There have always been two opposite voices in Taiwan's cross-strait policy -- especially regarding the relaxation of the "no haste, be patient" (
Despite their distinct political understandings and opinions, both are trying to influence the direction of our China policy for the sake of the nation's survival and development.
Their love for Taiwan should not be purposely twisted as "betraying Taiwan" or "abandoning ideals" by some of those in power, since it is very difficult to reach a consensus on the cross-strait issue, and there is no standard to judge between right and wrong.
On Aug. 13, Vice President Annette Lu (
Lu not only intentionally ignored her promise to encourage diverse opinions from the conference, but also confused her own role as a member of Chen's administration.
Such a move was stunning and has seriously damaged Chen's credibility in holding the conference. He therefore clearly responded by saying that only those who lack confidence fear competition, saying that it is the wisest choice and the best direction for the government to replace the "no haste, be patient" policy with a policy of "proactive openness and effective management."
DPP Chairman Frank Hsieh (
As a solution to the problem, the DPP said that it does not wish to become an obstacle to the relaxation of the cross-strait policy, despite the varied opinions inside the party. For years, the DPP has advocated replacing "no haste, be patient" with a "strengthen the base and march west" policy.
Chen has also promoted cross-strait relations since the day he took office. From his declaration of the "four no's" -- no to declaring independence; no to changing Taiwan's formal name; no to including "state-to-state" in the ROC Constitution; and no to endorsing a referendum on independence -- to his "integration" dictum (
Such a policy would be a great help to Taiwan's economic development.
Why then would some of those in power shift the muzzle to their own people and impede Chen? Just as Chen said, those who are confident do not fear competition.
Taiwan has advantages in cooperating and competing with China. The nation should not be afraid of the capital outflow to China's market. Rather, with governmental support, companies relocating to China can have better conditions for competing with Chinese firms.
Taiwan's outstanding talent and management can get a foothold in China's market. This is the way for Taiwan not to be annexed by China's economy.
Taiwan's current policy of closing itself to China is no longer in keeping with its needs in light of global industrial development.
As the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are on the cusp of WTO entry, adopting the "strengthen the base and march west" policy and improving the competitiveness of local industry is the only hope for Taiwan's future.
Chen Sung-shan is a member of the Civil Service Protection and Training Commission at the Examination Yuan.
Translated by Eddy Chang
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