Thu, Sep 02, 2004 page8

• Editorial: China should trust Taiwan's goodwill

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  President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) suddenly cancelled an annual live-fire military exercise on his way to Panama and Belize on Tuesday. The drill, the final part of the Hankuang No. 20 exercise, was originally set for Sept. 9 in southern Taiwan. According to Chen, there are signs that China's troops are withdrawing from Dongshan Island, where they had planned to hold a military exercise in early September. Therefore, he decided to cancel the drill to show Taiwan's goodwill, even though the Chinese government has not confirmed their military withdrawal.

  Later, when visiting Pearl Harbor during his stopover in Hawaii, he gave an unscripted talk in which he cited the Pacific theater of World War II as an example. He said that the US and Japan were in fact enemies half a century ago, but they are friends today. He also said that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait should learn from this great example.

  Indeed, the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941 triggered the Pacific War, and the historical wound caused by the two atomic bombs also exists. But after half a century, the US and Japan are already military and diplomatic partners working to maintain peace and stability in the western Pacific region. This development proves that no conflict in the international community cannot be resolved.

  The following day, the issue with the repatriation of illegal Chinese immigrants that has been left in limbo since the presidential election in March was resolved. Through Taiwan's and China's Red Cross organizations, China accepted the return of 178 illegal immigrants from Taiwan, and returned five Taiwanese criminals to Taiwan. In a statement, the Mainland Affairs Council said China plans to receive yet another group of illegal immigrants on Sept. 10. After a long period of tense relations across the Taiwan Strait, even such a small easing of tension is enough to be exciting.

  China has for a long time posed a military threat to Taiwan, and it keeps around 600 missiles aimed at Taiwan along its southern coast, forcing Taiwan to find ways to defend itself -- partly through R&D and arms purchases, partly by strengthening its military.

  Apart from having missiles aimed at Taiwan, the People's Liberation Army's exercise on Dongshan Island is clearly targeted at Taiwan. Dongshan Island is located in the southern part of the Taiwan Strait, only 181km from the Penghu islands and 307km from Kaohsiung. The exercise mainly consists of simulated landings and clearly mimics the capture of Penghu.

  The people of Taiwan normally repay one good deed with another, which means that if your opponent gives you a gift, you have to give him something in return. Chen's initiative in responding to the military retreat from Dongshan Island serves to further underline Taiwan's goodwill. If China does not pose a military threat to us, there is no need for us to strengthen our military.

  We sincerely hope that the warmth being shown across the Strait recently is an indication of a more constructive relationship, rather than one-off incidents.

  China should build greater confidence in the goodwill of nations made up of the same race and speaking the same language. Once China and Taiwan put aside enmity and choose to engage in the spirit of friendship, they could become the strongest allies in the Western Pacific. We also hope that China will understand the Taiwanese way of doing things, namely that we will repay one good turn with another, so that Taiwan might eventually become China's closest friend.
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