Pressure from Beijing has been mounting on President-elect Chen Shui-bian
Chen's posture has served to highlight China's barbarism. More and more people are beginning to feel that China is overstepping its bounds. Chen is also receiving increasing international recognition for his handling of cross-strait issues. However, Chen has his reasons for taking a much softer stance on cross-strait policy than Lee Teng-hui (
Most importantly, Chen is in a much more politically disadvantageous position than Lee was domestically. Since Lee had legitimately succeeded to the KMT throne, he wore an "unification overcoat." Although he gradually took off the coat to reveal his pro-independence stance, at least he kept on the "vest" of the National Unification Council (國統會).
Chen, by contrast, is naked. Therefore, China is quite eager for him to put on the "unification jacket." But Chen is strugglingwith all his might to remain nude.
The KMT had the DPP on one side and the pro-unification New Party on the other. In the middle, the KMT was in a good position to play a two-handed game. It advocated security to its citizens by alleging that the communists would come if the KMT ever stepped down on the one hand, while on the other, it warned China that if it did step down, the DPP would take over.
The DPP is now in an exposed position on its side of the spectrum since the Taiwan Independence Party is on the brink of extinction. As a result, the DPP appears alone and lacking support for facing China.
In the past, the KMT used to finance shell parties to put on a show of party politics, as well as to block the organization of any real parties. Now the DPP probably wishes the Taiwan Independence Party were stronger, so that it could provide a foil against Chinese pressure.
Beijing is infuriated every time it hears talks of "independent sovereignty for Taiwan." However, it finds talks of "independent sovereignty for the Republic of China" acceptable. China blows off its stack at any reference to "the Republic of China in Taiwan" as well. What is the difference?
China loves to label and pigonhole everyone, including the DPP. To Beijing, even if Chen is not a "covert independence advocate," he is pro-independence in his bones, because the independence virus remains in the body for life.
The new team in charge of foreign and mainland affairs all possess a very strong "Taiwan consciousness
China's psychological warfare has been more or less successful. Chen has promised that the "special state-to-state model"
If Taiwan is truly an independent sovereign country, then why do we need to promise China that we will not change our national flag and name? China's coercion has long restricted the direction of Taiwan's development and reduced the sovereignty of Taiwan.
Taiwan is still an independent sovereign country, but its sovereignty is like a plate chipped in one corner.
Antonio Chiang is the publisher and editor-in-chief of the Taipei Times.
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