U.S. Warns China On Taiwan

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States, drawing its own line in the latest crisis in East Asia, warned China Thursday it would not tolerate a violent solution to the future of Taiwan.

``We would determine and consider any effort to determine the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means as a threat to the peace and security of the Western Pacific area and of grave concern to the United States. That's about as strong a statement as one can make,'' State Department spokesman James Rubin said.

``We obviously -- and let me repeat if it's not obvious -- strongly oppose any attempt to resolve this problem in any other way other than through peaceful means and through dialogue,'' Rubin told a news briefing.

``And as far as what response we would make, that is as far as we have ever gone, and I don't intend to change that,'' he added.

Rubin spoke after China dusted off its threat to retake Taiwan by force if it moved toward independence and raised the ante by announcing that it had developed the technology to make neutron bombs.

The State Department and private analysts said the fact that Beijing had this capability has been known for some time. Although several analysts saw Beijing's public statements about the neutron bomb in the midst of the current controversy as a pointed message to Taipei, Rubin said he saw no connection.

-- Rickjohn (rickjohn1@yahoo.com), July 15, 1999

Answers

So much empty rhetoric....the chinese have got bubba in their hip pocket and they know it. This guy's been bought more times than a $10 streetwalker.

-- Wail'in J. (wailin@barf.org), July 15, 1999.

Half serious here.

What about starting a "War Pool"?

Which war will break out first?

A)China-Tiawan

B)India-Pakistan

C)Russia-US

D)Yugo.-anybody/everybody

Any takers?

-- CygnusXI (noburnt@toast.net), July 15, 1999.


cygnus,

I throw a couple more in the mix....

North Korea vs. South Korea/Japan/U.S

Greece/Iran/Saudi Arabia vs. Turkey

Iraq vs. pick



-- STFrancis (STFrancis@heaven.com), July 15, 1999.


Hmmmmm....James Rubin sees 'no connection' between Taiwan's political stance and China's announcement that they have the capability for the neutron bomb....

No connection? No connection. Huh. Has his power gone out already? I'd say he has 'disconnected'.

Unbelieveable.

-- Wilferd (WilferdW@aol.com), July 15, 1999.


Don't forget Iran is a powder keg waiting to go off!

Rock the Casbah!!

-- Johnny (JLJTM@BELLSOUTH.NET), July 15, 1999.



My money is on a large terrorist event that will be nearly impossible to determine which country ordered, did, supported...

In the old days of international games, the point was to confuse the victim as to where the strike came from, inviting a counterstrike against a third part - sharing the blame for all war activities.

-- Living in (the@real.world), July 15, 1999.


My money's on Israel vs ?.

Could be Syria, Egypt, Iran, Russia, Lebanon, Iraq, or any one of another half dozen countries. Barak's going to make a land-for-peace deal, and someone's going to try to wipe Israel off the map. It won't work though. These folks really should read their Bibles.

Dave

-- Dave (hiltyd@iol17.com), July 15, 1999.


Korea's got my vote. Was there in March and could cut the tension with a knife. Next time I go back (in a few months) I'll have to have the Anthrax vaccines. Things are deathly serious there folks.

-- Rick (rsarge@aol.com), July 15, 1999.

>>Hmmmmm....James Rubin sees 'no connection' between Taiwan's political stance and China's announcement that they have the capability for the neutron bomb....

No connection? No connection. Huh. Has his power gone out already? I'd say he has 'disconnected'. <<

Nope. He's just a spokesman for the State Department. That's where the diplomats hang out. Rubin's disconnect was just a bit of diplomatic "convenient blindness" in order not to escalate matters further or faster than necessary. Sometimes in order to be diplomatic you must appear clueless, even when all parties know you aren't. It's SOP.

-- Brian McLaughlin (brianm@ims.com), July 15, 1999.


My 25 + years of military experience tell me all bets are off and anything goes.

-- Mr.Mike (mikeabn@aol.com), July 15, 1999.


Mr. Mike,

If we only had a man in the white House. Say, Ronald Reagan? Just a thought.

-- my hero is R Reagan...... (midwestmike_@hotmail.com), July 15, 1999.


CygnusXI I would put my money on North and South Korea.

-- SgtSchultz (SgtHansSchultz@stalag13.com), July 15, 1999.

Personally, I'd prefer Jeff Davis in the White House.

-- cody varian (cody@y2ksurvive.com), July 15, 1999.

Greece/Iran/Saudi Arabia vs. Turkey?

Isn't Turkey a NATO nation? That would mean that we'd be in there too. But, don't we have troops stationed in Saudi Arabia?

I think China has a lot of plans for later this year.

Suppose my vote is for North and South Korea. Those North Koreans are very hungry.

Mike

=================================================================

-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), July 15, 1999.


Foggy Bottom has gotten MUCH foggier since Billl started "fixing" it a few years ago. These are the SAME people who didn't "Get It" when Russian premier TURNED HIS PLANE AROUND when he NEEDED to come here and talk money. NOT A CLUE as to how severe the distress was nor the message they were TRYING to send. NO WONDER we're the laughingstocks in the Diplomatic circle parties.

Not to mention Dick Celeste as ambasador to a country larger than the population of Death Valley.

Chuck

-- Chuck, a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), July 16, 1999.



FWIW, I'm unwilling to bet AGAINST any one of those wars starting by this time next year, except for the Russia vs Usa one, in which case all bets would off anyhow.

-- number six (Iam_not_a_number@hotmail.com), July 16, 1999.

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