The Ching Empire, otherwise known as the Manchus, incorporated Taiwan into its empire, not the Chinese. China, like Taiwan, Mongolia, and Tibet were all annexed territories and colonies of the Manchus. The only connection that the Chinese and the Taiwanese have is that they were both colonies. So to say that Taiwan belongs to China is only a pretext to invade Taiwan.

Sharon, New York, New York

Business in China have nothing to do with be friend with the communist. It is all about making money.
Under the communist teaching Taiwan was part of China. So one should know Vietnam, Korea, Part of Russia, Part of India, Burma, and Mongolia was once part of China.
1.3 billion Chinese also can vote on having all these countires back into the Great Chinese Empire that once was. Please no more communist teaching. Indepent Judicial System and Democracy is the only future for China.

TG Java, Jarkata,

The U.S will let go of Taiwan for China sooner or later. We can not deny the fact that China will be stronger and stronger until the U.S think that they don't want to cope with China directly and that's the time for uncle Sam to leave Taiwan. Remember that the U.S only acts upon the security and benefit for itself, if Taiwan somedays no loger have these two to offer then U.S will be willing to....trade Taiwan for somethingelse. Treaties don't mean a thing, U.S congress can change it no problem!

Tony, Grand Rapids, U.S

Speaking of self-determination, I want to ask Tim this question: Do the Branch Davidians in Waco have the right to vote their compoud to an independent country? Do Mexican on a Texas farm have the right to vote themselves into an independent country? Self-determination is subjected to sovereignty. Taiwan's sovereignty belongs to 1.3 billion Chinese. If a referendum of secession should take place, it should be a referendum of all 1.3 billion Chinese. Without the participation of all Chinese citizens, any secession is illegal.

Bruce, Indianapolis, IN,

Response to PAul, Concord, , USA: If Communism is NOT your friend, why do your America so keen to invest in China? We Chinese don't want to be hostile to anyone in the world unless you don't want to be. In that case you will know the cost of losing China as your friend.

Hai, Shanghai, China

Self determination is a fundamental human right. The latest polls in Taiwan shows that over 60% of the Taiwanese people do NOT identify as being Chinese. If China stopped pointing its missiles at Taiwan and said that it would respect the self determination of the people of Taiwan, than let us see what the Taiwanese people vote for.

Whatever the result of that vote, than the entire global community which believes in democracy and human rights should support that decision by the Taiwanese people.

Tim, Baltimore, MD

While I find the comments lively I also feel most have not seen Mainland China with their own eyes. I can tell from many visits that Capitalism is alive and well in China. I’ve looked at their form of government and it is based upon representation, very much the same as ours.
While speaking of the Taiwan/China issue I wonder how many Americans knew that Taiwan was under Marshal Law until 1986. So where is the “Republic” in that fact!

R. Frederick, Naperville, IL

Communism is NOT our friend, nor can it be. Taiwan is fully democratic, socially and economically healthy, and is our ally, inside the "Communist China sphere." It is a productive resource. The Christian remnant of China, after "the fall" to communism, refused to bow to the "red tide." We should never tolerate the "re-absorbtion" of an already fully independent and soverign state! Just as we can't allow the restructuring of the Soviet Union, although Putin is committed to that end, neither can we allow China to bully Taiwan.

PAul, Concord, , USA

Why didn't the PRC invade over 50 years ago? Of course - Taiwan was only worth about £2.50 then.

E J Murray, Kerry, Ireland

I find the ignorance in the comments here deeply unsettling. Do any of you actually understand the relationship between China and Taiwan? Do yo understand their history? Do you understand the Chinese psyche? This is just another manifestation of the ignorant and arrogant generalisation that results in comments like "China has tunne vision". "Unity" has been an issue for the Chinese for centuries. They see the retaking of Taiwan as a unification of China, and not an invasion, contrary to what the western press would report. I personally support Taiwan's independance, but I also understand China's obesession with Taiwan.

Dr. J. Gokhale, Bangalore, , India. What makes you think China will be aggresive towards Europe or California? Has China ever invaded another sovereign country? If China's aggression towards Taiwan signifies that would invade California, what about India's clashes in the Kashmiri region? Will you be invading Pakistan soon? Maybe in a decade or so, given your military per capita is pathetic. Your accusations are baseless, factless, and not well thought through.

Pete, Cov,

Chris Knox, Gridley, CA USA - smart of you, only look a bit further. What makes you think China will stop at taking Taiwan, and not proceed to take California and Europe when they can? They are good at fooling people and countries until such time as when they are ready to change stance to more aggressive.

Dr. J. Gokhale, Bangalore, , India.

Paul Connor
Canadian blowhard separatists? Ah.. the Quebec question. Does Quebec have nuclear weapons - because Taiwan is suspected of having them. Puts it into context a little doesn't it.

Dash from Texas
"This is a matter of an indignant younger brother who is constantly whining about what he should get."
You know I'm sure the British said the same of the founding fathers of your great nation. I wonder if you'd be happy to be living under the rule of the Crown again?

Rob, London, UK

Who said the Cold War was dead? It is alive and well in places like the Asian Rim, Middle East, Central and South America. I fear our grandchildren will still be dealing with it in their time as well.

Matthew A. Sawtell

Matthew A. Sawtell, Chicago, IL, U.S.A.

I think these domestic political posturings will not be taken nearly as seriously by the electorate in Taiwan as, say, a formal declaration of independence ratified by a referendum. As a Canadian, I am used to blowhard separatists mouthing off in a provocative way that is ultimately harmless, and I'm sure Taiwan's voters are just as used to it.

