Editorial: Besmirching the tricolor

Politicians change their stances with the same ease as they flip the pages of a book. This is as true today as it was in the past. Only a few months ago, French President Jacques Chirac raised the moral banner high as he took the lead in criticizing a US-led war in Iraq. Chirac never forgot to mention “principles” and to pose as a savior of small nations the world over. Now he wears a different face as Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) visits his country. He has forgotten about principles entirely as he criticizes — with vitriol matching that of the Zhongnanhai leaders — President Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) plan to hold a referendum alongside the presidential election.

The Chirac administration has also proposed the EU lift its arms embargo against China. Fortunately, however, the proposal was rejected by many other EU nations. People familiar with Franco-Taiwan relations were not surprised by Chirac’s actions, since he has always been a good friend of China. Franco-Taiwan relations have not improved since he came to power. For three years in a row, France spoke against a proposal aimed at allowing Taiwan to participate in the UN. It has also repeatedly opposed Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Organization. The purpose of such actions can only be to echo China’s stance on Taiwan.

Chirac’s remarks on the March 20 referendum verge on cruelty and are tantamount to supporting a belligerent China pointing its missiles at small Taiwan. He also wants to sell weapons to China so that the thugs in the Zhongnanhai may use them to deal with dissent. Chirac’s China policy is a textbook case of a politician’s naked hypocrisy.