SampanViking said:
Nor do I he is very wily but if he has only minority support at home and no International Support, my question is what exactly can he do?
He has tried to develp links with other Regional countries (India most recently) but Chinese influence ensures these overtures are rebuffed. Japan ultimately does a huge amount of business with China and wants to resolve its differences. Interefering in Taiwan would be at least an "Unfriendly and Provocative Act" It just is not going to happen.
It not that he would not try to do anything, but I see him as a caged Tiger, no matter what he does he is still behind bars.
If you have any inklings do share.
Chen could try to change the constitution, this is a very dangerous move because it might involve changing Taiwan name, sovereignty and flag. There are a lot of talk in the DPP and Pan green that 2008 would be best time to acheive indenpendent, because of the Olympic.
The another thing Chen could do is to hold a referendum of independent.
I can't find a link in english. I read most of these in the Liberty time which is the biggest Pan green newspaper.
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Bombs are bombs and no doubt Taiwan has the technology to build them. Can Chen get them funded though as the LY probably needs to give its consent and Pan Blue now have a majority.
Domestic missiles are not such a worry, it is foriegn ones with all the indications of support that this supply implies.
Well, I doubt few hundred cruise missiles are much of threat, but Taiwan is trying to develop the longer range cruise missiles so they could hit shanghai and HK. Chen will not have problem to contain the funds, Pan-blue will not stop everything in the defense. This will make them look bad, and I think Chen can allocate the funds necessary for the project from annul defence budget.
FuManChu said:
As I said, why is it necessary to be able to fire the missiles in minutes? It isn't.
Why, because other countries have the ability to do it. China needs to have the missiles ready in time of conflict. You don't want the enemies to hit you first. Even other countries fire their missiles first, you could still retaliate quickly.
Taiwan wants to talk to China, but Beijing insists that everyone agrees to its position first. China should be the one to be more flexible, not Taiwan.
China have already become very flexible. If Taiwan have the intention of talk, Beijing is willing to set awy the position first. The three links are good example, china is saying that the business groups could led the talk first.
You'll have to excuse me, but I think that's bull. The missile build-up is a result of too many generals and politicians thinking with their dicks and not their brains. Pointing missiles at Taiwan makes the people there more angry towards the mainland. So perhaps they're scared now - that's not good. Scared people can react in unpredictable ways. Perhaps in the near future they might decide that now's the time to get their independence, before China has even more missiles.
Well, who know. Maybe the other way around too. The missiles might have prevent the Pan-green to use their brain instead of their dick. So they wouldn't do anything suicidal.
If China wants Taiwan back, Beijing is going to have to take the stick from out of its arse and actually talk to whoever the elected leader in Taiwan is. Chinese politicians shake hands with people like Robert Mugabe, so it's a bit rich for them to complain about someone that is far more tame by comparison.
China might have different opinion about Robert Mugabe than you have, but I do agree China need to talk to Taiwan. But I doubt Chen is a man that can be trust, he do not have a good reputation,
A gesture of friendship is a gesture of friendship. I don't buy macho crap about appearing "weak". It would be so easy to have another chat with Ma and then announce a "friendship movement" or whatever and reduce the number of missiles. The Blues and Beijing would get all the credit and the Greens would lose out. End of story.
I already said it is possible for China to reduce the missiles, but there should be some movement from both sides. So it will look as gesture of friendship not weakness. If Ma come to China, and show he is willing to talk. That could be a possibility but will Ma come to China before 2008.
