Commentaries
The 1949 Mukden Incident: Lessons of history from a previous U.S.-China hostage affair
Washington, D.C. April 9, 2001: A half century ago, Chinese communist troops held the staff and families of the U.S. Consulate General in Mukden (now Shenyang) hostage for over a year. Times were different then, but a look back into history gives insights into the mindset of China's present leaders. Internal politics paralyzed early decision-making in the Chinese leadership, while the State Department sought to downplay the issue in an effort to keep it from escalating.
The 1954 Hainan Incident: How Chinese fighter pilots caused another international incident, and how Chinese diplomats resolved it
April 12, 2001
By John J. Tkacik
Washington, April 12, 2001: Now that the Washington and Beijing have successfully passed the crisis point of this latest "Hainan Incident", I am reminded of another, eerily similar incident in July 1954. There are lessons from history about "keeping an even strain" that might have helped both Beijing and Washington deal more effectively with the crisis. In the end, decision-makers in Washington seem to have learned these lessons better than their counterparts in Beijing.
1990-98 Chronology of China-Taiwan Relations
1990
May 20, 1990: Lee Teng-hui is inaugurated President of the Republic of China, calls for opening "channels of communication" with Beijing and ending the state of hostilities.
November 21, 1990: Taipei gives official status to the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) and charters it to make "unofficial" contacts with Beijing.
1991
Why the Time Is Right for a Free Trade Agreement with Taiwan
The International Trade Commission (ITC) is preparing a report for Congress and the executive branch on the advisability of negotiating a formal free trade agreement (FTA) with Taiwan, one of America's top trading partners. Indeed, a bill already drafted by Senator Max Baucus (D-MT)1 would authorize the Administration to negotiate such an agreement on a "fast track" basis. Consideration of this bill awaits the release of the ITC report, due out later this summer.
Needed: A Strong Response to Beijing's Boycott of Foreign Businesses Dealing with Taiwan
On August 31, the Asian Wall Street Journal reported that China had barred a top Swiss-American investment bank, Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB), from making future business deals in China because it had hosted a Taiwan government-backed investment promotion in Europe and a conference in Hong Kong. Following this news, two U.S. securities houses, Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch, reportedly cancelled their plans to provide similar services to Taiwan.
Why the Department of Homeland Security Should Control Visas
There is universal agreement in the Administration that the U.S. consuls abroad who adjudicate visa applications for foreigners and hopeful immigrants are among those on the first line of defense against global terrorism.1 The visa system in place on September 11 failed in this responsibility, allowing many of the terrorists to enter the United States unnoticed and bearing genuine visas.2
China-Taiwan Dialogue Could Begin at the APEC Summit
by John Tkacik, Jr.
China tests U.S.-Japan alliance; Asian behemoth flexes its muscles in Japanese waters
By John J. Tkacik Jr.
In a surprisingly uncharacteristic show of diplomatic backbone last month, the Obama administration sent an unwelcome message to Beijing: America will stand with Japan against China's unwarranted territorial claims on Okinawa's waters. The crisis began on Sept. 7, when Japan's coast guard arrested a Chinese fishing-boat captain who had deliberately rammed one of its vessels inside Japan's territorial waters in the Senkaku Islands, part of the Okinawa chain.
Communism in China
[Unedited]
Communism in China
By John J. Tkacik
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