In response to the 9/11 terrorist attack on the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, and the British/American retribution air strike on Afghanistan earlier October, the Association of International Relationship invited Prof. Andy W.Y. Chang, Director of Graduate Institute of China Studies, to give a talk on the impact of such an incident on the world in general and the economic/political change over China in particular.

During the forum, Director Chang asked Prof. Kuo Cheng-yuan, a visiting scholar from P.R.C., to exchange his views with the attending students.

Prof. Kuo said that the unprecedented accident was caused, above all, by the multiple conflicting facets within the U.S.A. But the relationship between China and the U.S. will improve because they share the common goal, i.e., fighting against Terrorism. As we all know, the present regime under the leadership of Mr. Chen Shui-bian, is leaning unrelentingly toward Washington for support, it is almost sure to predict that the Taiwan government will soon feel the pressure from Uncle Sam.

Asked if America will see to it that a pro-U.S. regime be established in Afghanistan, Prof. Kuo answered that it is unlikely that the U.S. will follow the wrong trail of the former U.S.S.R. Although we may argue, he assured us, that the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was not the main reason of her demise, it is definitely a force that accelerated such an action.