11 Dec 92
FE/1561 A1/2
specious reasoning. If one country can interfere in another country's internal affairs and violate its sovereignty on the pretext of protecting its own arms business, then what is the use of international law?
Senior French officials had earlier promised China that France would "never join the ranks of those selling arms to Taiwan". They affirmed that it would have "no official ties and contacts with Taiwan" and that it had "no intention of influencing the security of the Taiwan Straits".
In view of this contradictory attitude, how can any country now trust the French government?...
Many people have described the French decision as “trying to save a little only to lose a lot". The French government will surely lose more than it gains if it loses the enormous market of China and creates tension in the bilateral relationship...
The French government's attitude to the sale of fighters to Taiwan does not conform with its status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council. Its determination to serve parochial interests will force it to eat bitter fruit.
(b) Central People's Broadcasting Station Beijing in Standard Chinese 1010 gmt 8 Dec 92
Excerpts from article by Dai Jinyu, “expert trainer" at the National Defence University, “Wishful Thinking by the French Government and Its Wrongful Policy"; from the “Military Life"
programme
Disregarding strong opposition from the Chinese government, Dassault Breguet Aviation of France signed a contract with the Taiwan authorities on the sale of 60 Mirage 2000-5 fighters. This is another serious event created by another big Western country, following the decision by the USA to sell 150 F-16 fighter planes to Taiwan. The sale of the aircraft trampled on the joint communique concerning the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, grossly interfered with China's internal affairs, seriously hurt China's great undertaking for peaceful reunification, and aroused the great indignation of the Chinese people...
What are the reasons behind the French government using economics and trade to interfere in China's internal affairs? A brief analysis will suffice: The French government not only harbours wishful thinking but also is pursuing a wrongful policy...
The French government hated to see the entire Taiwan arms market fall into the hands of the USA and needed to
solve the employment problem and ease the plight of the arms industry. As a result, it disregarded the arms control agreement reached by China, Russia, the United States, Britain, France in July 1991, and adopted an extremely irresponsible attitude towards arms transfers, and - like the USA - went so far as to sell arms to Taiwan in an attempt to give a new lease of life to the recession-ridden arms industry. This was the first piece of wishful thinking entertained by the French government, namely, to secure a piece of the arms market from the USA.
Another example of wishful thinking by the French government is making the US-controlled Asian independent fleet a joint US-French fleet. In the wake of the disintegration of the former Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, short-sighted people in the West have begun to see China in a
self-contradictory way. On the one hand, they believe China's value has decreased, and on the other hand, they believe they cannot ignore China's existence after witnessing its rapid economic development, rich human resources and powerful military might, as well as its strong determination to build socialism with Chinese characteristics. They therefore want to create tension in the Taiwan Strait to hold back China's reunification and development.
Such wishful thinking by the French government comes from its subjective calculations, which are based on its immediate, narrow interests; however, this kind of erroneous, hostile policy towards China is like lifting a rock only to drop it on one's own feet.
First, the French government has lost its credibility, the minimum requirement in international relations...
Second, in doing so, France has abandoned the vast Chinese mainland market... Now that France has broken faith
and provided the Taiwan authorities with the capital to oppose communism and peaceful reunification, it cannot but subject itself to strong reprisals from the Chinese government. Besides, the Taiwan authorities have only limited resources for arms procurement. Once their weaponry reaches the saturation point, Taiwan will lose its appeal as an arms market. At that time, the Chinese mainland market will be taken by other friendly countries. What benefits can the French government draw from this policy?
One last point that needs to be made is the French government has isolated not China, but France. Following in US footsteps, France has viewed China with Western value systems and has used so-called human-rights weapons to put pressure on China in an attempt to isolate it; however, the history of the last four decades and more since the founding of New China has shown that a country that tries to isolate China will end up isolating itself. Some Western countries have come to believe that with the end of the Cold War, China has lost its useful role to counter the Soviet Union and there is no point in playing the China card. Following in US footsteps, they begin to accuse China of trampling democracy and human rights and proliferating nuclear weapons; however, when people truly recognize the true colours of their so-called human rights and democracy and when people see their unbridled arms sales, they will be the ones who are condemned...
[4]
Chinese academic criticizes Clinton's remarks on possible role in Hong Kong (Excerpts) In response to US President Clinton's indication that he would like to play a role in coordinating Sino-British relations over the Hong Kong issue, Prof Huang Xuehai, an analyst of international politics, pointed out that this was an erroneous remark that violated diplomatic norms. Fortunately, Clinton has not officially taken office and remains president-elect. According to the US Constitution, his remarks are not required to be kept within any boundaries. Otherwise, this might have damaged the new relationship between China and the USA...
No country or politician is in a position to play a role in coordinating Hong Kong affairs. Hong Kong's future political, legal and social structure has been clearly specified by the Basic Law. The Sino-British Joint Declaration proclaimed to