President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) has deliberately sunk any chances of
improving ties with China and endangered Taiwan's economic security along
with that of the US with his recent inflammatory remarks, according to
international commentators.
In editorials and commentaries published in various regional journals,
Chen's "one country on each side of the Taiwan Strait" statement was roundly
panned as dangerous while the president himself was pilloried for breaking
promises not to destabilize ties with China.
"By calling for legislation to hold a referendum on independence for the
island, and labeling the two sides of the Taiwan Strait separate countries,
he has not only broken a promise not to do such things that he made to
Taiwan's people and its friends around the world," blared an editorial in
the Asian Wall Street Journal.
"Mr. Chen's speech has thus damaged the island's economic interests and
destabilized the complicated three-way relationship between Taiwan , China
and the US" said the journal.
Rupert Hammond-Chambers, president of the US-Taiwan Business Council, agreed
commenting in the Wednesday edition of the same newspaper that Chen had
broken promises to maintain stability across the strait and potentially
placing the US' own economic interests at risk.
"President Chen reneged on a most significant, although unspoken,
understanding with the United States and China when he raised the
controversial issue of independence last Saturday sending shudders through
those who work and trade in the global market," he said.
Hammond-Chambers pointed out that the integration between the US, China and
Taiwan has left their economies "increasingly inseparable," therefore
leaving the US "no other choice" but to become involved in a cross-strait
conflict.
"The flow of trade and America's increasing reliance on China and Taiwan is
itself becoming a major source of risk to America's economic health and well
being," he said.
While the immediate media flurry surrounding Chen's remarks will gradually
fade from the headlines, Hammond-Chambers predicted that "the frigid air
that now occupies the Taiwan will remain and make any d?tente between the
two sides highly unlikely in the near future."
Indeed as an editorial in the Far East Economic Review points out, Chen has
quite blatantly pulled the plug on even attempting to bridge the
cross-strait gap.
"Chen's spin doctors are desperately trying to convince everybody that his
Saturday speech represents nothing new. But in the coded language of
cross-strait relations, he delivered a very clear message: I don't want to
talk," it said.
Additionally, by deliberately taking an offensive approach to "engagement"
with China, Chen risks surrendering support it has garnered internationally
by previously playing up its earnest attempts to initiate dialogue while
enduring China's victimization.
"Taiwan's leaders can best build international support by refraining from
deliberately provoking China. Indeed, one reason Taiwan maintains the moral
high ground is because in recent years it has sought to engage the mainland,
despite many rebuffs," it said.
"The best he can do is to refrain from repeating those phrases and remember
in future that he was elected with a mandate to both preserve Taiwan's
sovereignty and find a modus vivendi with an often irrational mainland," it
said.
However irrational was the term used by one investment banker who requested
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