Why China over-react to Lee trip to taiwan ?

• storywolf

  26 Aug 04, 12:16

  Any thoughts on why China over-react to Lee trip to Taiwan.
  
  Think there is more to the eye.
• fett

  26 Aug 04, 13:54

  Originally posted by storywolf:

  Any thoughts on why China over-react to Lee trip to Taiwan.
  
  Think there is more to the eye.

  2 days back, there was this interview in ST, Asia, of a chinese professor. He was saying that the official protestations was a result of wide spread negativity in the internet in china concerning pm leeÂ’s visit. the chinese garment had no choice but to react to this nationalism.
  
  ThatÂ’s about the gist of it. comments?
• Moxie

  26 Aug 04, 16:14

  I'm no Sino-apologist but I don't think they "over-reacted" at all. Their official rebuttals to our MFA's initial clarification attempt was completely valid; I scruntinzed closely then for logical fallacies, except in vain. If anything, IMO they asserted very compelling from their point of view - much like we did in our spats against Malaysia - although they obviously didn't know prior about our PM succession date.
  
  In the same manner, I think Singaporeans didn't comprehend the whole context either, unless they have long memories.
  
  PM Lee was valid when he said he wanna get a personal, updated feel of the Taiwan situation. But what's left unsaid is that Singapore-Taiwan has, deliberately or not, an ongoing "private visit" exchanges of once every 2 years or so. The ones I can most recall is from Lien Chan & company's 1998 "vacation" here onwards; LKY twice dropped by there in 2000 & then 2002, & now LHL flew over in 2004.
  
  China lodged complaints during each of the earlier trips, so I don't think PM Lee didn't prepare himself for the (expected) backlash this time around. I do think, however, that he mis-calibrated their anger, since - let's be fair - he had 12 years since his last visit in '92 to meet up with "friends" over there.
  
  I posited on another board that China cannot but acknowledge the facts that:
  
  (a) the PAP/Singapore Government has comparatively longer ties with the KMT than with the CCP,
  
  (b) Singapore politicians are chummy with certain DDP reps as well, even though they collectively seemed to prefer courting our opposition parties more.
  
  [For the latter reason, I suggested that PM Lee maybe shouldn't meet anyone higher than their Premier Yu Shyi-kun, rather than let Chen Shui-bian & Annette Lu (who scolded LKY back in Y2K, remember!) milk his presence to the max. But that would be rude to their hosts on our part, wouldn't it?]
  
  Along these lines, I don't really care too much whether China wanna indirectly test PM Lee's mettle, or use him to signal how hawkish they've become on the Taiwan issue, or whatever. What matters is that they appreciate, in restrospect, his sense of urgency, upon the revealing of the PM succession date. Even if they still reprove his "stubbornness", so be it. The rest of the world knows it's impossible to coordinate political timings when it comes to international relations.
  
  Thankfully, the dispute was conducted rather restrainedly at the official level - both sides postulated their stands clearly - without succumbing into the emotional bickerings ala online. For that reason, I expect things will blow over quickly. Let's move on.
• storywolf

  27 Aug 04, 00:12

  Think this may be one of the cause. There been a number of mention in a number of china and taiwan website.
  
  They reported a 3-deal that could threaten China advantage if war happens..
  
  It is about the six Lafayette-class frigates, that taiwan brought but was totally ineffective as the french, sell them the boats but hold back on the aster and other stuff, which the frigates end up with outdated US system. But the 3-way deal, which may see the taiwan frigate been upgraded by Singapore with french blessing. That mean upgraded to with aster missile system ++ which bring the frigate full strength out, which will see the upgrade frigates post a very serious threat .
  
  Below is the extract from one of those website.
  
  "France is not thought to be negotiating arms sales to Taiwan at present. It signed an undertaking with mainland China, in the aftermath of the frigate deal and the sale of 60 French Mirage-2000- 5 fighters to Taiwan, to stop supplying the island with weapons that could be turned to offensive use.
  
  However, past dealings with Taiwan have been wrapped in deep secrecy and if any talks were actually taking place at present, only a handful of people would know about it because of the need to keep Beijing in the dark.
  
  Reports surfaced in French military circles last year that warship builder Direction des Constructions Navales (DCN) was endeavouring to sell Taiwan two further Lafayette frigates. DCN swiftly denied the rumours. However, a number of reliable sources believe a three- way deal could be in the works between Paris, Taipei and Singapore to upgrade the frigates initially sold to Taiwan. In February 2000, DCN landed an order to supply Singapore with six Lafayette-type frigates under a contract that provided for the first to be built by the French constructor in Lorient and the others by Singapore Technologies Marine in the city-state. The deal involves a major technology transfer and the sources believe that once the Singapore yard starts building its own frigates, Taiwan will send its frigates to Singapore for an upgrade, with France's blessings.
  
  DCN has denied making any such arrangement. "