I don't understand why the mainstream media and most advisors in the State Dept see Taiwan's former president Chen to be provocative but China's missiles not provocative.

Did China remove the missiles aimed at Taiwan after President Ma took office and actively pursue cross-strait co-operations?

Why did the mainstream media and most State Department advisors see TW's former president Chen's policy to be provocative and China's missiles not provocative?

I don't understand how "provocative" is defined when it comes to Taiwan China relations.

I see no reason NOT to denigrate the KMT — the billions stolen from the people of Taiwan and China, the millions killed, the inefficient, lawless, corrupt construction-driven state it erected in taiwan, and the total inability to advance beyond that mode of thinking evinced in the current round of KMT (mis)rule.

You say in reference to the DPP:

"the past 8 years of inflamatory cross-strait relations and the despicable pandering of Mr. Chen"

This is a common error among observers of Taiwan's foreign relations. Chen did not "inflame" China. Rather, the DPP's hard-nosed bargaining in cross-strait relations, and its willingness to continue an independent foreign policy, caused Beijing to paint Chen as "provocative" in an attempt to discredit his pro-sovereignty policies. Many overseas bought into this. "Being provoked" is part of Beijing's policy arsenal, not a visceral reaction. Commentators' claims that Chen "provoked" or "unnecessarily provoked" Beijing simply repeat this propaganda device — all "provocations" are unnecessary in Beijing's eyes, and any move to deepen and broaden Taiwan democracy is a provocation. For its own reasons, the Bush Administration regrettably decided to fall in with this policy.

By contrast, the KMT is currently handing the island over to Beijing, as evidenced by its concessions in the various trade talks (see the cases of gravel shipping and direct flights — just today DPP legislators were asking why the government did not get the fifth freedom of onward flights, something the DPP insisted on).

China is currently deploying this same armory of propaganda claims against India in its attempt to annex Arunachal Pradesh state. However, the world community treats India differently than Taiwan, despite the fact that the situations — Chinese expansionism and colonialism — are exactly the same.

Thus Chen's real problem was not that he was "inflammtory" or "provocative" but that he had the misfortune to be conducting a strongly democratic, anti-expansionist, and pro-sovereignty foreign policy from Taipei, not Tokyo or New Delhi.

Michael Turton

The View from Taiwan blog

The KMT's current chairman, President Ma Ying-jeou, still lays wreaths at the tomb of Chiang Kai-shek — the "main culprit" in the 228 Massacre. Therefore, those "apologies" are meaningless.

Give Chen Shui-bian (A-bian) a fair trial, and I'll accept the verdict. But with judges being changed in mid-trial (right when there's a decision that favors Chen) and with a verdict that doesn't prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt, there's a good reason not to trust the outcome.

If, as Evan says, "The ethnic politics of Taiwan are irrelevant," you have to wonder why President Ma gave special thanks to China for post-Typhoon Morakot donations (which as of September 30 had still not arrived), throwing in a "blood is thicker than water" to top things off. Is the pro-Taiwan side not allowed to respond to such arguments?

Getting back to the main subject: The KMT aren't "Free Chinese," so stop saying that, and consider the plight of the majority of (non-Chinese) Taiwanese. If the KMT wants to make up with the CCP, let them, but the Taiwanese want nothing to do with it.

Tim Maddog,

A Taiwan Matters blogger

If you want to celebrate their special days, MOVE TO THEIR COUNTRY!

James, you've got it on the money – but keep in mind that the KMT publicly apologized for the White Terror and 228 (while in power, no less), while the CCP still refuses to acknowledge that the 30 million victims of the Great Leap Forward, the victims of the Cultural Revolution, etc. were a result of abuses of authority within the party. In the meantime, the DPP faces the shame of Ah-Bian's opportunist excess (he has even filed suit against the US claiming that Taiwan is technically still an American adminstrative zone – some independence activist he turned out to be).

I think that it would be a shame to never forgive the KMT for their trespasses; there are many examples indeed, but in the interest of promoting self-determination the KMT should not be denigrated (and neither should the DPP, in spite of the past 8 years of inflamatory cross-strait relations and the despicable pandering of Mr. Chen). It is unfortunate that Taiwan has been forced into this position, but simply turning one's shoulder to it will give Beijing the rationale it needs to justify attack.

The ethnic politics of Taiwan are irrelevant, because whether Koxinga's descendants are aboriginal or Han or whatever, China lays claim to the island – and the island deserves the freedoms it has. The KMT gradual unification policy is intended to be a pragmatic, "ends before means" approach to defusing a situation which bears all too many similarities to what is visible in Xinjiang, Tibet, Aksayqin and Kashmir, etc. In this case, moderation is key and the term "Free China" and its derivations are intended to encourage the "ignorant American" to educate themselves on the complexities of Taiwan-China-US relations.

Again, Taiwan was almost entirely uninvolved in the Chinese civil war between the Communists (CCP) and the Nationalists (KMT). The political-military-propaganda machine of the Nationalists, whom the US supported, and who you really mean by "free China", after losing to the Communists, promptly killed 30,000 Taiwanese and set up a dictatorship on Taiwan. They gained American monetary and military support for all this because the US was afraid of the Communists, and the KMT kept hyping their "democratic" leanings to the all too receptive US all the while instituting a draconian, corrupt authoritarian state.

You do a disservice great disservice to the principals of democracy, liberty, and self-determination when you use the name "Free China" or "Free Chinese", a name sullied by the heinous acts of the KMT, both in China and in Taiwan. And you also continue to live up the gullibility of the ignorant American when you do so.

Please, get the facts straight.

American Capitalism and Wealth in this great

country, the U.S.A.

Do the right thing and Light it up on Oct.10th for our Democratic Freedom Fighting Chinese brothers & sisters!!!