CSB on way to Central America: will not stop in US

Politics Taiwan Politics
1

For CSB, one favorite way to push the “diplomatic envelope” and win the “foreign diplomacy war” Taipei thinks its fighting… is to win a few nights in New York or LA while en transit to some other destination.

Looks like they lost this particular battle, however. Below is the Taipei Times report. Newest Chinese-press report is that even the stop-overs in Alaska and Hawaii have since been called off.

taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/ … 2003305880

US decides on transit plan: source

BUSH APPROVAL: Chen Shui-bian will not be allowed to land in the continental US nor stay overnight, officials said, adding that the US president had made the decision
By Charles Snyder and Nadia Tsao
STAFF REPORTERS IN WASHINGTON
Wednesday, May 03, 2006,Page 3

Advertising A US source said yesterday that US President George W. Bush will allow President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) to transit through the US on his way to and from Latin America. Bush authorized Chen to stop in Honolulu, Hawaii, on his way to Latin America, and in Anchorage, Alaska, on his return flight.
However, Chen is only allowed to rest and refuel, and is not permitted to stay overnight in either city. The decision, which was proposed by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, was made by Bush himself, US and Taiwanese diplomatic sources said.

Chen is scheduled to depart Taipei today for Paraguay. He will later visit Costa Rica for the inauguration of president-elect Oscar Arias before returning to Taipei May 11.

The Chen administration is also understood to be shocked and displeased with Bush’s reponse to its request, and has called for more negotiations on the matter.

The US source said that the US Department of State and National Security Council presented Bush with a number of recommendations, and that the stopover itinerary that Bush ultimately decided on was the simplest among them.

US transit stops made by Chen on previous trips:

  1. August, 2000
    Outbound: Los Angeles

  2. May, 2001
    Outbound: New York
    Homeward: Houston

  3. June, 2002
    Visit to African allies, no US transit stop

  4. October, 2003
    Outbound: New York
    Homeward: Anchorage

  5. August, 2004
    Outbound: Hawaii
    Homeward: Seattle

  6. January, 2005
    Homeward: Guam

  7. April, 2005
    Visit to the Vatican to attend Pope John II’s funeral, no US transit stop

  8. May, 2005
    Outbound: Guam (for refueling)
    Homeward: Guam

  9. September, 2005
    Outbound: Hawaii
    Homeward: San Francisco

Meanwhile, a state department official confirmed that the US would allow Chen to make transit stops, but would not provide specifics.

Close relations

“In keeping with our close and cooperative informal relations with Taiwan and our intent to work productively with President Chen Shui-bian in the years ahead, the United States is prepared to facilitate transits for Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian on his way to and from Paraguay and Costa Rica,” the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.

He said that the request was approved on the basis of the safety, comfort and convenience of Chen, “while respecting the dignity of the traveler.”

Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister James Huang (黃志芳) yesterday ascribed the US’ slowness in responding to Taiwan’s request for Chen’s stop-overs to Washington’s preoccupation with Iran’s nuclear program, with which the US needs China’s support for a hardline approach towards Iran.

Huang said the procrastination was also due to the recent visit to the US by Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤).

Taiwan filed the stopover requests with US officials April 21.

“The US-Taiwan negotiations over the transit stops were greatly affected by Hu’s visit to the US, which had squeezed out the working time for both Taiwan and the US authorities over the matter,” Huang said.

Chen had reportedly wanted to stop in New York City on his return trip next week.

Chen has not visited the East Coast of the US since September 2003, when he traveled to New York to receive a human rights award and made several public statements despite the vehement objections of China.

During that trip, his activities reportedly annoyed the Bush administration, which was then trying to improve relations with Beijing, after the then-chairwoman of the American Institute in Taiwan, Therese Shaheen, declared that Bush was “the guardian angel” of Chen’s trip.

Restricted

In his first – and only other – trip to New York as president in 2001, Chen was more restricted, not being allowed to make any public statements, although he did give a speech to a large group of congress members, who chartered a military flight to travel from Washington to have dinner with him.

Since those two New York stopovers, Chen has been limited to West Coast and Southwest cities, including Houston, the home of the then-House majority leader Tom DeLay, a prominent supporter of Taiwan.

Additional reporting by Chang Yun-ping

2

nytimes.com/2006/05/03/world … aiwan.html

U.S. Denies Taiwan Leader Overnight Stay Here

By JOSEPH KAHN
Published: May 3, 2006
BEIJING, May 3

3

Yesterday, Chen told the AIT he MUST be allowed to stop in New York, or else he would not stop over in the US at all. The AIT refused. Seems like a pretty stupid threat to me.

