The US magazine Defense News printed an interview with Taiwan’s representative to the US, Joseph Wu, on Monday. In the interview, Wu said that China is trying to stop Taiwan from entering the United Nations. It is using diplomatic and econmoic means to oppress Taiwan. Wu also said that the US opposition to Taiwan’s planned referendum on its UN bid shows that the US is giving in to Beijing’s interests. He said the US wants China’s help with North Korea and the Middle East, so China is using this as leverage in the US’s Taiwan policy.
But a former US State Department official Randy Schriver said that Wu was exaggerating. Schriver said that US cooperation with China is probably the best way to face certain challenges. But the US is still concerned about human rights in China and condemns the Tiananmen Square Incident. The US provides arms to TAiwan for self-defense. President Bush also welcomed the Dalai Lama to the White House. So it’s obvious, Schriver says, that the US is not relying on China for its foreign policies.
