Dear American Citizens,

Recently, U.S. President Bill Clinton visited China for nine days, and announced the three "No" policies. These three "No's" were: The U.S. will not support Taiwan's participation in the International Trading Organization; the U.S. will stop selling weapons to Taiwan; and the U.S. will not intervene in the case of an attack on Taiwan initiated by China. These policies made the entire Taiwanese population angry and anxious. Later on, U.S. senators took a vote, the result of which was ninety-two to zero. This means that a hundred percent of the U.S. senators supported Taiwan and wanted to ensure the continuation of the relationship according to the US -Taiwan Trading Policy, Bill 107 which was signed about ten years ago.

Even though millions of Taiwanese people have immigrated to America from Taiwan, Taiwan is still our homeland. This relationship is like that between mother and child, and nothing can cut the umbilical cord. As Taiwanese people, we have to shout our opinion and persuade our listeners that the U.S. President and the U.S. government should deal more carefully with the Taiwan-China relationship problem.

Taiwan is a free and independent country. Taiwanese people have human rights policies and freedoms in speech, religion, action, thought and lifestyle. Our political and social situations are totally different from those of China. Taiwan has four hundred years of history independent of China. This long history includes fifty years of colonization by Holland, another fifty years by Japan, and a final fifty years by Chiang Kai-Shek of the Nationalist Party (Kuo-Ming Tang). The last emperor of the Ching Dynasty has only made two pleasure-related visits to Taiwan, and China has never governed Taiwan. Hence, Taiwan does not belong to China.

For about twenty years, since Taiwan's pressured withdrawal from the United Nations and the severance of US-Taiwan relationships, the Taiwanese people worked very hard to become wealthy and to develop its economy. Now, Taiwan ranks in the top six in the amount of products it exports to the United States, and in the top nineteen in its world trading ability. This is why people easily notice that many products in the U.S. are made in Taiwan.

In the last ten years, the economic situation in Taiwan has changed. China's cheap labor cost, which is twenty times less than the average in Taiwan, has attracted a majority of famous Taiwanese companies. Large enterprises such as "Taiwan Plastic Products" have already begun to invest their businesses in China. Due to Taiwan's wealth in resources and economy, China would love to add Taiwan to its territory. Because of Taiwan's help, China has become very rich in recent years.

Ever since China opened its business to other countries, the US-China relationship has been established and strengthened through business. Because China has 13 billion people, it possesses a very large consumer market. The United States can easily earn money from China. Kentucky Fried Chicken and McDonald's fast food chains did very well in China because of its relative newness to that country. For a long time, the U.S. used to trade with Taiwan, but now it has shifted its business interests to China. Because the population in Taiwan is only 2.15 million, it will surely lose its market to China. Using this point to their advantage, China has successfully pressured many countries to stop their business relationships with Taiwan.

Since 1911, Taiwan has been governed successively by Chiang Kai-Sheck, his son, Chiang Ching-Kuo, and the first Taiwanese-born president, Mr. Lee. China and Taiwan have functioned separately for 87 years Taiwan is an independent country, and has complete control over its own government. Nevertheless, China has always imagined Taiwan as part of its own territory. This is the only basis for China's motive of uniting Taiwan to itself. They have always declared that they will use weapons and missiles to threaten the Taiwanese people. Two years ago, during the first Taiwanese president campaign, China shot several missiles to Taiwan as an attempt to threaten the Taiwanese people. During that time, U.S. sent two army ships to Taiwan and the waters around it to protect Taiwan. Last year, Hong Kong returned to China; China wishes to take Taiwan in the same manner. If Taiwan resists, China threatens to block Taiwan's membership and participation in the Olympic Sports Organization. China has often used the media to declare itself against any country that wishes to establish a relationship with Taiwan. Nowadays, Taiwan is almost like a poor orphan in the world.

Recently, the economy in Eastern and Southern Asia, especially in Japan, is very bad, and there is hardly any recovery from its recession. Despite the general recession experienced by these countries, Taiwan remains the exception. This is proof that Taiwan is a good, strong country to establish trading relationships with. Aside from its human rights problems, China has no economic freedom; therefore businesses invested there will be controlled by its Communist government.

I am Taiwanese and wish to think about the threat about China poses to Taiwan. I want to protect my homeland, with its privileges and assets. I believe that U.S. should continue its business relationship with Taiwan, and be more aware of the threat posed to Taiwan as a result. I hope that the United States. will not betray Taiwan. The fortunes of Taiwan should be decided by its own people according to basic human rights. I believe that China should not exert any more pressure on Taiwan. Taiwan needs America's support, friendship and protection, as it has received on the week of Taiwan's first presidential campaign. The new policies proposed by President Clinton are damaging to all of this. Furthermore, the United States should prevent China from attacking Taiwan, thereby maintaining peace in the Eastern Asia area and consequently, in the whole world.