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Both sides need flexibility

Your editorial ("China's inflexibility blocks progress," Oct. 15, page 8) correctly points out that Beijing's insistence on the "one China" principle before cross-strait talks and Taipei's unwillingness to do so make it impossible for the two sides to resume semi-official talks in the near future.

However, your editorial failed to recognize the dilemma Beijing faces. If it accepts President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) proposal, it would mean that Beijing agrees with Chen's "the Republic of China is Taiwan, and Taiwan is the Republic of China" statement. (Which, by the way, is tantamount to a revision of the Republic of China's Constitution.)

From Beijing's perspective, Chen's speech was aimed at pleasing the US and garnering votes at the year-end legislative elections.

If Beijing agrees to talk now, it will give political points to Chen and his party, which Beijing is absolutely unwilling to do. But if Beijing rejects Chen's proposal as it has, Taiwan and probably the US will blame Beijing for the continued stalemate of cross-strait relations. Neither choice is in Beijing's favor.

Beijing had hoped to wait out Chen, but the strategy has backfired. Even without him, Taiwanese identity is growing rapidly. So China may have to face reality and talk to an increasingly assertive Taiwan. But resolving the cross-strait dispute will require patience, wisdom and sincerity from both sides.

Just as Beijing cannot force Taiwan to accept the "one China" principle now, Taiwan simply cannot force upon China the claim that Taiwan is a sovereign and independent country, or there is one country on each side of the Taiwan Strait, before cross-strait negotiations.

Only when both sides become flexible can serious cross-strait talks be resumed.

Zhu Zhiqun
Bridgeport, Connecticut
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