# 87 Cinderella not invited to the ball.
Once again it looks like Prince George will favor the evil stepsister, Communist China, over Free China (Taiwan).
The reds got an invitation to the inaugural ball, but Taiwan was jilted again.
Bush's relationship with the commies has gotten so cozy we don't even let Taiwan beat up on our 12 years olds in the Little League World Series anymore.
http://www.cnsnews.com//ViewForeignBureaus.asp?Page=\ForeignBureaus\archive\200501\FOR20050119a.html
China, Taiwan Bicker Over Invitation to Bush Inauguration
By Patrick Goodenough
CNSNews.com
International Editor
January 19, 2005
Pacific Rim Bureau
(CNSNews.com) - The longstanding dispute between China and Taiwan has spilled over into plans for President Bush's inauguration, with Beijing insisting that Taiwan -- the island it considers a rebel province -- has not been invited to send official representatives to Thursday's event.
Taiwan has sent a delegation to attend the ceremony, headed by a Nobel laureate and top academic, Lee Yuan-tseh, and including senior figures such as Joseph Wu, chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council, the body dealing with Taiwan's relations with mainland China. But in Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Kong Quan questioned the Taiwanese envoys' status.
After the Chinese government had "expressed its concern" to Washington, he said, it had been assured that the Americans "have not invited and do not recognize the so-called special envoy delegation from Taiwan."
But Kong stressed that China's ambassador to Washington, Yang Jiechi, had been invited to attend.
In turn, Kong's counterpart in Taipei, Michael Lu, urged China to "change its narrow-minded way of thinking and drop its irrational rhetoric."
China's communist authorities consistently work to deny Taiwan diplomatic recognition. Most foreign governments comply with Beijing's demands that the self-governing island not be allowed to participate in international community and that its leaders be isolated.
The U.S. stance is more ambiguous: Washington has full diplomatic ties with Beijing and only quasi-official ties with Taiwan, but is also committed by law to help the island defend itself against outside aggression.
The Bush administration has offered Taiwan its largest weapons purchase deal ever, while at the same time chastising President Chen Shui-bian for his leanings towards independence. Taiwan has strong support in the U.S. Congress, where some lawmakers have been critical of the administration for not being more supportive of democratic Taiwan.
Historically strained relations between China and Taiwan worsened following Chen's 2000 election.The president, who won re-election last March, wants to redraw the island's constitution and put it to a referendum before his second term ends in 2008 -- a plan that has infuriated Beijing.
In another recent development, China's legislature is preparing to pass an anti-secession law designed to counter any future move by Taiwan to declare formal independence. Taiwan says the law would legalize the use of force against the island.
Even a bit of relatively good news -- an unprecedented agreement by the two sides to allow direct charter flights across the Taiwan Strait over the upcoming Chinese New Year period -- has done little to ease the continuing tensions.
The reds got an invitation to the inaugural ball, but Taiwan was jilted again.
Bush's relationship with the commies has gotten so cozy we don't even let Taiwan beat up on our 12 years olds in the Little League World Series anymore.
http://www.cnsnews.com//ViewForeignBureaus.asp?Page=\ForeignBureaus\archive\200501\FOR20050119a.html
China, Taiwan Bicker Over Invitation to Bush Inauguration
By Patrick Goodenough
CNSNews.com
International Editor
January 19, 2005
Pacific Rim Bureau
(CNSNews.com) - The longstanding dispute between China and Taiwan has spilled over into plans for President Bush's inauguration, with Beijing insisting that Taiwan -- the island it considers a rebel province -- has not been invited to send official representatives to Thursday's event.
Taiwan has sent a delegation to attend the ceremony, headed by a Nobel laureate and top academic, Lee Yuan-tseh, and including senior figures such as Joseph Wu, chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council, the body dealing with Taiwan's relations with mainland China. But in Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Kong Quan questioned the Taiwanese envoys' status.
After the Chinese government had "expressed its concern" to Washington, he said, it had been assured that the Americans "have not invited and do not recognize the so-called special envoy delegation from Taiwan."
But Kong stressed that China's ambassador to Washington, Yang Jiechi, had been invited to attend.
In turn, Kong's counterpart in Taipei, Michael Lu, urged China to "change its narrow-minded way of thinking and drop its irrational rhetoric."
China's communist authorities consistently work to deny Taiwan diplomatic recognition. Most foreign governments comply with Beijing's demands that the self-governing island not be allowed to participate in international community and that its leaders be isolated.
The U.S. stance is more ambiguous: Washington has full diplomatic ties with Beijing and only quasi-official ties with Taiwan, but is also committed by law to help the island defend itself against outside aggression.
The Bush administration has offered Taiwan its largest weapons purchase deal ever, while at the same time chastising President Chen Shui-bian for his leanings towards independence. Taiwan has strong support in the U.S. Congress, where some lawmakers have been critical of the administration for not being more supportive of democratic Taiwan.
Historically strained relations between China and Taiwan worsened following Chen's 2000 election.The president, who won re-election last March, wants to redraw the island's constitution and put it to a referendum before his second term ends in 2008 -- a plan that has infuriated Beijing.
In another recent development, China's legislature is preparing to pass an anti-secession law designed to counter any future move by Taiwan to declare formal independence. Taiwan says the law would legalize the use of force against the island.
Even a bit of relatively good news -- an unprecedented agreement by the two sides to allow direct charter flights across the Taiwan Strait over the upcoming Chinese New Year period -- has done little to ease the continuing tensions.
posted by T.G. at 2:32 PM
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