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Letters: Where is Ting's logic?

It seems that Henry Ting has trouble with logic ("Coexisting with China necessary," Feb. 17, page 8).

Throughout his article he presents a rational argument for engaging China economically as the rest of the world is doing.

Ting fails either by intent or by lack of logic to use the same argument for Taiwan.

He fails to differentiate between a unified economy (which he grants others are doing) and a country unified under one government -- even if it is despotic -- which he suggests Taiwan do: "The Chen government or its successor should drop the requirement that China must be democratic before unification can happen."

Ting appears to be another Chinese Communist Party tool by taking political and not economic unification as a foregone conclusion for the democracy of Taiwan and by not making distinctions between the two methods.

It is true Taiwan need not antagonize China by overtly stating the obvious, but by the same token, China need not antagonize Taiwan by pointing missiles at it and demanding Taipei submit to its will.

Taiwan can be the engine that propels democratization in China by its example and by showing that the democratic spirit is not inimical to the Chinese culture, as some have suggested.

That is how it is "the key for a permanent solution for all problems in the region," not by submission to preordained talks.

Jerome Keating

Taipei
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