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The KMT's real legacy: an either-or quagmire

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) congress recently passed a proposal on holding a referendum on opening direct cross-strait flights.

At the same time, it has passed amendments to the party charter, adding the phrase "prioritize Taiwan and benefit the people" to its second clause.

KMT Legislator John Chiang (蔣孝嚴) heavily criticized the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after Costa Rica terminated its diplomatic relations with Taiwan. He also said that the reason he accepted the post of foreign minister 10 years ago was different from the reason he later became a legislator. Chiang said there had been big changes in cross-strait relations over the past 10 years. Chiang also emphasized that cross-strait trade increased last year by up to US$88 billion.

It is true that cross-strait trade and other exchanges have increased over the past decade. But there is another story behind this reality -- the crisis of losing industries to China and the use of commerce to control the political situation.

People who identify themselves as Taiwanese are very worried about this and are on their guard to avoid winding up on the road to annexation.

People who support the KMT consider this trend in cross-strait relations a matter of course, believing that stable cross-strait relations are necessary for stable relations with the rest of the international community. Such people argue that the problems in foreign relations are a result of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government provoking China.

They even argue that the government's attempts to become a member of the WHO under the name Taiwan is wrong.

As the argument goes, applying to the WHO as Taiwan endangers the nation's relations with the 20-odd countries that recognize the Republic of China (ROC).

Although Costa Rica recently broke off diplomatic ties with Taiwan, that was mostly because of the money Beijing offered it to do so. There is no connection with President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) efforts to gain WHO membership.

As to those 20-odd diplomatic allies of the ROC, if someone were forcing them to recognize the ROC as the government of China, that would be a different story. Why should these countries face a choice between recognizing China or Taiwan?

Unfortunately, establishing relations with either China or Taiwan means having to break off relations with the other.

No progress has been made since the time when the UN General Assembly "solved" the issue of who had the right to represent China and Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) refused to allow his country to remain a member of the UN if China was also a member.

At that time, the US planned for representation by two Chinas or by one China and one Taiwan. Chiang insisted that "gentlemen won't stand together with thieves" and pulled Taiwan out of the UN, creating the either-or dilemma. Chiang's action hurt the Taiwanese and the KMT itself.

Because of his actions, it is international practice to consider the ROC as China -- either as a separate "China" or a province of the People's Republic of China.

This is what is impeding Taiwan's independence and Taiwanese know very well that the nation cannot make any progress under the name "Republic of China."

The KMT, however, is desperately holding on to its Republic of China ideology. Advocating this position can only lead to prioritizing China and disadvantaging Taiwanese.

Chen Yi-shen is associate researcher at the Academia Sinica's Institute of Modern History.

Translated by Anna Stiggelbout
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