Sun, Jan 30, 2005 page8

• Self-help is the key to countering China's law

  • By Tseng Chao-chang 曾肇昌
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  China recently proposed drawing up an "anti-secession" law, which is basically a unification law. The target of this law is Taiwan.

  For many years now, each side of the Taiwan Strait has developed in their own way, one as a free country and the other as an authoritarian one.

  Those in Taiwan who oppose China's attempts to achieve hegemony have called for the formulation of an "anti-annexation" law, and six delegations have been planned to explain to people in the US, Asia and Europe that China is using the law against Taiwan, and that in doing so it is altering the status quo and putting regional peace at risk.

  A few days ago, Taiwan and China came to an agreement over charter flights for the Lunar New Year. These are direct transport links in all but name. Despite the fact that China still has 600 missiles targeting Taiwan, and that it is drawing up an anti-secession law to wage a war against Taiwan through legal means, both the government and the opposition are delighted with the deal. With this kind of attitude, how can we even talk about opposing the anti-secession law? China has consistently insisted that the flights are "domestic," which is just a consequence of their "one China" principle.

  In the past, political figures who called for protecting the Republic of China have now shifted from opposing the People's Republic of China to toadying up to it. They have recognized a thief as their father, and even go so far as to declare "long live [Chinese President] Hu Jintao (胡錦濤)." They are willing to strip Taiwan bare simply to satisfy their craving for an insubstantial "greater China" ideology.

  Reports indicate that there are now over 67,000 Chinese spies operating in Taiwan. Even as the US is increasing its support for Taiwan, we ourselves are failing to be self-reliant, and instead are willing to flirt with Beijing. This is degrading.

  From former president Lee Teng-hui's (李登輝) "special state-to-state" doctrine, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) backpedaled to propose his cross-strait integration dictum (統合論), which has been criticized for lacking even basic geopolitical sense. And now we have both the government and opposition supporting Lunar New Year reciprocal flights, despite the fact that they are obviously detrimental to Taiwan's quest for formal independence. It makes one ask whether Taiwan's basic policy is one of opposition to China or alliance with China.

  Taiwan must choose between becoming self-reliant or becoming slaves of a communist regime. In his book How We Lost the Vietnam War, former prime minister of the Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Cau Ky said that his regime's defeat was a crime committed by the US. But in fact, the former Republic of Vietnam must bear considerable responsibility for the defeat. Even with all the manpower and the material support the US provided, the South Vietnamese government was unable to become self-reliant. This is what brought about their defeat.

  Rampant defeatism and the opposition's rejection of the US arms bill has led the US to doubt Taiwan's commitment to holding off an invasion. Now, with calls for "three links," Lee's "no haste, be patient" approach has been abandoned in favor of a "go west" policy.

  This has been called "efficient management," but it is all hot air. For all we are doing is strengthening China's economy at the expense of our own, and helping them build missiles that can be used to target us. We will get what we deserve.

  In the face of China's anti-secession law, all politicians -- whatever their affiliation -- should think deeply about the nation's future and not fall victim to dangerous illusions.

  Tseng Chao-chang is chairman of the National Bar Association

  Translated by Ian Bartholomew
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