China and Taiwan

Re Tom Plate’s June 30 commentary: It is important when discussing the issue of Taiwan that we recognize the difference between the Nationalist Chinese, who fled to Taiwan after the Communists came to power in China, and the Taiwanese people. The Taiwanese people have never considered themselves the “smaller China,” the “other China” or one of the “two Chinas” and have been in constant pursuit of freedom and self-determination. The Nationalist Chinese want to reunify Taiwan with China; the Taiwanese people seek independence.

Plate goes on to say that Taiwan should pick its battles and focus on the economic threat that the Japanese pose. The threat to Taiwan’s security is not economic but political, as witnessed by China’s push to block Taiwan’s admission to the U.N., its continuing pressure to deny international recognition of Taiwan and its “missile exercises” during Taiwan’s first presidential election. The most pressing problem facing Taiwan is not the Japanese yen; it is the Chinese missile.

RAYMOND JENG

Monterey Park

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After my disgust at witnessing President Clinton turn back 50 million Chinese in Taiwan to the murderers of Tiananmen Square I realized, so this is what those campaign contributions bought: Our president, leader of the country formerly known as the world’s greatest and only remaining superpower, bowing, scraping and generally kowtowing to people who murder their own citizens, who force abortions on unwilling mothers, who harvest the organs of prisoners and who jail anybody who speaks out against them. (I know I left some stuff out.)

Our nation, our principles, our nation’s whole tradition of right and wrong sold for a few measly dollars into this or that political fund, for additional profits from the sale of missiles that will some day kill Americans. Shameful is a word that occurred to me, but the man has demonstrated long ago that he is incapable of such acknowledgment of any conscience.

MIKE MacINTYRE

Los Angeles