Chen also delayed his trip by a day or two as he tried to get his stopover. This tells his Latin American “allies” one thing: CSB is not interested in them. His real goal lies elsewhere.

4

Pathetic, whichever way you look at it.

HG

5

Washington’s warm reception of Ma two months ago says it all. And Beijing was silent like a blue moon. :smiley:

6

Hong bao doesn’t work very well in the USA.

7

No, but beef imports, purchases of Boeing planes, and arms purchases have their place.

8

And wasn’t James Huang chosen for Foreign Minister precisely because of his travel arrangement abilities while working in the Presidential Office? Just yesterday, in the Taipei Times, it was reported that he brings family members on important trips. In any case, I don’t think MOFA should complain about “inflexibility issues.” After all, after I was unfairly removed from my post, they wouldn’t even extend my original work visa (three year one) by one week while I waited for the marriage paperwork to get authenticated. And I worked for them…hehehehhe.

9

The whole trip is set up to force the issue of a stopover in the US. You can just imagine the little cogs turning… “Which to points can I fly between that would require a stopover in the US?” :unamused:

10

[quote=“zeugmite”]

Chen also delayed his trip by a day or two as he tried to get his stopover. This tells his Latin American “allies” one thing: CSB is not interested in them. His real goal lies elsewhere.[/quote]

i agree, delaying his trip over this was an awful idea. strategically, what does that say to the allies who are the ostensible purpose of the visit?

on a practical level they should have expected this as bush has made his displeasure with chen known several times recently. arguing over this scrap of consideration washington shows taiwan leaders on occasion is beneath the dignity of a president. once washington laid the conditions it is beyond obvious they would not change. it would have been much better to take what was offered without comment so as to paper it over. you can’t even give chen credit for trying to stand up to washington as the issue is so insignificant as to be ridiculous. the fact that bush decided to wield it to punish chen speaks volumes.

11

And to think only a year ago CSB was ready to drag USA into a war with the PRC. Now he can’t even get to stay 1 night in the USA.

I hope he is not planning to use the proceeds of his wife stock liquidation to bribe Bush to letting stay the night.

12

Note from the Moderator:

This thread had better get substantive quickly or I will lock and remove semi-flame bait like the preceding post.

Please post links to articles and please do not post a link without a commentary.

Here’s my reading: the US has decided to punish Chen for not consulting with them on axing the NUC. They have chosen a symbolic gesture because they know that Chen wants to use stopovers in the US to score political points back home. This costs the US nothing and has the advantage of not damaging the strong substantive ties between the US and Taiwan that the US does care about. In my view, the Chen administration should simply refuse to play this game. If Chen wants a stopover, he should ask for it through the back channels and announce it if and when he gets acceptable ones. Otherwise, he should keep quiet about it and go visit Taiwan’s ‘allies’ without making a stopover. Or. better yet, just don’t visit them and stop wasting all that money.

I do wonder though if the Chen administration might be a bit cleverer than it appears. The more the US snubs the Chen administration, the more freedom Chen has to move forward with a new constitution and name changes.

13

I don’t see that strategy as any form of “clever”. It simply doesn’t make any sense, because no reasonable individual believes Taiwan can successfully move forward towards “constitutional and name changes” without US backing.

It’s like arguing a teenager’s being wise in forcing his parents to kick him out of the house, thus giving him the freedom to live however he’d like.

Anyways, the most recent announcement is that CSB won’t be landing in the US. He’s taking the scenic route, flying through Lebanon on the way to Costa Rica. That’ll show’em!

14

[quote=“cctang”]It simply doesn’t make any sense, because no reasonable individual believes Taiwan can successfully move forward towards “constitutional and name changes” without US backing.

![/quote]

I’m going to respectfully disagree. I think that the point people are missing is that Chen is going to go ahead with a new constitution regardless of what the US says although it will not change the country’s name to the Republic of Taiwan. Chen simply does not believe that he needs backing from the US to propose a new constitution. He believes, as he says constantly, that this is a decision the people of Taiwan are going to make. To believe otherwise, is in my view to misread Chen and his relationship with the US. Perhaps he should listen to the US more, but I seriously doubt he is going to do so.

Indeed, decisions like this one may reinforce his resolve to let the US know that it cannot tell Taiwan’s democratically elected government what to do.

15

Well, CSB can propose whatever he wants, but with the current LY, his proposal won’t go anywhere.
His only hope is a supermajority DPP in the next LY election. Is that going to happen? Especially with LY election rule change? Nope. In that context, is what CSB is doing or what Feiren thinks he might do (to show the US who’s boss) advancing the goal of a better DPP showing in the LY election? Quite the opposite. CSB’s days of pulling the cover over TWs’ eyes with empty rhetoric about TI are substantively over.

