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Nothing about Hu's commentsis flexible

`The biggest problem in cross-strait relations is that China does not respect Taiwan's status as a political entity or its independence and sovereignty.'

With his political report to the 17th Chinese Communist Party (CCP) National Congress, Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) for the first time put the words "a formal end to the state of hostility between the two sides [Taiwan and China]" and "reach a peace agreement" with Taiwan into an official party document. The outside world believes that this is a confirmation of the direction of Hu's Taiwan policy, and a sign of flexible changes in China's strategy and tactics against Taiwan.

Hu has dominated policymaking since he becoming the China's fourth-generation leader. Since the mission of reclaiming Hong Kong and Macau has been resolved, bringingTaiwan under Beijing's control has become Hu's remaining major task.

In the face of the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) constant push for de jure independence -- for example, its push for a referendum on Taiwan's UN entry -- China cannot risk being careless. In addition to trying to "use" the US to constrain Taiwan, one of its strategic goals is to portray Taiwan as a cross-strait troublemaker and a threat to Asia-Pacific peace and security.

Although Hu did not say a word about the DPP's referendum drive, he stressed that, "China's sovereignty and territorial integrity brook no division, and any matter in this regard must be decided by the entire Chinese people including our Taiwan compatriots ... We will never allow anyone to separate Taiwan from the motherland in any name or by any means."

This implies a resolve not not give up the option to resolve the issue by force.

Taiwan should therefore not be too optimistic or have too high expectations on Hu's call for a formal end to the state of hostility between the two sides "on the basis of the `one China' principle" and the construction of a framework for peaceful cross-strait development. This is because the biggest problem in cross-strait relations is that China does not respect Taiwan's status as a political entity or its independence and sovereignty. Beijing will not make any concessions or compromises on its insistence on handling the Taiwan issue based on the "one China" principle.

China is trying to handle the Taiwan issue by constraining it with the help of other countries and by both promising peace and threatening war. It is constantly trying to isolate Taiwan internationally, which has resulted in the deterioration of the nation's international image and position. This not only hurts the dignity of 23 million Taiwanese but also threatens the nation's safety.

If Beijing does not withdraw the more than 1,000 ballistic missiles targeting Taiwan and promise not to attack the nation, any peace agreement is just a prettier version of its original strategy, because the true nature of China's Taiwan policy is to promote unification by force -- a strategy it will never give up.

Yao Chung-yuan is a doctoral student in the Graduate Institute of National Development at National Taiwan University.

Translated by Eddy Chang
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