Visiting US representative warns of dependence on China - The China Post
Visiting US representative warns of dependence on China
By Joseph Yeh--A visiting United States congresswoman yesterday expressed concern over Taiwan's over-reliance on China economically, saying the dependence may come at the expense of Taiwanese interests.
I believe the relations between Taiwan and China are for the Taiwanese to decide, said Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the chairwoman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, in Taipei.
Ros-Lehtinen however said she was worried that if Taiwan continues to economically engage with the mainland, the island could be forced to sacrifice a lot in order to maintain such relations.
The chairwoman said that Beijing is increasingly using military intimidation against Taiwan, and that the communist country has repeatedly ignored the rule of law, democracy and separation of powers, as well as censored the Internet.
These democratic values, however, are shared by Taiwan and the U.S., she added.
With increasingly closer economic engagements between the two side of the Strait, the U.S. politician warned that Taiwan may run the risk of sacrificing these principles that have set you apart from many neighboring countries in Asia just in the name of economic gain.