Paul Connor, Toronto, Canada

So sad to see a political leader trying to divert the attention of people of taiwan away from his own scadal. Step down Mr Chen, you will never be able to justify your actions and such diversions of politics will not go unnoticed.

Paul Johnson, London, England

I think it's time for the U.S. to start pulling out All of it's technological assets before we wind up giving everything to mainland China. Granted, they have probably gotten all the details they want but, why give them the spoils of war before it starts. We can't be involved in this. The Chinese have tunnel vision and nothing is going to stop them from taking back the Isle of Taiwan.

Chris Knox, Gridley, California U.S.A.

This isn't a matter of communism vs democracy - China is already on its way to becoming more global and more cooperative toward peace. This is a matter of an indignant younger brother who is constantly whining about what he should get. No one wants war - except the Taiwanese leadership, who want to go out in a blaze of glory defending tenuous ideas that have divided a people for 50 years.

Dash, Austin, Tx

And there was I thinking the headline was about England leaving the UK and the EU.

seamus, spain,

Steve, the Chinese unit of currency isn't Yen. That's Japan.

Chris, Nashville, Tennessee

Who to choose? A struggling deomocracy? A police state run by depraved megalomaniacs who condemn prisoners to death if their DNA marks them as a profitable source of transplant organs? Such a quandary.

Seo Myungsoo, Alexandria, Virginia, USA

This makes me hungry for some Taiwanese food.

Ned, Colster, DE

"Australia is looking better and better every day".... ????? Looking better for what and by whom I might ask.

Luke, Birdsville, QLD

To us it may seem that China is a tiger economy, with near unlimited resources, and a strong political backbone resistant to the Western hegemony that pervades the global economy.

But in reality they are still a fledgling civilisation, with a deep insecurity in relation to foreign involvement in affairs relating to their national sovereignty, fomented through centuries of abuse suffered at the hands of western-style governments.

As such, it should be in this mind that we continue to tread carefully and diplomatically in how we respond to such issues. First and foremost in our minds should be to guide China into a wider international community so that they might gain the confidence to relax their regime in the long term, rather than taking any contrarian stances that may alienate them.

Mark Temple, Woking, UK

Yellow journalism? Was that a joke or something, btmachine?

Steve, I think you mean the Chinese Renminbi -- not Yen...

Chen is a cheap-thrills populist who is trying to drum up support because of his waning popularity. He has taken tweaking the nose of China to an art form, and my guess is that he is banking on the fact that, with the Olympics in Beijing next year, he can push the envelope. It's interesting that even the US, Taiwan's chief ally, backs away from Chen's more outrageous comments.

What is not pointed out in this article is that many people from Taiwan are now living in the PRC, and that Taiwan has invested billions of $$s in the Mainland. One has to wonder about the impact of Chen's actions and rhetoric on these people and investments.

David, Hong Kong,

If we allow Taiwan to fall to the Chinese, then the value of friendship with America will be zero. The U.S. absolutely must honor its treaties, its friendships, or be seen as a morally corrupt backstabber. Based on many of the opinons I have read over the last year or so, we are already seen as such because of the way we have handled Iraq. Let us not add to this by abandoning allies who have stood with us and depend upon us for their lives.

Wayne, Greeville, SC

Contrary to what your report suggests, the United States has never agreedt that sovereignty of Taiwan belonged to China. All the communiques of the 1970s were carefully crafted to leave the future open. All they said was that we "acknowledged" that "Chinese" agreed that there was only one China and Taiwan was part of it. In other words, we said, "we acknowledge that is your point of view."

The big news from China today has nothing to do with Taiwan. We have known since the 1940s that many Taiwanese want their country to be recognized internationally, as it should be, by all rights. Rather ithe news is Wen Jiabao's brave speech against corruption.

Lauder Professor of International Relations
University of Pennsylvania

Arthur Waldron, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania

Chen is crazy!!~~NO WAY~!!!!!

PP, UK,

Wow, even the Times does yellow journalism

btmachine, Toronto, Canada

As our big business politicians are selling the US out for Chinese Yen, what kind of support do you think Taiwan will get now. It is not a matter of if, but when: when will China take Taiwan and when will the US give the Alamo back to Mexcio.

Austrelia is looking better and better every day, Adious Taiwan, you are but a figment on world opinion.

Steve, Severn, Md

Taiwan, and the US, should agressively condemn China's human rights policies, and aid democratic dissidents inside China and outside it.

If Taiwan continues to refuse to build its defense forces against Chinese military threats, the US should quietly cut them loose. We should not defend them if they refust to defend themselves.

Don Vandervelde, Gig Harbor, US/Washington

The Chinese regularly play these mind games. Most of the world recognizes taiwan as a seperate entity, but goes along with the charade. perhaps its time to resolve the issue one way or the other.

Hamad Lone, Thornton Heath, England

China needs to respect the Taiwanese peoples' wishes, but I doubt that will happen. Instead, they will continue brainwashing their own people with songs and poems and school chants about reunifying Taiwan at all costs.

Look into history... China has always been a hegemon, and not necessarily a benevolent one, contrary to their own version of history. Don't get me wrong, in many ways I'm a Sinophile. I studied the great Chinese language and culture for three years, and went traveling and studying in China for over 4 months. But although they have made great strides, the government still scares me stiff.

I like best what "gavin" had to say. The government of China should stop indoctrinating its own people and especially the youth, preparing them to sacrifice their lives for this "cause" that is not worth their youth.

Fuller, Dallas, Texas

Mr Chen is inwise.

Catherine, Shanghai, China