Tue, Apr 26, 2005 page8

• Editorial: Moving forward, or toward disaster?

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  Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) called President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday to "report" on his trip to China, and seek to resolve, superficially at least, the conflict over the current wave of "China fever." Although the KMT yielded to the government in order to maintain the nation's image of unity, a greater crisis -- the question of national sovereignty -- has yet to be resolved.

  At first Chen condemned Lien's trip, but later changed his attitude and gave his blessing to both Lien's travel plans and those of People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜). Chen said that the two sides of the Taiwan Strait had not been in contact for a long time and that if the two men could act in accordance with the law during their visits, they could provide some first-hand information on China and pave a path for cross-strait development.

  Both men uphold the "one China" principle and the so-called "1992 consensus." Both will receive high-profile receptions by their Chinese hosts. Behind all of this is Beijing's "united front" strategy, which aims at cozying up to the opposition parties, dividing Taiwan and forcing the government to accept "one China" and the alleged consensus.

  On April 21, former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) said that there were six things wrong with Lien and Soong's trips: wrong principles, wrong status, wrong timing, wrong negotiation format, the wrong location and a blurring of public power. He said these represent six threats to the nation's sovereignty.

  Although both Lien and Soong are acting without explicit government authorization, Chen has given his blessing. This will give people in this country and abroad the wrong idea that Lien and Soong represent government opinion. The president had only just taken part in the March 26 protests against China's "Anti-Secession" Law when he turned around and gave this blessing. He said he hoped they would pave a new path for cross-strait relations. But what about the arms procurement bill, which continues to languish in the legislature? If the people of Taiwan care so little about their own defense, who will believe us in the future if China steps up its military threats?

  Lien's visit could mislead the international community into believing that Taiwan is indifferent to the Anti-Secession Law and does not care about threats made against it. If Lien wants to call his trip a "journey of peace," he should inform Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) that over 90 percent of Taiwanese object to the Anti-Secession Law, and that "non-peaceful means" are not the way to resolve the cross-strait impasse.

  Lien has said that resolution through negotiation should "respect what is real, what is actual and what is current." The reality is that the Republic of China is a sovereign and independent entity, each side of the Strait administers its territory separately and Taiwan's sovereignty is held in the hands of its 23 million people. China should take the first step by respecting this situation.

  Dialogue between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party may be significant in historical terms. However, as long as Taiwan's political parties cannot agree on the basic principles of national sovereignty and policy toward China, then these two trips may turn out to be not a glorious beginning to better times, but the first step toward disaster.
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