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Only China benefited from CCP, KMT forum

Former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman Lien Chan (連戰), accompanied by four of the party's vice chairmen, visited China last week to take part in a so-called "economic forum" with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

This trip, naturally, had the approval of present KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), although it could also be said that he didn't have any choice but to agree to it. Ma did not see Lien's delegation off at the airport -- a move which may or may not have been calculated. Ma did, however, back Lien up when President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) characterized the forum as "covering up malicious intentions," responding that it was the result of "an irresistible trend" and "what the people wanted."

The point is that Ma cannot remain neutral on issues such as this, and come the 2008 presidential elections, he will not be able to rely on his "political teflon" to deflect questions.

Of course, this meeting was more about politics than economics, and any economic measures agreed at the forum will have political implications, a fact that not even the pro-pan-blue media in Taiwan have tried to hide. Given the forum's political nature, we should measure its successes and failures from a political perspective. China has promised all kinds of measures that are supposedly good for Taiwan's economy. But are they really aimed at helping Taiwan, or at aiding eventual "unification?" The answer is as clear as day. Given that, we have to ask: Was the forum for Taiwan's benefit, or for China's? I'm afraid the answer is, again, plain for all to see.

This is the reason behind Ma's reluctance to see Lien off at the airport, and also why the Hong Kong press have labeled the chairman "the invisible man behind the forum." The Hong Kong media also pointed out that the meeting between Lien and Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) would be a prelude to the meeting between Hu and US President George W. Bush. This is further proof that China, rather than Taiwan, will benefit from this forum.

Although Ma maintains that the so-called "1992 consensus" allows for more than one interpretation of what "one China" means, Chen has sought to challenge this argument. The president said that since a consensus was supposedly reached in 1992, Lien should ask Hu to publicly support the KMT's interpretation of that agreement. However, Lien did not dare bring up the topic when he spoke with Hu. What's worse, when he was visiting the tomb containing Sun Yat-sen's (孫中山) personal effects and showing off his scratchy calligraphic skills, he dared not even write down the country's official title, the "Republic of China," but instead scribbled only the word"Republic." What nonsense is this? Without a modifier, it is quite meaningless. As the aim of the Lien-Hu meeting was to obliterate the Republic of China (ROC), Ma's talk of the Constitution embracing the concept of "one China" is also meaningless.

Pro-China Chinese-language newspapers believe that the trade concessions offered by China are directed at winning the support of pan-green Taiwanese businessmen and tearing down the bastion of Taiwanese independence. Politically speaking, although Beijing is still railing against Taiwanese independence, it has already annihilated the ROC. With the assistance of Ma and Lien, Beijing has brought an end to the ROC. If it is able to wipe out the cause of Taiwanese independence, then it will soon be able to "liberate" Taiwan.

If Ma wins the 2008 presidential election, cross-strait "unification" will be one step closer to becoming a reality.

Chin Heng-wei is the editor-in-chief of Contemporary Monthly magazine.

TRANSLATED BY PAUL COOPER AND DANIEL CHENG
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