James Chen says China's offshore military exercises threaten the future of Taiwan's fledgling democracy. This past Saturday, Taiwan held its first-ever direct presidential election. This event marked the first time in the 5000-year history of the Chinese people that they had the opportunity to choose their top leader. This event is also the crowning effort in Taiwan's transition from a dictatorship to a democracy. The atmosphere on Taiwan during election time was one of excitement and eager anticipation. The signs of an approaching election were unmistakable, even as early as this summer, when I worked for a Taiwanese investment firm. Taxicabs sporting flags of a political party or particular candidate wove through the hectic traffic of Taipei, Taiwan's bustling capitol. Rallies whose participants numbered in the thousands marched through parks and streets. Television news programs showed the campaigning efforts of each of the four candidates as they gave speeches in front of huge crowds and shook supporters' hands. There was an almost festive quality about this election felt throughout the country. Unfortunately, these landmark elections took place against the backdrop of missiles, fighters and naval warships. Last week, the People's Liberation Army of China commenced a series of military exercises off the southeastern coast of China, directly facing Taiwan. The first round involved test-firing four unarmed missiles into the waters off Taiwan for a period of eight days. These missiles were similar to the Scud missiles used by Saddam Hussein during the Persian Gulf War. Two areas were targeted: one 21 miles from the city of Keelung, and another 32 miles from the city of Kaohsiung. Both are major port cities, which handle most of Taiwan's import and export activities. Not only did these missile tests disrupt Taiwan's trade -- they also caused millions of dollars of lost income to both mainland Chinese and Taiwanese fishermen. The second round of China's military exercises, which began last Monday and concluded last Wednesday, involved war games that simulated an amphibious invasion of Taiwan. Naval warships, aircraft and ground troops pounded a small, deserted island of Pingtan, near Taiwan. The third, and presumably final, round of military exercises concluded two days after Taiwan's elections. It is clear from these military exercises that China's intentions are to intimidate the Taiwanese people and remind them that the PLA will invade if Taiwan should ever declare independence from China. The Communists now in power in China regard Taiwan as China's "sacred territory," and view its fledgling democracy as a threat to Communist rule. The Clinton Administration has responded to these war games by sending the Nimitz and Independence naval battle groups to the South China Sea as monitoring instruments. China slammed the United States for this action, accusing Clinton of interfering in Chinese "internal affairs" and characterizing the presence of the U.S. Navy as a "brazen show of force." Chinese authorities also warned that any intruder into the Taiwan Straits would be engulfed in a "sea of fire." The leaders in Beijing have shown on many occasions that they are not above resorting to brute force in order to achieve their aims or ensure they retain power. The 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre is a prime example of this attitude. Indeed, the United States is no stranger to the Chinese Communists' pugnacious, self-serving behavior. On numerous occasions, these authorities have been cited for human rights violations by both Amnesty International and the U.S. State Department. Recently, there has also been conflict over U.S. Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) statutes, which the Chinese have flagrantly violated in the manufacture of computer software and CD-ROMs, and over China's possible sale of raw materials for nuclear weapons to Pakistan and Iran. The military exercises near Taiwan clearly demonstrate that the mentality of the Beijing government is no more than that of a grade-school bully. Taiwan, on the other hand, has been a model citizen of the global community. It pours millions of dollars of investment into many countries of the world (including China), setting up businesses, developing local infrastructure and providing thousands of jobs. Taiwan regularly sends agricultural development missions to less- developed countries to aid in their economic growth. Taiwan has also established mature, mutually beneficial trading relationships with most of the world's countries, including the U.S. The Clinton Administration's decision to send over the two naval battle groups is commendable. However, American foreign policy toward China is still ambiguous and vague. The Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, enacted when the U.S. switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing, merely states that it is a policy of the United States to "maintain the capacity of the U.S. to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security or the social or economic system of the people on Taiwan." This does not necessarily mean that the U.S. would provide military assistance to Taiwan if China invaded. Taiwan has been making admirable efforts aimed at transforming itself into a full-fledged democracy. The Taiwanese people have been voting for their legislators and representatives for quite some time now. Last weekend's presidential election is just another step in Taiwan's journey toward establishing itself as a nation in which political freedoms and fundamental human rights are guaranteed to every citizen. It is in this America's best interest, both moral and economic, to ensure the safety of the 21 million people living in Taiwan. To do this, the United States should make a commitment to defend Taiwan militarily in the event of a Communist Chinese attack, issuing a statement now that unequivocally states this commitment. It would be a severe loss to the world if all that Taiwan has worked for was destroyed by Chinese missiles and soldiers.
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