2001.03.21／中時晚報王良芬紐約報導、劉屏華府報導
中共副總理錢其琛二十日在與英文媒體高級主管早餐會時表示，如果美國通過出售先進的神盾驅逐艦予台灣，大幅提升台灣的防衛力量，中美關係將出現十分嚴重的緊張局面。同時，如果美國總統布希進行這項軍售，錢其琛不願排除中共對台灣發動先制攻擊。
在錢其琛發表了這項談話後，稍後中方官員指出，北京對台灣發動攻擊的底線是台灣公開宣佈獨立，錢其琛在此所謂的對台灣發動先發制人的攻擊，基本上仍是針對台獨而來，事實上中(共)美關係也禁不起衝撞。
錢其琛二十日上午與此間英文主流媒體的高級主管進行早餐會，在被問及一旦美國通過對台軍售，北京會否立即進攻台灣時，錢其琛拒絕排除對台灣發動先制攻擊的可能，同時一切要看情況而定。
錢其琛表示，這項軍售案牴觸一九八二年的一項協定，其中規定美國每年對台軍售的質量與數量不能超過前一年。他說，中國一向主張與台灣和平統一，而神盾艦的銷售將使這個問題變成要以軍事方式解決。
此外，錢其琛重申中共的立場，表示反對布希政府部署飛彈防禦系統的計畫。因為這個問題不只牽涉到中國。如果隨隨便便打破全球均勢，可能導致國際危機。
廿日晚上，美國國務院東亞局辦公室燈火通明，不單是因為第二天中共國務院副總理錢其琛就將到訪，官員仍在安排細節，而且國務院相關官員更要弄清楚，錢其琛當天上午在紐約的一席「重話」到底是怎麼說的，以便第二天有所回應。
從美聯社的報導看來，錢其琛在紐約談話時語調強硬，他說如果美國同意出售神盾級驅逐艦給台灣，中共不排除先發制人採取攻擊行動，和平統一將變成武力解決。這是中共領導階層首次針對神盾艦一事發表這種談話，令美國的專家學者大吃一驚，也令一些人出現強烈反應，例如有人主張美國絕不可讓步，免得新政府才上台就被中共看扁。但是美國官方態度十分審慎，一方面重申美國一貫立場，強調台海爭議和平化解，並指美國對台軍售不會與中共諮商；另一方面則表示，需要看到錢的談話全文，才能有進一步回應。
錢正在美國作客，此話一出，還要不要到華府來？美國是否出售神盾，仍在研議（或辯論）中，錢此時這番談話，令美國十分作難，因為美國如果決定不賣，豈不向中共示弱？不過國務院熟悉東亞事務的官員說，美國不能僅根據媒體報導而回應，必須明瞭錢說話時的背景。官員舉例說，如果當時有人問道，「美國出售神盾艦給台灣，中共視為妨礙中國統一，則中共是否將盡一切手段阻止台灣獨立，包括武力在內？」而錢其琛回答是肯定的，則媒體可將之解讀為「中共不惜先發制人」。官員表示，錢的態度到底如何，等到錢到了華府，可以當面問個清楚。而美方的初步反應是：美國的台海政策明確且一致，美國力主台海爭議和平化解，任何非和平的方式，為美國所嚴重關切，同時美國依據台灣關係法提供防禦性的武器給台灣。
錢其琛訂美東時間廿一日近午時分（台北時間廿二日深夜）抵達華府，傍晚與國務卿鮑爾會談並共進晚餐，隔天拜會美國總統布希。針對錢其琛到訪，國務院發言人包潤石在例行簡報會中強調，有關對台軍售，美方不會與中共諮商。美國的決定，是根據台灣合理的防衛需求。至於是否出售神盾艦，包潤石說，美國不公開談論具體項目。整體軍售內容，美國與台灣方面諮商，也在美國政府內部討論，預計下個月公布。
包潤石並指出，美國相信，美國與台灣間的非官方關係，有助於台海兩岸對話，因為可讓台灣有信心，願意與中共交往。他說，中共的軍事態勢，使台灣感受到威脅，因此美國鼓勵中共從長遠著眼，設法解決兩岸間的基本爭議。
這些報導已經做了一些潤飾，中共知道台灣人現在有了錢，為了生命安全，會有內部爭執，放狠話，試探台美反應，七分心理，三分物理，深熟中國孫子兵法。
於 Taipei Times March 16, 2001
的一篇報導中，就明白指出台灣人的困境，它說中共欺侮阿扁為弱勢總統，不理會其友善的招手，反而運用急統的台灣立法委員來對付阿扁，要以自己人打自己人的方式，不費一兵一卒，就能夠收服台灣，故一方面收買台灣生意人，另方面友善於統派人士，在短期間，阿扁政府就受到極大的傷害，而台灣人亦陷入恐慌之中，其文攻侵蝕台媒體界，而武嚇更造成隨時可以攻台的效果，有不少人向美國政府告狀，希望美方能夠放棄支持台灣，不要賣武器給台灣，否則嘿！嘿！嘿！有一天中國的軍隊操控美式先進武器，打美國人，造成美國政府對台灣當局防衛台灣的決心，產生疑慮。
台灣正陷入經濟哈共的熱潮，而又想保有台灣人大嘴巴的民主自由，依吾等觀之，未來最痛苦的絕對是軍人，因為台灣的國軍必然是中共最不信任的對象，台灣人只有一條路可走，就是團結抗共，經濟方面必須能投資國際化，產能升級，同舟共濟渡國難。
對解救大陸同胞的主題，放在中國民主化的爭議點上，開放三通，或可以給來台的中國同胞，學習到台灣民主的好處。
現在接續“台灣要有自己的聯合戰線”，其英文如述：
Taiwan
needs its own 'united front'
Publish: March
16, 2001
Source: Taipei Times
Ever since the Chen
Shui-bian (陳水扁) government came to office, Beijing
has been practicing a united-front "besiege" strategy of ignoring
Chen's numerous goodwill gestures and talking instead only to Taiwanese
business leaders and opposition politicians. Beijing's
blindness to the political reality in Taiwan has even prompted former
US assistant secretary of state Stanley Roth to suggest that China
change its strategy and talk directly to the Taiwan government.
China's strategy sows
discord and creates confusion here. Abandoning existing contact channels
such as the Strait Exchange Foundation (SEF) and the Association for
Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS), China is hiring pro-Beijing
legislators in Taiwan to handle civic exchanges, thereby letting them
gain political and economic benefits. In tasting those benefits, these
legislators have forgotten the constituencies and voters they are
