Editorial: The 'hidden' dragon roars

If history is sometimes made in small steps, sometimes by gigantic leaps, so the strong showing made by Taiwan's nominated film at the Oscar Awards ceremony was the result of many small advances and big steps for Taiwan creativity and Asian film-making. It is to film director Ang Lee's (李安) personal glory that he has achieved the success he has today, having overcome myriad adversities through sheer dedication and will power. But in the process, he has also shared his glory with the people of Taiwan.

It was a moment of joy throughout the country when Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (臥虎藏龍) won the Best Foreign-Language Film Oscar and three other awards. There was a feeling of deja vu and a flashback to the 1970s, when Taiwan's Little League baseball teams won one "world championship" after another in the US. We only word to describe the mood is euphoric.

We congratulate and thank Lee and his colleagues for their efforts. They have significantly raised Taiwan's visibility in the international community and provided clear evidence of the progress Taiwan society has made in the cultural sphere in recent years.

From the years of former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) to today's Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) government, Taiwan is only a little more than 10 years into democratization. But Taiwan society has changed so drastically since the martial law era that it bears little comparison to what it was. Today's Taiwan is not only one of the world's top trading nations, but also an important bastion of the global IT industry. Taiwan has cemented its leadership in the third wave of democratization.

Such dazzling accomplishments are no doubt the results of persistent efforts, made at tremendous costs, by people working in all different areas -- people like Lee -- in the face of extremely difficult situations. Ang Lee's achievement, like those of other outstanding Taiwanese, has highlighted the role Taiwan is capable of playing in international cultural exchanges. Taiwan has demonstrated, again and again, that it can make positive contributions to cultural exchanges between East and West.

As we all know, Taiwan has suffered endless blows from certain powers trying to block it from becoming a member of the international community, despite its cooperative attitude toward international affairs. However, such long years of political injustice and diplomatic isolation have not withered the will power of the people of Taiwan. On the contrary, the residents of this beautiful island, Ilha Formosa, have been able to fully utilize their intelligence and work political and economic miracles. Lee's impressive achievements in the film industry are the latest additions to these achievements, which will push Taiwan forward on the path to a cultural miracle. This, in fact, is a proper role for a country with a society, traditions and aspirations compatible with modern civilization.

Taiwan's overall performance today is an indication that the country is getting closer to modern civilized nations and that the people of Taiwan's pursuit of peace, self-determination and prosperity is in sync with that of the international community. How could anyone, it this day and age, ask Taiwan's 23 million people to place their burgeoning vitality in the unjustifiable grip of a communist regime? To be allowed to continue, unencumbered, on their self-chosen path is the pervasive wish of the people of Taiwan. For them, this is also the greatest significance of Ang Lee's leadership of the creative team that won four Oscars. In Los Angeles, in front of a worldwide television audience, the "hidden" dragon that is Taiwan roared for all to hear.