The historic Chen-Soong summit on Thursday announced that the 10-point agreement reached at the meeting is the common denominator for Taiwan. To push for the Chen-Soong meeting, President Chen Shui-bian (
After the Chen-Soong meeting, people with opposing views on issues of independence and reunification felt they had been duped. Disgruntled Taiwan independence activists severely criticized Chen and the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) while the dark blues also lambasted Soong and the People First Party (PFP). The reason that the Chen-Soong meeting caused some blue and green supporters anxiety was that it betrayed their political beliefs. When political values and promises are used to trade with enemies, it is no surprise that supporters are upset.
The consensus reached at the Chen-Soong meeting may have disappointed many, but it is still too early to declare it a failure. There are two benchmarks to measure the success of the ten-point consensus, the first of which is whether the arms purchase bill -- so long delayed in the legislature -- will finally be passed.
The PFP has been the political party most strongly opposed to the arms purchase, but during the meeting Soong agreed that "Taiwan needs sufficient national defense capabilities to ensure peace across the Taiwan Strait." He added that with security of the nation, stability across the Taiwan Strait and peace throughout the region as strategic objectives, Taiwan will acquire the necessary arms and military equipment for national defense purposes.
When Soong visited Washington, he gained a firsthand understanding of US concern over Taiwan's armaments and regional security. Then, after cross-strait security was included recently in the US-Japan Security Treaty, the security burden to be shouldered by Taiwan also increased. Whether the PFP's attitude towards the arms purchase bill has changed will be a touchstone for the summit's success or failure.
In the Chen-Soong summit, Chen has moved from the mainstream doctrine developed in recent years of "one China, one Taiwan," and regressed to "one China under the Constitution" (
The answer rests in whether the National People's Congress enacts its proposed anti-secession law after it meets on March 5. If China insists on going ahead with this legal and international propaganda war against Taiwan, then it will be clear that Taiwan's goodwill might just as well have been tossed into the Taiwan Strait. The sacrifices made in the name of the Chen-Soong summit are not insubstantial, but if this is the price of negotiation, then the PFP should also make some concessions regarding the arms procurement budget, and China should also make concessions regarding the anti-secession law, to show their sincerity. If the sacrifices are being made only by the green camp and by Taiwan, then it is not a case of each party benefiting and making concessions in equal measure, but is simply the looting and raping that follows defeat.
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