Kiribati, a small democratic archipelago, is playing a game that has never been successful. It has opened up diplomatic relations with Taiwan while saying that it will seek to maintain relations with China. I applaud their effort, though one can be sure that the authoritarian beasts in Beijing will not see that Kiribati has an enlightened president and enlightened diplomacy in the issue of the Taiwan Straits. As for Taiwan, it is better to have democratic friends like Kiribati rather than warmongering monsters like Charles Taylor and Liberia. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2003-11/08/content_1167223.htm http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2003-11/07/content_1167201.htm http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s984911.htm http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20031107/wl_asia_afp/kiribati_taiwan_031107081739
It is a small, DEMOCRATIC country in the Pacific Ocean. It is VERY important to China as it has one of it's space tracking stations. It is a highly secretative installation, an issue that was used successfully in Kiribari's recent presidential election.
Oh, I see. Good for them. They will take money from anyone. Taiwan must be too desperate for some romantic relationship with some countries that you couldn't find in the map with a magnifying glass. Poor Taiwanese!
LOL!!! Actually, China is one of its biggest donors, and even then the DEMOCRATICALLY elected government of Kiribati wants to have relations with Democratic Taiwan. This should send you a message. BTW, have fun finding another country to host your super-secret space tracking station. Don't forget, if relations fall apart between China and Kiribati, it will be China who breaks them off, NOT Kiribati. Also, there are no reports of any aid, but if there is some, I have no problem with it because it will actually help the people of that country.
verybdog> If Kiribati isn't important to CHina, then why are they so POed about it? http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...108/wl_afp/china_taiwan_kiribati_031108020402 THe Kiribati government isn't favoring Taiwan over China. They are simply recognizing the fact that there is a state called China and there is a state that is Taiwan, currently named the R.O.C.
I don't know why, but I got this image... The Debate Candidate #1: I want to be president! Vote for me and I promise a coconut in every pot, and a goat in every home! Candidate #2: Coconuts? Who here is just sick of coconuts? Coconut pie, coconut soap, coconut beer...coconuts COCONUTS! I will bring jobs. I will get the Chinese to help develop some technology for our people. We will become more advanced and educated. No more working at McCoconuts for our children!
I will hijack this thread now. Since this thread is somehow related to the chinese space program, i'll post a pic of our latest launch from jiuquan.
Come back when TW establishes diplomatic relations with a country you can actually find on a map or a country with their GDP in the top 160. Damn your desperate.
China is pretty ticked off about this. Why? China gave Kiribati a LOT OF MONEY for the rights to build their Pacific tracking station. Where are you going to build a new one? After all, all of the money you paid Nauru (Kiribati's neighbor and far smaller) only lasted one year. Considering that China's good friends are countries like North Korea, Myanmar, and Pakistan, I would MUCH prefer to have a tiny democracy like Kiribati as my friend. Nothing angers Beijing more than free people expressing support for another free people. Besides, I am sure the beaches of Kiribati are far superior to those of North Korea, Pakistan, and Myanmar.
Well apparently TW is willing to give more money to Kiribati than china to buy an ally after they lost Taylor. If you seriously believe there was no quid pro quo, you truly are naive. A-bian and Taylor seemed to get along pretty well didn't they. All the Human rights rhetoric goes out the window as long as they recognise Taiwan. Their Hypocracy is truly pathetic. A month ago the likes of you would have said the war torn beaches of Liberia were better than the beaches of Kiribati. The facts are that only 27 states recognise Taiwan, some democratic, some not. All are poor and couldn't be found on a map.
Until mainland China can hold a free and fair election with multiple parties, then we can talk about your claims. Wait, most Taiwanese aren't even Chinese. Why bother?
Only because the government that exists there now has so convinced the people that Taiwan belongs to them when it actually doesn't. If anyone actually tried telling them the truth, they would be thrown in jail by the government. And as for GDP figures with Taiwan's allies, 11 of them have per capita GDP figures higher than China's (even when adjusting for Purchasing Power Parity). Not using that dubious formula, the number would be even higher. Of Taiwan's 27 allies, 24 are full fledged democracies, one is a kingdom with an elected legislature, one is in transition to democracy following years of civil war, and one is a small European state known as the Vatican.
Like comrade Yao Ming says. If you have a small cup to begin with, even if the cup is full, you wouldn't have much water in the cup. However if you have a massive cup, even if the cup is almost empty you would still have a lot of water and a lot more room to put in more water. In other words who cares if 11 of them have GDP per capita higher than China, China will be the third largest economy in the world in a number of years.
And will also be at or near the top in executions, religious persecution, and illegally occupied territory (the latter can only be stopped by the United States and other freedom loving countries of the world.)
How the Chinese govern, 1) Kill indigenous population. 2) Bring in Chinese to replace the dead. 3) Continue cycle until Chinese are in commanding position.
the truth is, nearly every country of any worth is an empire. the US is an empire; it took land from the indians and the mexicans. The entire damn country is on "illegally occupied land". So enough of this "illegal" BS, who made up the "law", you? You can bitch about the executions but China is a safer place to live than America. Religious persecution? Yeah against some dumbass cult.
Is that what you think of Falungong? It only shows your ignorance of it. How about all of the Chinese Christians who are in prison and have died at the hands of Chinese torturers and prison masters? As for the U.S. being on illegally occupied land, you obviously have little understanding of international law and the customs that the Amerinds had concerning land possession. The U.S. didn't take any land from Indians, they were ceded it from other Europeans who had legally appropriated the land in accordance with international law of the time. However, China has no legal claim to Taiwan because under modern international law, a TREATY is required to transfer territory from one state to another. China is signatory to no treaty regarding the legal status of Taiwan since the Manchu government signed it away in 1895.
Kiribati explains decision to establish relations with Taiwan http://www.abc.net.au/ra/newstories/RANewsStories_986137.htm The small Pacific nation of Kiribati has angered the Government of China by entering into diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Kiribati's Deputy Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Retete Nikuata, has confirmed that Kiribati has changed its allegiance from China and has established diplomatic relations with Taiwan. A joint communique to that effect was signed on Friday. The government of Anote Tong says as a sovereign nation it is not obliged to commit to "a one china policy" and is free to establish diplomatic relations with whom ever it chooses. Mrs Nikuata says the relationship with Taiwan has greater long term potential for economic, and social development. Kiribati will honour current contractual agreements with China, including the sensitive issue of the satellite ground station and is happy for its embassy to remain in Tarawa. Our reporter, Geraldine Coutts, says a charge de affair will assume responsibility until Taiwan appoints a permanent ambassador to Kiribati.
Re: Re: Kiribati explains decision to establish relations with Taiwan I also believe in One China, One China and One Taiwan. Taiwan is not a part of China. You have never provided the justification for Taiwan to be a part of the PRC!
Re: Re: Re: Kiribati explains decision to establish relations with Taiwan Just because one side of the Taiwan strait has given up on reclaiming the other, don't expect the other to recipricate. The civil war is not over yet, you biyatches.