JERUSALEM AND TAIWAN: THE US OPPOSES BOTH. The Taipei Times reports:

The US has signaled a major intensification of its campaign against President Chen Shui-bian's plan for a referendum seeking membership in the UN under the name "Taiwan," warning publicly for the first time that it sees the referendum as a move toward independence.

In an exclusive interview on Monday with the Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV, US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte called the proposed referendum a "mistake" and warned that it would be seen as violating Washington's policy against any attempt by Taiwan to alter the "status quo" with China.

..."We believe it's important to avoid any kind of provocative steps on the part of Taiwan," Negroponte said.

This sounds awfully reminiscent of the White House refusal to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and thus officially recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Negroponte's soothing words to Taiwan also sound a bit familiar as well:

"Taiwan has no better friend than the United States," he said. "We strongly support Taiwan's democracy...And we're also, as you know, committed to the defense of Taiwan..."

Arthur Waldron notes at Contentions that according to the CIA’s World Factbook, Taiwan is in fact listed as “Taiwan”--which is how the US has been referring to Taiwan for decades. Nevertheless, the US is opposed to formalizing the name Taiwan and in favor of the official name: The Republic of China, cementing Taiwan's tie to Beijing.

Waldron concludes:

Our government takes this position, very much at odds with fundamental American beliefs about people and their rights, for one reason: pressure from China.

Of course pressure from Israel's Arab neighbors block the US formal recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

The US likes to paint itself as the friend of countries like Taiwan and Israel, but it is a friendship tied to external considerations and pressures which do not have the best interests of America's friends at heart.

UPDATE: The Taiwan/Jerusalem parallel works from the other direction as well. Eric Olander writes about the point of view of Mainland China:

While a student at Beijing University, I onced asked my professor why it was that everyone from the taxi driver on the streets of Changsha to the highest government official in Zhongnanhai was uniform in their determination on the Taiwan question, it was simply put to me: "Taiwan is our Jerusalem."

China, though, has the clout to pursue what is dear to it--unlike Israel.

Technorati Tag: Israel and Taiwan and John Negroponte.