supposed to represent. They shuttle between China and Taiwan and view
themselves as Beijing's spokespeople. Even former American Institute
in Taiwan chairman Nat Bellocchi has been puzzled by this development.
Why are so many political figures running to China, asking to meet
with its high officials?
In Matsu, local officials
have even signed an agreement with the other side of the Strait --
without authorization from the central government. Other local chiefs,
including the deputy mayor of Taipei City and the mayor of Hsinchu
City, have visited China for city-to-city exchanges. All this activity
has prompted SEF Chairman Koo Chen-fu (辜振甫) to express concern over
the "localization of cross-strait affairs."
China's
tactics may cause temporary distress in Taiwan, but Beijing will eventually
find out that those politicians on the cross-strait shuttle do not
have public support. They
are political brokers at best. Nevertheless, China may be able to
cause trouble in Taiwan by relying on this group of Uriah Heep-like
toadies. They can only harm cross-strait relations because they can
only cause misconceptions in China about Taiwan.
Wang Jin-pyng (王金平),
speaker of the Legislative Yuan, may lead a team of lawmakers on a
visit to China in June or July. If he goes, he will be the highest-ranking
Taiwan official to visit China. Not only does he represent Taiwan's
highest-level elected body, he is also a KMT vice chairman and is
a core figure in the political maneuvers of the opposition alliance.
Wang has, however, dutifully sought approval for the trip from the
president.
While we would be happy
to see a successful visit by Wang's delegation, we also have a few
suggestions for him. Because Wang will be traveling in his capacity
as Legislative Yuan speaker, he should select members of his delegation
according to the proportion of seats held by each political party
in the legislature, so as to reflect the plurality of political opinions
in Taiwan. This way, the delegation can avoid the appearance of partisanship,
which would undermine Wang's representativeness. Wang
should also avoid being forced by pro-China lawmakers to say or behave
inappropriately during the visit.
Wang's meeting with
Chinese leaders will provide a unique opportunity, since in many ways
they could be viewed as quasi-negotiations. Whatever Wang says will
have to represent both official and public opinion in Taiwan. The
Mainland Affairs Council will have to make good preparations for Wang's
visit and the SEF should also send out people to help during the trip.
Wang's trip could herald
the start of a new trend. Taiwan should be sending people across the
Strait who can better represent the country and accurately present
its opinions, instead of allowing political wanna-be's to be the only
ones shuttling back and forth. Such a deployment could help reduce
misunderstandings and perhaps even break the ice that has kept the
Strait frozen for so long.