16

Zeugmite:

If I had NT$10 for everything people have said would never happen in Taiwan. Presidents are elected directly, the NUC has been canned, referendums have been held, and the LY has been halved in size. I agree that his new constitution is not likely to pass the LY. But he will propose it, and it will represent another step in Taiwan’s political evolution. The idea is very much on the table now, and once these kinds of ideas get presented they have a way of taking on their own lives. Chen may not be able to push a new constitution through, but that does not mean that his constitution has no hope of ever being passed.

I would add that the reason the DPP is going to get voted out of office during the next presidential election is not because of TI. Support for Taiwanese independence and especially Taiwanese identity are all very strong. But people are disappointed that CSB has not radically reformed Taiwan. They are looking for a change.

17

I understand that. Notice that is why I said “empty rhetoric about TI,” not “TI.” However, keep in mind that TI will remain empty rhetoric for the forseeable future, because it is not implementable without a substantial regional (even global) strategic shift. If CSB has accomplished anything during his years in office, it is to highlight that fact for all TWs.

Yes, TWs are disappointed that CSB did not reform Taiwan. But there is more. TWs are even more disappointed that CSB, knowing full well he does not intend to, or cannot reform Taiwan (whatever the case may be), still gave empty rhetoric saying he will. In short, TWs consider CSB a liar. That is in addition to considering him inept. That’s why CSB has below-20% support and why the DPP, which has toed his line, will go down with him (unless they change).

18

[quote=“zeugmite”]
I understand that. Notice that is why I said “empty rhetoric about TI,” not “TI.” However, keep in mind that TI will remain empty rhetoric for the forseeable future, because it is not implementable without a substantial regional (even global) strategic shift. If CSB has accomplished anything during his years in office, it is to highlight that fact for all TWs.

Yes, TWs are disappointed that CSB did not reform Taiwan. But there is more. TWs are even more disappointed that CSB, knowing full well he does not intend to, or cannot reform Taiwan (whatever the case may be), still gave empty rhetoric saying he will. In short, TWs consider CSB a liar. That is in addition to considering him inept. That’s why CSB has below-20% support and why the DPP, which has toed his line, will go down with him (unless they change).[/quote]

Interesting. You seem to arguing that CS has lost support because he has not pushed for TI hard enough to satisfy the hopes that he has raised.

I’m not sure about that. I’m not convinced that Chen is actually all that unpopular. We will also disagree on the relative importance we place on political development inside Taiwan and factor external to Taiwan such as the regional security situation. I tend to see Taiwan’s internal developments as moving faster than external developments which is Taiwan keeps surprising everybody by saying things that Taiwan isn’t supposed to say or do. Perhaps this is an effect of Taiwan’s long-term isolation, but I don’t feel that ordinary Taiwanese really know much about the strategic situation in the region and therefore don’t care. What they do care about, on a core level, is that their future is in their own hands. CSB’s presidency has gone a long way to making that idea very explicit.

Having said that, people care about other things to (such as reform in a broad sense, not just the economy) and since they are confident in their ability to control their future, they may well vote for another candidate who they believe can deliver on their secondary considerations.

19

“Being in control” is indeed a political feel good medicine and CSB’s presidency has gone a long way to making it the abstract idea to push when practical and achievable things are not going well, simply because one doesn’t need to deliver within term the final goods on abstract ideas like that (a beautiful dream will do).

You will surely argue that just making that idea explicit is doing something and may affect outcomes years down the road. I disagree. I think you have a point up to maybe about 2004, and that carried CSB to win a second term. But his support began its sharp decline after his election. Looking into the future, TWs are about as much in control as they will be. They’ve got all their political rights. They can change their internal operations as much as they want, and they’ve known that. It is when dealing with the external realities that TWs are running into a brick wall, so the only thing left which can give “being in control” more meaning is TI. By observing there are 80% or so that support the status quo, I think TWs by and large are not isolated nor ignorant of external realities as you suggest, but are and have been fully aware of their situation in the world and how much they are NOT in control of that.

Opinions differ on the last point, obviously, and those who believe they ARE in control are those less than 20% that still support CSB.

20

I believe that this would be physically impossible. No commercial jet flying could go from Taiwan to Central or South America without refueling. The US is really the only place that’s on the way. Flying directly acrose the Pacific would probably require two stops for fuel. I don’t think Chen would be welcome in the Solomons just now. :wink: