worst, and should not be fooled by China's so-called "peaceful rising."
In the past, China said that it would not use nuclear weapons unless it is attacked by such weapons. Today, as China's strength grows, its ambition to be a military superpower also grows.
Zhu's words reveal that even if the US does not use its nuclear arsenal first, China may still choose to use nuclear weapons if it is unable to compete with the US in a conventional war. By the same logic, if China invades Taiwan, it also won't rule out the possibility of using nuclear arms on this country. During the cross-strait crisis in 1995, high-level Chinese military officials threatened to launch nuclear strikes if war did break out.
If one accepts the idea that China is seeking to become a military hegemony, the world can't afford to take Zhu's statement lightly. US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said that Zhu's remarks were "unfortunate" and "irresponsible." French media outlets also pointed out that such hostile words make China's "peaceful rise" difficult to believe.
However, Taiwan has once again failed to be on alert in the face of Chinese military threats. Those pan-blue camp politicians who visited China to "seek peace," as well as the pro-China media here have all turned a blind eye to these threats.
But their willingness to dismiss the danger posed by China has been consistent. In recent years, China's Taiwan-minded military build-up has rapidly increased. It now has more than 700 ballistic missiles pointed at Taiwan. But the pan-blue camp is still determined to boycott the government's arms procurement plan.
Despite the blue camp's subservience to China, Beijing has never renounced the use of force to resolve the cross-strait impasse.
In March, Beijing even passed the "Anti-Secession" Law, vowing to employ "non-peaceful means and other necessary measures" if Taiwan declared independence.
Under such circumstances, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) accepted an invitation to visit China, shamelessly touting the "one China" policy and the so-called "1992 consensus" while meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤). Lien and Soong's move to "unify China to restrain Taiwan" has further boosted Beijing's arrogance and probably went a long way in inspiring Zhu's nuclear threats.
During the fourth Shangri-La Dialogue held in Singapore in early June, US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld pointed out that China's military expansion has endangered the subtle security balance in Asia. He criticized China for concealing its actual military spending, and questioned its increase of missiles targeting Taiwan while claiming to desire a peaceful solution to the issue.
Earlier this month, Japanese media reported that US troops stationed in Okinawa will not withdraw, so they could quickly arrive in Taiwan within one day if a cross-strait war breaks out. Thus, US troops in Japan will remain to prevent Beijing from attacking Taiwan and to prevent a pro-China regime from being established here.
The fact that Taiwan is viewed as forbidden fruit by the Chinese is probably why they issued a nuclear threat against the US indirectly, through one of their high-ranking officers.
But the threat was not simply a case of China venting its frustration. Over the last decade or so, the expansion of China's military capability is directed at breaking through the First Island Chain and probing the Second Island Chain. Taiwan is at the center of the first chain -- or first line of defense -- constraining Beijing's geopolitical influence.
Even as it seeks to dominate Asia, China also wants to replace the US as the dominant power in the Pacific. Taiwan's precarious position in the Pacific blocks China's direct access to the region, making it an essential asset if further conquest is to be achieved. Only by taking Taiwan will China advance its ambitions in the Pacific.
Moreover, China has initiated an assault across a very broad front. In addition to making trouble for the US internationally, it has also locked horns with the US over the acquisition of a US oil company.
The tenor of public utterances by Chinese leaders have been increasingly nationalist, with increasingly frequent references to Ming Dynasty-era Admiral Cheng Ho, who sailed around Southeast Asia to display China's naval might. Obviously, Beijing hopes to rekindle some of its previous glory.
All of this proves that all the talk of China's peaceful rising is simply a ploy to divert attention away from the very real threat that China now poses. Prior to the passing of the Anti-Secession Law, the Chinese government declared that the 21st century would see a return of the Chinese people to greatness.
This kind of statement, repeated with overtones of fascist delusions of grandeur, falls heavily on the ears of democratic societies that are striving only for peace and stability.
The Anti-Secession Law and statements by China's military about the use of nuclear weapons is a clear indication that the idea of "might is right" dominates the core of the Chinese Communist Party's leadership.
The people of Taiwan, who hold the front line against China's expansionism, must wake up from their delusions that China seeks peace. They also must maintain a high level of psychological preparedness if they are to protect their sovereignty, as well as their safety and property.
Translated by Eddy Chang and Ian Bartholomew
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