Editorial: Diplomacy must transcend parties

President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and his delegation returned Sunday night after a successful eight-nation, 13-day tour. In his speech at CKS International Airport, Chen said that Taiwan must find its oasis in the diplomatic desert. This highlights not only the nation's diplomatic predicament but also the two Chiangs' (蔣) rigid insistence on the policy that "gentlemen and thieves cannot coexist." They refused to learn from the "dual recognition" of East and West Germany during the Cold War, and severed diplomatic ties with whoever established ties with China. As a result, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs became a subject of ridicule.

Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) refused US advice to give up the Republic of China's seat on the UN Security Council for regular UN membership. Taiwan was therefore expelled from the UN in 1971, and since then has been repeatedly defeated diplomatically. In 1979, US president Jimmy Carter severed ties with the Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) administration. The number of our diplomatic allies continues to shrink, and is now less than 30.

Taiwan cannot live without diplomatic allies. Without them, it would become so isolated as to give legitimacy to China's claim of sovereignty. Without international support, no one will come to Taiwan's aid if China invades on the pretext that it is putting an end to a civil war. National security considerations therefore dictate that the president and vice president must spare no effort in visiting our diplomatic allies in Africa, Central America and the Caribbean as part of the nation's ongoing diplomatic battle with China.

In the current situation, the use of economic aid to support our diplomatic allies is unavoidable. This is not simply through the gift of money. For example, in the past, Taiwan dispatched agricultural delegations to help diplomatic allies, with excellent results. This is an obvious example of creating a diplomatic win-win situation. As to the "Jung Pang (榮邦專案) project " proposed by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), it is a new approach that aims to correct previous errors in financial aid packages. Therefore, opposition lawmakers should not smear the government and humiliate the president and his administration. A nation's diplomacy should be a continuous and non-partisan process. A loyal opposition party should monitor government aid policy to ensure that funds are not misspent or pilfered, hurting diplomatic relations that have been so built up through painstaking effort.

The time the president and vice-president consume in making these visits is not really an issue. The problem is that a small number of pan-blue politicians and members of the pro-unification media are constantly trying to pull the president down. They even go so far as to report on confidential aspects of the trip, totally disregarding the interests of the nation and serving as informers for China. Some shameless politicians have even described the government's "Jung Pang " project as being "extravagant diplomacy" -- as if the government is following in the footsteps of the Chinese National Party (KMT) regime, which knew no other way of conducting diplomacy than providing fat kickbacks for foreign politicians. They did not even consider the possibility of creating a diplomatic and commercial policy that could result in a win-win situation for both countries. These pan-blue politicians are both hateful and pathetic.

Before such politicians come out with allegations of "extravagant diplomacy," they should give some thought to the KMT's past diplomatic strategies, and to who created Taiwan's present-day international isolation. Having said that, it is necessary for the DPP to ensure the success of the "Jung Pang" project, winning the acknowledgement of both the governing and opposition parties and thereby breaking the grip that China exerts on Taiwan's diplomatic efforts.

Only then can these presidential trips be considered worthwhile.