Taiwan

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- When Beijing announced the route the Olympic flame will travel from Greece to China ahead of the 2008 Summer Games, officials dubbed the 85,000-mile odyssey a "journey of harmony." But for Taiwan, an island that has ruled itself for almost 60 years but which Beijing claims as a renegade province, the trip may underscore a legacy of distrust and tension between the rival governments. Ever since Beijing announced the route in April, declaring that the torch would travel from Vietnam to Taipei, Taiwan's capital, and then to Chinese-controlled Hong Kong, Taipei and Beijing have traded rhetorical blows.

BEIJING -- China is calling it the "journey of harmony." But the Olympic torch relay that is to precede the 2008 Beijing Summer Games and showcase China's peaceful rise in world standing ran into discord as soon as the route was announced yesterday. The path of the flame and its characterization by China drew the immediate wrath of Taiwan, where Chinese Nationalists fled in 1949 after a lengthy civil war. "China has designated the Taiwan leg of the Olympic flame relay as a `domestic route,' thereby creating the misimpression that Taiwan is a region under China's jurisdiction," according to a statement released late yesterday by Taiwan's Olympic Committee.

IRVINE, Calif. -- China recently shot down an aging Chinese weather satellite - a signal that China will not abide by the doctrine of U.S. space superiority outlined in the new National Space Policy released in October by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The policy states that "freedom of action in space is as important to the United States as air power and sea power." Further, it declares that the United States reserves the right to "deny such freedom of action to adversaries."

ATLANTA -- The gigantic whale sharks glide through their 6 million-gallon pool with the grace of superstars. As the largest fish in the ocean, they sail through the vast waters with a uniqueness bestowed by nature. But at the Georgia Aquarium, the whale sharks seemingly dance to a routine of swimming laps, apparently oblivious to the thousands of people who peer from an acrylic tunnel waiting to get a glimpse of them. The Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta is the largest indoor aquarium in the world, with more than 8 million gallons of water and more than 100,000 aquatic animals.

BEIJING --China and a number of African nations agreed yesterday on 16 trade and investment deals valued at $1.9 billion, as Beijing extended its efforts to create a broad economic and diplomatic partnership with Africa, a resource-rich continent. President Hu Jintao also pledged to extend $5 billion in loans and credits to Africa, to forgive past debts and double foreign aid to the continent. In a declaration read at the end of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, China and 48 African nations pledged a partnership based on "political equality and mutual trust, economic win-win cooperation and cultural exchanges."

TAIPEI, Taiwan --Facing an attempt in the Legislature to pass a referendum on recalling the president, the Taiwanese government unexpectedly announced yesterday that it had reached a deal with Beijing to allow many charter flights to and from mainland China. The agreement is the most recent of several signs that relations between Taipei and Beijing might be thawing, a change that has occurred as a political crisis surrounding the president, Chen Shui-bian, has deepened. Chen is known for opposing closer ties to the mainland, which considers Taiwan a breakaway province.

Each year for nearly a decade, rejection of Taiwan's application to participate in the World Health Assembly has been treated as an annual ritual. This year, the international community should review the issue more thoroughly. The World Health Organization was established with lofty ideals. Like the International Committee of the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders, it should transcend national borders and political conflicts to offer assistance to all those who are suffering from illness and promote health for all of humankind.

Taiwan no threat to region's stability In their otherwise excellent overview of U.S.-China relations, Jeffrey A. Bader and Richard C. Bush characterize Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian as untrustworthy and unhelpful to maintaining the status quo ("Confronting the China challenge," Opinion Commentary, April 20). Quite to the contrary, President Chen is committed to maintaining the status quo, and so far has done a remarkable job of helping do so, considering the "China Challenge" my country continues to face.

Sovereignty is core of panda problem It is unfortunate that an article describing the ongoing controversy over the pandas the People's Republic of China (PRC) has offered to Taiwan should so widely miss the crux of a dispute that is part of a complex issue regarding sovereignty ("China using pandas in battle for hearts and minds of Taiwan," March 22). Contrary to what the article suggests, the Taiwanese government does not oppose accepting the pandas because it fears some ridiculous "Trojan panda" scenario.

WOLONG NATURE RESERVE, China -- Taiwan and China quibble about everything from diplomatic slights and hidden meanings to ancient history and obscure definitions. So perhaps it's not surprising that they'd argue over two chubby animals that bite each other's ears and have trouble procreating. China's latest weapon in its increasingly effective charm offensive against Taiwan is an offer of giant pandas. Who would think of turning down two lovable animals that zoos around the world could only dream about?