France Supports Law Allowing China to Attack Taiwan

Post-9/11 Era Forum

DW-WORLD.DE — During a state visit to China, French Premier Raffarin threw support behind a law allowing China to attack Taiwan and continued to push for a lift of the EU arms embargo.

At the outset of a three-day visit to China, French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin said he supported Beijing's "anti-secession" law on Taiwan, and vowed to keep pushing for an end to an EU arms embargo that could open the door for Paris to sell weapons to the Asian giant.

Raffarin also signed or finalized major business deals with Beijing valued at around $3.2 billion (2.4 billion euros).

Appearing to put his government at odds with the European Union, Raffarin said at the outset of the three day visit that Paris had no objections to the anti-secession law.

"The anti-secession law is completely compatible with the position of France," he said in a joint press conference with his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao

What's Beijing's "anti-secession" law on Taiwan?

China has paid a price abroad for enacting its controversial anti-secession law, spoiling a strategy for relations with Taiwan, undercutting a drive to end Europe's arms embargo and reinforcing unease over the growth in Chinese military power.

Although the law did little more than codify long-standing policy, Taiwan and countries around the world have focused on the vow to use "non-peaceful means" to prevent Taiwanese independence. In the 10 days since the legislation passed, this focus has emphasized the image of a China willing to risk war across the Taiwan Strait, frustrating Chinese diplomatic efforts to depict the nation's rise as non-threatening.

Maintaining smooth relations with the United States has become a pillar of China's diplomacy. But the anti-secession law, by feeding the fears of those in Washington who see China as a military adversary, seemed to push relations in the opposite direction.

The threat of force undermined a similar campaign to portray China in neighboring Asian countries as a reliable neighbor whose peaceful rise is not to be feared. This effort, underway for several years, has gained wide acceptance, particularly in Southeast Asia, as China's booming economy and expanding trade give it greater influence in the region.

The image of a peacefully growing nation also was important in China's drive to gain a lifting of Europe's arms embargo. The Beijing government seemed to be on the verge of success despite U.S. opposition. But since the Taiwan law passed March 14, the atmosphere has changed: U.S. arguments have gained new force, and the consensus in Europe for lifting the ban has unraveled.

Big money is at stake concerning these laws, and politics is all about it, be it from the US or from France. French Premier has also an important issue at hand right now, and this is the referendum to be organized in France soon and concerning the ratification of the european constitution. He needed to show that globalization is positive too for Europe and France, by obtaining the signature of that 2.4 billion euros contract. Indeed, according to the latest polls, people are rather unfavorable to the constitution, mainly because of their dissatisfaction with the negative side-effects of globalisation, as corporate relocations in Asia and subsequent jobs losses in France.

Greed is really something since it could influence men to compromise and change attitudes instantly. Allowing China "anti-secession" law on Taiwan is not going to help justify the official French policy of disagreement against US liberation of Iraq.

Iraq is after all about losing French opportunity to generate MONEY in the form of oil contracts by Saddam. It is not about protecting Saddam or even saving the Arab children who Saddam would PAY to become suicide bombers.

Well - probably this has some accents of truth concerning the attitude of cynical politicians - this class of people is the same on both side of the Atlantic ocean.
As for the opposition of people - it is more difficult to account for it through Saddam's oil contracts or primary anti-americanism.