Treat Taiwan fairly

The United States opposes a Taiwanese referendum "on whether to apply to the United Nations under the name of Taiwan," said a U.S. State Department spokesman, Sean McCormack, on June 22, because the initiative "would increase the tensions in the Taiwan Strait."

On the contrary, the tensions between Taiwan and China have been created by China, not Taiwan, including the Chinese deployment of more than 900 short-range ballistic missiles pointed directly at Taiwan and the passage of anti-secession (annexation) law creating a legal framework for possible use of force against Taiwan.

The referendum is an "internal democratic process" of Taiwan and poses no threat to any country.

Taiwan is a democratic country and our longtime ally. China is a dictatorship country.

Its human-rights record, religious persecution and coercive abortion policy are abysmal. Yet when it comes to dealing with the two nations, we often kowtow to China's bullies.

We should treat our democratic ally fairly.

Ken Lin

Danville