US and China have a lot of mutual understanding on the Taiwan
question, a leading US security expert said yesterday.
"It's very clear that the words of Taiwan leaders on referendum
in the UN do not represent the policy of the US," said Anthony H.
Cordesman, who holds the Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy at the
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
Diplomacy has a major role to play in the matter, he said, which
means China and the US should cooperate to avoid a conflict. They
should enhance mutual understanding to resolve the Taiwan question
peacefully.
The former director in the Office of the Secretary of Defense
corroborates Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Thomas J.
Christensen, who said on Friday that the US has warned that the
content of the referendum is "ill-conceived and potentially quite
harmful."
Energy war
On the so-called energy war, Cordesman said "nobody (has) won
but anybody could lose" so nations have far more to gain by
cooperating on researching substitutes for oil as fuel. People
should not focus on China's rising demand for energy while looking
at Asia because "about 70% of the increase in Asian demand comes
from countries other than China."
He urged all developed economies to stop trading their carbon
emission quotas with developing countries because "it doesn't make
any sense" in the fight against global warming.
The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games will make China a more popular
destination, Cordesman said. "The US and China and other countries
have begun discussing the best way to deal with the security issue
during the Olympics. There should be a great deal of intelligence
sharing," he said.
Cordesman has given a series speeches in 11 universities and
participated in some academic exchanges on visits to China.
(China Daily September 18, 2007)
