While Taiwan's localization forces expressed discontent over the 10-point consensus reached by President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) last month, and have voiced an emphatic protest against Beijing's anti-secession law, Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) set forth a four-point guideline for cross-strait relations on March 4.
While explaining the guideline, Hu for the first time directly responded to the 10-point consensus, and for the first time addressed Chen as the leader of the "Taiwan authorities." This was interpreted by the media as a thaw in cross-strait relations. Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Vice Chairman Chiu Tai-san (邱太三) said it could almost be seen as "the first dialogue between Chen and Hu."
It is in the interest of Chinese leaders to respond to the Taiwanese government's movements toward unification and away from independence. But for real dialogue to take place, China should prove that it is reasonable by postponing or calling off the proposed "anti-secession" law, or watering it down to the point where it loses importance, thereby saving Chen from his recent distress. That, however, is very unlikely.
Hu's guidelines are evidence that China's leadership is still stuck in an authoritarian "carrot-and-stick" way of thinking. Why do they think they can set such a rigid conclusion, and then use a carrot-and-stick approach to demand that Taiwan accept it? Let us modify the four-point guideline to highlight its absurdity:
First, never stray from adhering to the "one China, one Taiwan" principle.
Second, never give up efforts to seek peaceful independence.
Third, never change the principle of placing hope in the Chinese people.
Fourth, never compromise in opposing the threat of military unification.
Does anything about this represent meaningful communication? Apart from China being stronger than Taiwan, the above reversal of roles does not make Taiwan's reasons seem any less reasonable. Unfortunately, the stance of Taiwan's leader has been weak and ambiguous, and even unreasonable and a source of trouble. This is also a part of the current Taiwan crisis.
I wonder why China does not tolerate a meaningful opposition party. Why not generate its lawmakers and national leader through competitive elections? In the 21st century, why does it continue to use despotic means to repress dissenters, including Falun Gong practitioners?
Taiwan is not unable to make concessions; rather, it is a question of why it should concede. Conceding to Soong without cause -- as with the 10-point consensus -- in fact amounted to concessions to Beijing. Small wonder Hu reacted positively. But didn't this concession call for further authoritarianism? If the existence of an independent Taiwan is important to China, it should call for freedom and democracy in China, not further authoritarianism.
Politically, economically, socially and culturally, Taiwan has been separated from China for over a half century. This historical separation cannot be resolved by an anti-secession law. Although cross-strait relations have become increasingly close as a result of intensifying economic and trade interactions over the past 10 years, deceit and coercion are still part of despotic rule. It is said that there used to be a thing called "the kingly way of government by justice," but it has not been heard of for a long time.
Chen I-shen is an associate researcher of the Institute of Modern History at Academia Sinica and deputy chairman of the Northern Taiwan Society.
Translated by Lin Ya-ti
A failure by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to respond to Israel’s brilliant 12-day (June 12-23) bombing and special operations war against Iran, topped by US President Donald Trump’s ordering the June 21 bombing of Iranian deep underground nuclear weapons fuel processing sites, has been noted by some as demonstrating a profound lack of resolve, even “impotence,” by China. However, this would be a dangerous underestimation of CCP ambitions and its broader and more profound military response to the Trump Administration — a challenge that includes an acceleration of its strategies to assist nuclear proxy states, and developing a wide array
Eating at a breakfast shop the other day, I turned to an old man sitting at the table next to mine. “Hey, did you hear that the Legislative Yuan passed a bill to give everyone NT$10,000 [US$340]?” I said, pointing to a newspaper headline. The old man cursed, then said: “Yeah, the Chinese Nationalist Party [KMT] canceled the NT$100 billion subsidy for Taiwan Power Co and announced they would give everyone NT$10,000 instead. “Nice. Now they are saying that if electricity prices go up, we can just use that cash to pay for it,” he said. “I have no time for drivel like
Young supporters of former Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) were detained for posting the names and photographs of judges and prosecutors believed to be overseeing the Core Pacific City redevelopment corruption case. The supporters should be held responsible for their actions. As for Ko’s successor, TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌), he should reflect on whether his own comments are provocative and whether his statements might be misunderstood. Huang needs to apologize to the public and the judiciary. In the article, “Why does sorry seem to be the hardest word?” the late political commentator Nan Fang Shuo (南方朔) wrote
Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) reportedly told the EU’s top diplomat that China does not want Russia to lose in Ukraine, because the US could shift its focus to countering Beijing. Wang made the comment while meeting with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas on July 2 at the 13th China-EU High-Level Strategic Dialogue in Brussels, the South China Morning Post and CNN reported. Although contrary to China’s claim of neutrality in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, such a frank remark suggests Beijing might prefer a protracted war to keep the US from focusing on
RSS