Chen Shui-bian (
He also, it has been claimed with some justification, doesn't have a clue about how to deal with the foreign business community. He cracks jokes about red light districts over lunch with AmCham members. He employs valiant but weak English translators. He has his Washington itineraries planned by non-Americans.
But his worst sin of all, apparently, is that he can't really "talk the talk" when it comes to finance and economics.
Given his speech this past week at the DPP's China policy conference, it's hard to disagree on this point.
Let's see, Chen wants to have Taiwan airlines fly directly to China and split the profits with Beijing. Please, somebody, hand me that cane they use to haul floundering stand-up comedians off the stage.
He also wants to create a free trade zone between Taiwan and China, but only if it doesn't endanger national security. It would probably be more feasible to legalize the smuggling trade.
He thinks we should forget about putting restrictions on big-ticket investment on the mainland. Obviously, he must be the only person on this island who takes the "no haste, be patient" policy seriously.
He wants to put an end to black gold politics, and he wants to deregulate and liberalize the economy quicker while at the same time strengthening its "backbone," the small and medium enterprises. He wants to ... hang on, what did you say? Run that by me again. He wants to what? Open up the economy by bringing in more foreign investment and allowing an expansion of foreign trade, allowing market forces to do what regulations cannot? That doesn't sound like the Chen Shui-bian of days gone by. It makes too much sense.
Okay, so somebody scripted those lines for him. But doesn't every capable politician have that done for them? Of course they do. The only difference is that some manage to actually live up to what speechwriters are committing them to. And on past experience, Chen comes out miles ahead of the other two contenders for Lee Teng-hui's (
No, he doesn't have a PhD from a prestigious American university like Lien Chan (3s戰) and James Soong (宋楚瑜) do and no, he doesn't speak "flawless English" like the two of them do in the presence of foreign business executives. But when it comes to cutting through red tape and meeting administrative objectives, Chen has both of them beat.
One need only look at what Soong did to the provincial government's finances to know that his election to the presidency would be a disaster for the economy. Lien, meanwhile, has the Asia-Pacific Regional Operations Center plan to show for his capabilities as an economic libertarian. Last time I looked, the European Council for Commerce and Trade had its APROC Clock only up to the half-hour. Sorry, but halfway there just doesn't impress.
Until recently, though, I'll admit that I had been buying into the baloney put about by the pro-status quo camp, that Taiwan was not yet ready for Chen, and that Lien was the man who could be trusted not to rock the boat. But then this week it became clear again. How can foreign business representatives, for instance, speak profoundly about the need for clean, efficient government in Taiwan while at the same time say they fear the change that a Chen administration would bring?
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