For Immediate Release
Washington DC – March 14, 2006
Contact: (202) 547-3686
U.S. Should Persuade China To Give Up Taiwan Threat, Says FAPA
After one-year anniversary of the passage of the anti-secession law by the Chinese government, FAPA today calls upon the United States government to urge China to renounce the use of force against Taiwan and to firmly stand by Taiwan’s democracy.
Taiwan’s President Chen Shui-bian began his interview with the Washington Post yesterday by reminding the Post reporters and readers that China launched missiles into the waters near Taiwan ten years ago in order to deter the Taiwanese voters from going to the voting booths. Then last year around this time, Beijing intensified their intimidation towards the people of Taiwan by passing the anti-secession law, legislation to legitimize Chinese military actions against Taiwan.
FAPA President CT Lee says: “An eventual solution of the cross-strait stalemate will and should not come about after the Chinese side resorting to force. The mere existence of Taiwan’s flourishing democracy is a threat and a thorn in China’s thigh. As long as Taiwan exists independently outside the Chinese jurisdiction, China will claim its right over Taiwan’s sovereignty and will use full force if necessary. This has nothing to do with who holds office in Taiwan. The United States government should rein in China’s military ambition against Taiwan and urge China to renounce the use of force. Ballot boxes (democracy) are not threat – missiles are.”
“We also call upon the United States government to define and explain the U.S. definition of the status quo. When China, Taiwan and the U.S. itself seem to have different definitions of the status quo, how can we accurately maintain the U.S. interests in the region without laying down the rules of the game?” Lee says.
He continues: “The status quo is constantly changing. Today’s status quo is different from that of 30 years ago, or even 10 years ago. The danger and the almost impossible task of protecting the status quo is that the US is forcing itself to defend for this perpetual moving status quo.”
CT Lee concludes: “The United States was there for the people of Taiwan when they were going through their arduous struggle to achieve democracy. Yet, the people of Taiwan today are facing a more mounting challenge – China – while preserving their democratic achievements. FAPA urges the United States government to firmly stand by the people of Taiwan. Because nobody wants to see the roll back of Taiwan’s democracy. ”
FAPA呼籲布希政府勸導中國放棄武力犯台
正值中國政府通過反分裂法一週年，FAPA呼籲美國政府要求中國放棄武力犯台，並希望美國能夠堅定的與民主台灣站在一起。
中國對於台灣的文攻武嚇不是今天才開始。陳總統昨天在接受華郵專訪時表示，十年前的今天，中國為了阻止台灣人民參與首次總統直選，在台灣外海發射飛彈。一年前的今天，北京更加速對台灣人民的恐嚇而通過了反分裂國家法，正式將武力犯台合法與合理化。
FAPA會長李青泰表示：「武力絕對不是解決台海問題的辦法。台灣蓬勃發展的民主制度就是對中國最大的威脅；不管台灣總統是誰，只要台灣一天不在中國的管轄範圍之內，中國終將發動武力，奪取對台灣的主權。美國政府應該抑制中國對台的軍事野心，力挺台灣民主，要求中國放棄武力犯台。畢竟，飛彈，而不是選票箱（民主），才具威脅性。」
「除此之外，我們也希望美國政府能夠解釋以及定義到底什麼是台灣現狀。因為當台中美三方似乎都各有自己的定義時，我們如何在遊戲規則不清楚的情況下，來精準地維持現狀呢？」
李青泰繼續表示：「台海現狀一直在變，三十年前的台海情形，甚至是十年前，都與今天不同；固執著維持現狀這個政策有其危險與不可行之處，因為我們(美國)被迫要為這個一直在變動的現狀來做辯護。」
李青泰最後表示：「美國過去陪伴著台灣人民走過邁向民主的荊棘之路。今天，台灣的民主果實受到中國這個更大的挑戰。FAPA呼籲布希政府堅定地與台灣人民站在一起，不要讓台灣的民主受到中國的鯨吞蠶食，被迫走回頭路。」