East Asian Press Review

The Chinese state news agency, Xinhua, was delighted to be able to report yesterday that "the US opposes the efforts made by the leader of Taiwan to seek independence." Following weeks of tension in east Asia over Taiwanese nationalism, President George Bush had reasserted US support for "peaceful reunification" of the island democracy and the Chinese mainland.

Mr Bush had determined that the "so-called 'defensive referendum' proposed by Taiwanese authorities [which] aims to separate Taiwan from China... is totally intolerable", said China Daily. The Taipei Times, however, exhorted the US "not to dance to Beijing's evil tune... Hasn't the Chinese government always emphasised that a majority of the Taiwanese people long for unification with the motherland? In that case, wouldn't that majority vote for unification?... Beijing would then be able to take over Taiwan without wasting a single soldier and fulfil its stated wish of 'peaceful unification'."

On the mainland, Sun Shengliang argued in the People's Daily that the Taiwanese president's proposal would be better called "an outright offensive referendum". Chen Shui-bian's true aim was to "cause tension... and put the lives and bliss of the Taiwan people at stake just for his personal election ambition". The Taipei-based China Post agreed that by calling for a referendum, Mr Chen had "resorted to popular tactics to get re-elected".

The other chief focus in the regional press was Japan's decision to send forces to Iraq. While the soldiers will not take part in military action, noted Dong-A Ilbo in South Korea, it was inevitable the "Japanese peace constitution will be violated by its decision to dispatch its self-defence force to combat areas". In Japan, the Yomiuri Shimbun agreed it was a "historic decision"; but it was a "responsibility Japan must fulfil".

To refuse to participate, added Takakazu Kuriyama in the Asahi Shimbun, "would lead... to Japan's loss of credibility in the international community". But there were arguments closer to home, too: "Japan depends on the Middle East as a major source of energy, and Iraq and neighbouring countries are crucial regions to Japan. Taking part in the process of rebuilding Iraq is therefore consistent with Japan's national interest."