Sha Zukang and Taiwan

I can certainly relate to the following account by Bill Emmott, having witnessed a similar outburst at a press conference by Sha Zukang (pictured) in Beijing several years ago.

Recalling a meeting with the senior Chinese Foreign Ministry official in charge of arms control negotiation in 2001, Emmott said that the meeting was initially calm and cordial. Sha was described as a confident man so fluent in English that he could "banter with ease."

But when the subject of Taiwan arose, Sha "used a different sort of language."

"He banged his fist hard on the coffee table next to him. It was a theatrical gesture, and it had the desired effect of making me jump. He then raised his voice and shouted: "I want you to know that I am prepared to die, personally, to ensure the return of Taiwan to the motherland!" (Rivals – How the Power Struggles Between China, India and Japan Will Shape Our Next Decade, Penguin Books, 2008, 2009).

Emmott's point was that Taiwan is not just a technical issue for China but a "highly emotive one." Bingo.