Tue, Mar 25, 2003 page8

• The EU is composed of cowards

  • By Christopher Lingle
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  Diplomacy is often a theater of the absurd, except to its practitioners. A perfect example of this is the hearty congratulations and uncritical commentary following the rubberstamped approval by China's parliament of Wen Jiabao (溫家寶) as premier and Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) as president after having been anointed by their predecessors. For days, the media has been full of EU and other world leaders sending their congratulatory remarks and hailing the smooth transition of power in Beijing.

  Such behavior smacks both of hypocrisy and cowardice when you consider that most of the same leaders refuse visits from Taiwan's democratically-elected leader, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁). In the latest outrage, EU functionaries in Brussels nixed a proposed visit in response to an invitation by members of the European Parliament to come to Brussels to speak before the parliament.

  Statements by a Belgian government spokesman indicate that the decision to refuse his visa had the full backing of all EU members and the European Commission. Such unprincipled behavior contradicts a false impression that European governments support freedom, democracy and individual rights. Perhaps this should not be surprising since members of the European Commission are themselves not elected through democratic means.

  Despite the hectoring by EU officials to encourage the free movement of goods and services or financial capital within Europe and elsewhere, they are unwilling to allow law-abiding people to travel freely. It is tragic and ironic fact that terrorists have been able to travel more easily than have democratically-elected politicians from Taiwan.

  Refusal by EU foreign ministers of a visa for Chen involved explicit kowtowing to Beijing. It appears that the refusal to issue a visa would breach the "one China" policy of the EU. While there are deep divisions over some foreign policy issues, EU members present a united front in their dealings with China.

  But their policy toward Taiwan is less clear. Last week the European Commission opened a trade office in Taipei after several years of negotiations. Yet this followed the opening of a similar office in another of the last remaining outposts of communism, Cuba. And its caudillo and long-serving unelected leader, Fidel Castro, visits Europe with few restrictions.

  Beijing is notorious for bringing diplomatic pressures to bear in a relentless pursuit of the isolation of Taiwan. It is well known that China's participation and support for international conferences or organizations is conditional on rejecting the participations of Taiwan's leadership. However, the most blame should go to those spineless politicians and diplomats that collapse under those pressures.

  Such shameful behavior is an insult to Taiwan's citizens who have taken so many risks to express their commitment to democracy and freedom. A peaceful transfer of power after five decades of single-party rule in May 2000 made Taiwan the first democracy in the history of ethnic Chinese societies.

  And Chen has been an indefatigable supporter of freedom and democracy in Taiwan. He served on a team of defense attorneys for activists arrested in the "Kaohsiung Incident," that set the stage for an effective political opposition to the single-party control of the KMT and the end of 40 years of martial law.

  As political leader of the first party dedicated to democracy in Taiwan, the DPP, Chen was a strong advocate of human rights. Since his election, he has negotiated in good faith with the unelected officials in Beijing to promote peace and political harmony, while steadfastly refusing to compromise Taiwan's admirable democratic achievements.

  Unofficial rules require denying visas, even for private reasons, to the top five of Taiwan's political figures. As such the president, vice president, premier, foreign minister, and defense minister are not able to visit countries that supposedly share their belief in freedom and democracy.

  Apparently, EU officials are willing to compromise on what should be their most cherished principles of freedom, democracy and human rights. An expression among the English has it that "the law is an ass." If this be so, much worse must be said of the supposed delicacies of diplomacy.

  Christopher Lingle is professor of economics at Universidad Francisco Marroquin in Guatemala and global strategist for eConoLytics.com.
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