Chen's overseas trip is significant

Amid a flurry of condemnation from the opposition for over-emphasizing the building of his own image and then the Pachang Creek (八掌溪) tragedy, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) announced he would make state visits to diplomatic allies in Central America and Africa this month.

The opposition was quick to leap on the Pachang tragedy, criticizing Chen for his poor handling of the incident, while at the same time arguing that he spent too much time touring the island. Some suggested that, given the new cabinet's relatively low level of public support, Chen should cancel or postpone his overseas trip. But this strategy is nothing but an ugly and vicious political struggle aimed at further eroding the administration's approval ratings.

First, some opposition mem-bers ascribed Chen's motives for overseas travel to a desire to distract public attention from domestic difficulties and to pull his administration back from the cliff. The accusation, and the argument upon which it is based are illogical. Chen's state visit was arranged at least two months ago, and in the absence of any national crisis, it should not be postponed or canceled.

The second criticism was that since the new cabinet has suffered from a lack of experience and poor coordination with the Legislative Yuan, it would be well for Chen to stay home and prepare for any possible national crisis. This line of thought vio-lated the opposition's previous request that Chen should "mind his own business," restrict his concerns to foreign affairs and national defense and let Pemier Tang Fei (唐飛) manage key domestic policies. The opposition thus showed inconsistency in its role as a loyal opposition.

The third argument was that since the trip will coincide with the annual summer meeting of Chinese leaders' summer meeting at Beidaihe, his attempt to reach out to the world at this moment may antagonize Beijing and further damage the already fragile cross-strait relationship.

Unfortunately, the flaws in this don't-rock-the-boat argument weaken its persuasiveness. Under Taiwan's present diplomatic situation, in which sovereignty is a pretext for China's constant threats and suppression of international sympathy for it, Taiwan's foreign policy must undergo a transformation and become more comprehensive and pluralistic.

Chen's state visits will demonstrate his administration's determination to abide by the agreements and treaties signed by the KMT regime and its allies, while at the same time showing a strong will to consolidate friendship with those countries.

Taiwan is a small nation which cannot afford isolationist, self-centered conservative thinking. Precisely because it has very limited resources to count on, it should explore intensively a variety of channels to open new forums outside of the international mainstream. The new government's foreign policy, therefore, should consist of pragmatic strategies such as extensive participation in international activities, as well as a focus on establishing sustainable, long-term friendships.

Despite the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recent attempt to explore Taiwan's relations with inter-governmental and NGOs, it is also imperative for Chen to engage in state visits with diplomatic allies from Central America and Africa -- to express appreciation for their long-time support.