Relations between Taiwan and the US are now at their best since diplomatic ties were severed in 1979. This is as true in the diplomatic arena as it is in defense, economic and private spheres. But Taipei should not become complacent or flippant because the trilateral relations between Taiwan, the US and China can suddenly change. Such changes can be brought about by the slightest indiscretion, whether in a crisis situation or in routine operations.
Now a dark cloud has risen in Taipei-Washington defense cooperation. The US has expressed unhappiness about the frequent leaking of secrets about cooperative efforts and is now considering letting Taiwan "feel some pain." A recent example was revelations by Jane's Defence Weekly about the US and Taiwan sharing satellite intelligence. The story received wide coverage in the local media. US defense officials refused to confirm or deny the reports, but they were extremely unhappy about Taiwan's leaking of the secrets.
Taiwan is a free and democratic country and people here enjoy no less freedom of speech than citizens of most other democracies. But intense media competition has led to secret information being exposed. Officialdom has filed many lawsuits against the media over such matters, but that has hardly stopped the leaks. In fact, blaming the media does nothing to stop the government officials and legislators who leak secrets.
The political rivalry over the issue of independence versus unification is behind most of the leaks by officials and legislators. The country's top leadership also leaks secrets about defense cooperation from time to time in order to prove that the US is supporting Taipei. The problem is that such leaks can create trouble in US-China defense and diplomatic relations. Such a breach of trust wastes the accumulated political capital that the US government has put into mutual trust.
The legislature passed the State Secrets Protection Law (
The new law gives the government the power to draw such boundaries, but this can hinder the people's right to know as well as their right to monitor the government. Without a complementary information disclosure law to strike a balance between state secrets and freedom of speech, the nation's democratic development could be endangered. The legislature should quickly pass such a bill in the next session.
When a conflict occurs between state secrets and freedom of speech, the people can ask judges to arbitrate and set forth clear rules on the actual handling of state secrets and freedom of speech. Only through constant conflicts and settlement can society find the optimum boundary between the need for state secrets and freedom of speech. Only then can it make this boundary a standard for its behavior.
Taiwan has a short history of practising freedom and democracy, and the practice still has many imperfections. But it has also gone through many revisions and rectifications. The leaking of secrets is the result of an over-excited reaction to the past repression of the freedom of speech. A new political and media precedent will gradually take shape once an information disclosure law joins the State Secrets Protection Law in the nation's lawbooks.
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