閱讀識字 English Reading Made Easy

I applaud John R. Bolton for advocating full diplomatic recognition of Taiwan.

Taiwan has long satisfied all the criteria for statehood, according to the 1933 Montevideo Convention to which the United States is a signatory. Ma Ying-jeou, the president-elect of Taiwan, would be supremely suited to first proclaim Taiwan's wish to be so recognized. Ma and his Nationalist Party have for decades professed to desire Taiwan's "ultimate reunification" with China.

Only when Ma publicly supports an independent Taiwan will all the people of Taiwan go along. Recall the 1972 U.S. rapprochement with China: It took dyed-in-the-wool communist basher President Nixon to accomplish the feat.

President Bush hailed Ma's election as a "fresh opportunity" for Taiwan and China to engage each other. Indeed, it is also a fresh opportunity for Bush to re-engage Taiwan by formally recognizing that truly free and democratic island nation.

Bob I. Yang

Overland Park, Kan.

Bravo to Bolton for proposing a sensible alternative to the United States' current policy toward Taiwan. It is time we recognize that Taiwan is a de-facto independent state and start treating it as such. It has always struck me as hypocritical that the United States spends billions of dollars promoting democracy abroad, yet continues to chastise Taiwan, one of the few stable democracies in Asia, for holding peaceful referendums and daring to seek membership in the United Nations.

Catherine Chou

Northridge