LITTLE ROCK — Despite a growing economy and more than 10 years of democracy in Taiwan, Joseph Wu of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representation Office in Washington, D.C., says that China continues to inhibit Taiwan's international participation.
Located less than 150 miles from the coast of the Chinese mainland, the Republic of China, more commonly known as Taiwan, is the governing body of Formosa, the Pescadores, Kinmen, and the Matsu Islands, and has been struggling for international recognition as a sovereign country separate from China, as well as membership in the United Nations.
"Taiwan is not a part of China," said Wu, who spoke to the Rotary Club of Little Rock and members of the Clinton School staff at the Statehouse Convention Center on Tuesday. "But we see no end to the confrontation across the Taiwan Strait."
The United States has not officially recognized or denied China's sovereignty over Taiwan. Therefore, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representation Office is a de facto embassy that maintains unofficial diplomatic relations with the United States.
Wu praised the United States for supporting Taiwan's pursuit of independence and democracy, but said that China has used its economic clout, the One-China Policy and military aggression to deter nations from establishing free trade agreements with the Taiwanese Islands. This pressure has also deterred nations from recognizing Taiwan's independence, said Wu, who became the first ethnic Taiwanese to be appointed as Taiwan's top representative to the United States.
The One-China Policy, a principle held by the People's Republic of China, the governing body of mainland China, asserts that there is only one China, and Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan are all a part of Chinese sovereignty.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., did not return a call to comment.
"This gives us a chance to see into their community - achance to be educated," said Little Rock Rotary Club president Elizabeth Small. "We in Arkansas must be aware of [international relations] because it does affect us."
U.S. exported $23 billion worth of goods to Taiwan in 2006, of which Arkansas accounted for $57.02 million, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs.
Wu said that China has threatened to diminish trade with countries that pursue trade agreements with Taiwan and that Chinese submarines have been making "aggressive maneuvers" in the Taiwan Strait, which separates Taiwan from the mainland. Wu pointed to the Chinese submarine that surfaced near the USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier in October of last year as a sign of China's increased aggression.
"We are not about war," Wu said. "We are about peace, and we hope the U.S. can help us move forward into peaceful discussions with China."
In the meantime, Wu said, Taiwan is in the process of obtaining a "robust package" of anti-missile and anti-submarine equipment from President Bush.
Arkansas, Pages 11 on 10/31/2007