Category: Spratley Islands Dispute

A Horse Is A Horse, Of Course, Of Course

President Lincoln used to ask a riddle:  if you call a tail a leg, how many legs does a dog have?  He enjoyed revealing that the answer was four…because CALLING a tail a leg didn’t MAKE it one.*

By the same token, the Japanese Foreign Minister decided that calling Taiwan a province of China didn’t actually make it one, and said so in public.  Said the FM:

"[Taiwan’s] democracy is considerably matured and liberal economics is deeply ingrained, so it is a law-abiding country.  In various ways it is a country that shares a sense of values with Japan."

Whoa!  The KMT and Taiwan’s other capitulationist parties aren’t going to like hearing THAT.  For them, the single country in the world most worthy of praise and emulation is CHINA.  In response to the Japanese minister, we might soon hear some more Japan-bashing from KMT head Hizoner Ma Ying-jeou.  Perhaps something similar to his previously stated desire for a "battle to force a settlement" with Japan over the disposition of the Senkakus Islands.

Shortly after the Japanese Foreign Minister’s statement, China engaged in a little flipfloppery.  It was not so long ago – barely a week, in fact – when they called upon the United Nations to spank Taiwan for abolishing the National Unification Council.  Interfere in our internal affairs all you like, they told the UN at the time.**

But when the Chinese Foreign Minister heard that his Japanese counterpart had called Taiwan a "country", he got all prickly, angrily responding, "We are strongly protesting against this rude intervention in China’s internal affairs."

Aw, c’mon guys.  You’re either in favor of foreign interference in your "internal affairs" or you’re against it.  What’s it gonna be?

Interestingly, The China Post had a few more statements from the Japanese FM illustrating the growing resentment the Japanese feel due to China’s bullying:

[The minister likened] Japan to a rich but physically weak child who is picked on at school.

"What do you do so you don’t get bullied? There is no other way than to run away or fight," Aso told supporters last weekend in the central city of Kanazawa, the magazine said.

"You may be able to graduate from school in three years. But when it comes to countries, neighbors will be neighbors forever," it quoted him as saying.

Perhaps then, calling Taiwan a country is a demonstration of Japan’s increasing unwillingness to play the 98 pound weakling in the schoolyard.  I can’t help but think that Japan was once a Great Power, and that if it wanted to, it could be again.  It may be most unwise to push around the Japanese.

* Of course, the children’s story, "The Emperor’s New Clothes" makes essentially the same point that the truth is the truth.

There is however, a countervailing Chinese story that states the truth is whatever the powerful happen to say it is.  In this story, a Chinese emperor sees a mule, calls it a horse in front of his court, and then asks the courtiers what kind of an animal they think it is.  Those who answer truthfully are beheaded on the spot for having the effrontery to publicly disagree with the emperor.

(Similarly, Winston Smith in 1984 is told that the Party has new answers for simple arithmetic questions, and is tortured when he gives the "wrong" answers.  After sufficient "re-education", he accepts that the Party is always right about such things.)

**  Someone at the National Review or the Weekly Standard asked a question relating to China’s request to the UN to upbraid Taiwan "province" for abolishing the NUC.  When was the last time, the writer asked, when President Bush went to the UN to call for help in dealing with a troublesome American state governor?

Taiwan to Build Airport in the Spratly Islands

The story originally came out on Dec 16th.  Rereading it now, what’s striking is the tone Taiwan’s pro-communist party takes on the issue:

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Su Chi (蘇起) criticized the plan, saying it is likely to trigger an international dispute in light of the sensitive strategic and political implications involving the Spratlys.

It should be noted that the "international dispute" the legislator alludes to so politely would be with China.  Is this the same KMT that craved a "battle to force a settlement" with Japan over the Senkakus Islands?  One can only conclude that the KMT’s hostility towards potential democratic allies is matched only by the warmth that it feels towards communist dictatorships.

Still, the KMT legislator has a point.  Why should Taiwan needlessly upset China?  It was only after reading an opinion piece in the Taipei Times that it became clear why Taiwan’s anti-communist party would want to proceed with these plans:

…after the completion of the runway on Itu Aba, either the president or vice president should fly to the island and make a policy statement regarding Taiwan and the role it will play in the South China Sea, Southeast Asia and the Taiwan Strait.

If circumstances are too sensitive for either of these officials to visit the island, the government should consider inviting the mayor of Kaohsiung or the mayor of Taipei to do so in their place.

In the same way that Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara took a boat to the southernmost point of Japanese territory before unveiling a plaque and going diving off Okino Torishima, Taipei mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) could go swimming or jogging around the island of Itu Aba.

(The commentator jests at the expense of Ma Ying-jeou.  As Taiwan’s pro-communist leader, it’ll be highly unlikely to ever see him stick his finger in Beijing’s eye.)

What the writer really points out is that the airport serves the purpose of demonstrating to the Taiwanese public that the pro-communists are not the only ones willing to defend Taiwan’s sovereignty.  Earlier this year, the pro-communists scored points with nationalists for pressing Taiwan’s claims to the Senkakus; now, the anti-communists gain favor for their assertiveness in the Spratlys.

Moreover, the move is a win-win proposition for Taiwan’s anti-communists.  If China does nothing, then the anti-communists take the credit for facing them down.  And if China takes aggressive action, well, Taiwanese public opinion turns against China…and Taiwan’s pro-communists.

UPDATE (Jan 5/06):  To date, Vietnam has been the only one to lodge protests against this move.  Nonetheless, the basic logic still holds – if the nationalism game has to be played, then it’s best played against countries that won’t help Taiwan in the event of an attack by the Chinese.

UPDATE (Jan 6/06):  Over on Strategy Page, they predict the Philippines will also protest Taiwan’s move, while China will either remain neutral or help to advance Taiwan’s claims behind the scenes.  We shall see.