An article entitled Sovereignty is the basis of economy written by The Taiwan Association of University Vice Chairmen Michael Tai (戴正德) was published in the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times' sister newspaper) on March 10. In it, Tai says that if the Taiwanese people place economic development before national sovereignty and independence, Taiwan's economy will lack foundation. He also reminds us that economic development requires national sovereignty and independence.
Unfortunately, the private-sector negotiations with China concerning weekend cross-strait charter flights, Chinese yuan exchanges and allowing Chinese tourists to visit Taiwan are actually detrimental to Taiwan.
To meet the requests of Taiwanese businesspeople investing in China and the domestic tourism industry, the government is equating "guaranteeing" sovereignty with "delaying" sovereignty and deceiving the public by entrusting the private sector with the negotiations. It is thus selling out the sovereignty of Taiwan while being trapped by Beijing's talk of Taiwan being a domestic Chinese matter.
Hopefully, the government will consider Taiwan and understand the profound meaning of Tai's words before it is too late.
The weekend flights and the currency exchange plan can hardly be seen as part of economic development. Although such flights will save time for businesspeople in Taiwan, it will also increase investment and tourism expenditure for businesspeople and the public.
According to a survey by the Chinese National Federation of Industries, opening cross-strait links will lead to an annual increase in Chinese-bound investment of almost NT$300 billion (US$9 billion). While a survey conducted by the Mainland Affairs Council shows that Taiwanese tourists traveling to China would increase by about 1.6 times, with an increase in expenditure of NT$70 billion, while spending by Chinese tourists in Taiwan is estimated to reach NT$25 billion.
A quick calculation suggests that Taiwan will suffer a net outflow of at least NT$345 billion per year if the plans are approved.
In addition to paying attention to the principle that economic development requires national sovereignty and independence, it is necessary to gain an in-depth understanding of the significance of economic autonomy and development when pursuing sovereignty and independence.
When Taiwan's capital and resources gradually shrink because of the opening of cross-strait links and deregulating banking investments in China, China's attraction will become stronger. By that time, any measure aimed at improving the domestic investment environment will be ineffective. Officially allowing trade in the Chinese yuan will cause it to gradually replace the New Taiwan Dollar and unhindered cross-strait trade will give it the status of a semi-national currency.
The "Three Yesses" -- yes to the pursuit of independence, name change and a new constitution -- will become an empty slogan. Economy feeds sovereignty, and when sovereignty no longer gets the nutrition it needs, it will wither and die.
Taiwan's economic foundation remains good. As long as the government protects our sovereignty and does not lift the bans on cross-strait links, China-bound investments by local banks and high-tech industry, the investment ceiling and circulation of the yuan which represents Chinese sovereignty before Beijing recognizes Taiwan's sovereignty, the fourth "Yes" -- the pursuit of economic development -- will follow automatically. This in time will lead to a change in the national title, a new constitution and normalization of Taiwan's national status.
Huang Tien-lin is a former national policy adviser to the president.
Translated by Eddy Chang
There is much evidence that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is sending soldiers from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — and is learning lessons for a future war against Taiwan. Until now, the CCP has claimed that they have not sent PLA personnel to support Russian aggression. On 18 April, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelinskiy announced that the CCP is supplying war supplies such as gunpowder, artillery, and weapons subcomponents to Russia. When Zelinskiy announced on 9 April that the Ukrainian Army had captured two Chinese nationals fighting with Russians on the front line with details
On a quiet lane in Taipei’s central Daan District (大安), an otherwise unremarkable high-rise is marked by a police guard and a tawdry A4 printout from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicating an “embassy area.” Keen observers would see the emblem of the Holy See, one of Taiwan’s 12 so-called “diplomatic allies.” Unlike Taipei’s other embassies and quasi-consulates, no national flag flies there, nor is there a plaque indicating what country’s embassy this is. Visitors hoping to sign a condolence book for the late Pope Francis would instead have to visit the Italian Trade Office, adjacent to Taipei 101. The death of
By now, most of Taiwan has heard Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) threats to initiate a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet. His rationale is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government’s investigation into alleged signature forgery in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) recall campaign constitutes “political persecution.” I sincerely hope he goes through with it. The opposition currently holds a majority in the Legislative Yuan, so the initiation of a no-confidence motion and its passage should be entirely within reach. If Chiang truly believes that the government is overreaching, abusing its power and targeting political opponents — then
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), joined by the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), held a protest on Saturday on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei. They were essentially standing for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which is anxious about the mass recall campaign against KMT legislators. President William Lai (賴清德) said that if the opposition parties truly wanted to fight dictatorship, they should do so in Tiananmen Square — and at the very least, refrain from groveling to Chinese officials during their visits to China, alluding to meetings between KMT members and Chinese authorities. Now that China has been defined as a foreign hostile force,
RSS