"We ask them to remove the missiles deployed against Taiwan, give up their military threat, and instead let us together open the door to cross-Strait peaceful and stable dialogue and negotiations"
About this Quote
Chen Shui-bian’s sentence is built like an invitation, but it lands like an indictment. The opening clause, “We ask them,” performs restraint: Taiwan as the reasonable party, choosing diplomatic vocabulary over the language of retaliation. Yet the ask is pointed. “Remove the missiles deployed against Taiwan” drags the People’s Republic of China’s coercion into daylight, shifting the conversation from abstract “One China” formulas to the blunt hardware of intimidation. It’s not just a security demand; it’s a narrative move meant to recast Taiwan’s predicament for an international audience that might prefer ambiguity.
The subtext is conditionality disguised as optimism. Chen offers “together” and “open the door” - metaphors of partnership and possibility - but only after Beijing “give up their military threat.” In other words: dialogue is available, but not under the gun. That framing matters in the early 2000s context, when cross-Strait tensions were shaped by China’s missile deployments, Taiwan’s democratization, and Chen’s own reputation in Beijing as a pro-independence provocateur. By insisting on “peaceful and stable dialogue and negotiations,” he signals to Washington and other stakeholders that Taiwan is the status-quo actor, implicitly casting Beijing as the spoiler.
Rhetorically, it’s a two-track message: reassurance outward, defiance inward. To Taiwanese voters, it asserts dignity and agency without formally crossing red lines. To Beijing, it sets a moral test: if you truly want talks, stop threatening us first. The elegance is that the demand reads like moderation - which is exactly why it pressures so hard.
The subtext is conditionality disguised as optimism. Chen offers “together” and “open the door” - metaphors of partnership and possibility - but only after Beijing “give up their military threat.” In other words: dialogue is available, but not under the gun. That framing matters in the early 2000s context, when cross-Strait tensions were shaped by China’s missile deployments, Taiwan’s democratization, and Chen’s own reputation in Beijing as a pro-independence provocateur. By insisting on “peaceful and stable dialogue and negotiations,” he signals to Washington and other stakeholders that Taiwan is the status-quo actor, implicitly casting Beijing as the spoiler.
Rhetorically, it’s a two-track message: reassurance outward, defiance inward. To Taiwanese voters, it asserts dignity and agency without formally crossing red lines. To Beijing, it sets a moral test: if you truly want talks, stop threatening us first. The elegance is that the demand reads like moderation - which is exactly why it pressures so hard.
Quote Details
| Topic | Peace |
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