Thursday 30 November 2023

Taiwan: Do NOT press for “independence” — the status quo is fine!


"Independence": That was the real trigger in 2020, for Beijing to step in to Hong Kong with the National Security Law (NSL). 

After hotheads, mostly from the so-called "pan Dems", called for Hong Kong independence. We knew at the time that that was crossing a clear Red Line. But they didn't listen. Yet the pre-NSL status quo for Hong Kong would have been just fine. We had all our freedoms. Now, rather less….

Instead we now have the Chinese University of HK being upbraided for not adhering strongly enough to the NSL, and declaring itself "grateful" for the criticism. Sigh… 

Taiwan parties, and the U.S. must listen to what Beijing says. The status quo on Taiwan is fine for all parties. Stick to it.

Beijing is deadly serious. NO independence. Not even any calls for independence. No, non, nyet, 不要!

We should have listened to Putin, and his repeated, extremely clear, calls to stop the eastward expansion of NATO. Putin had designs of Ukraine anyway, part of his Soviet revanchism, but the U.S. push on NATO sure was a trigger.

So: DPP, listen to Beijing and be serious. NO calls for independence!