Measures to strengthen economic and cultural relations with China in a way that would assure an eventual unification are already part of KMT policy. This will probably tilt the upcoming presidential election to being another debate on Taiwan's identity.
Taiwan's political parties are already setting their sights on the 2007 legislative elections and the 2008 presidential poll. If observers in Washington and Beijing are looking, they will see an electorate that is tired of political wrangling, including many who are willing to risk economic dependence on China. But mostly, they will see voters who are not interested, and therefore not informed, about the politics that could fundamentally change their lifestyles and their children's futures.
In play between the two major political parties are many of the normal issues debated between parties in any democracy: social welfare, construction projects, limits on political funding, pensions, personnel and budgets. The continuous jostling for advantage on these issues is normal.
Unfortunately, Taiwan has one priority issue that overshadows all the others -- the lack of consensus on national identity.
There are three years before the next president is chosen. That is a long time in politics. Perhaps, during the debates that will go on leading up to the local and legislative elections, the government, the media, universities and schools, and even the politicians, can speak to the voters about the choices for Taiwan's statehood.
That is an enormous task, but a critical necessity. Voters see "status quo" as the answer -- thinking that staying neutral can last as long as they like. My last article tried to explain why this is illusory. The result would not be a choice, but eventual unification. Ambiguity dominates the language between Taiwan, the US and China. In addition, election campaigns tend to be dominated by unreliable rhetoric. With the lack of interest among so many voters, addressing this problem should be today's top priority.
Nat Bellocchi is a former chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan and is now a special adviser to the Liberty Times Group. The views expressed in this article are his own.
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