Stopping Ma
When Georgetown University professor Robert Sutter repeatedly urged the US government to re-evaluate US-Taiwan relations, people in some quarters brushed aside as an isolated voice his assertion of the possibility of Washington’s abandonment of Taiwan.
It was more likely that he was one of the few who cared enough to warn against the dire consequences of President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) westward plunge, while most US experts have already filed it away as a foregone conclusion.
Regardless, a new vetting of Washington’s Taiwan policy might be inevitable and might not be completely unwelcome to Taiwanese if Washington can come up with something more farsighted than “status quo.”
Such a state of limbo, in which Taiwan has no formal sovereignty and no constitution of its own other than inheriting remnants of the defunct Republic of China, seemed to suffice until the day Taiwanese elected Ma as their president. Overnight, Taiwanese found themselves going up a river without a paddle.
Taiwan’s geostrategic position dictates that long-term stability in the region would only be tenable when Taiwan becomes a normal, independent country as long as China’s democratization remains a pipe dream. That could hold true even in the unlikely event of China undergoing a democratic metamorphosis. This bodes well for eventual Taiwanese independence. But it is how and when to get there that would make all the difference in the lives of Taiwanese for decades, even generations, to come.
A fresh look is necessary now that the “status quo” has become but a cliché interpreted and exploited by various entities to suit their disparate purposes.
When former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) spoke out for Taiwan’s sovereignty, he was castigated by Washington and other nations in the West for disturbing regional tranquility.
In contrast, Ma’s 10-month-old subjugating effort garnered an international chorus of praise for defusing a time bomb in the region while the pace of Beijing’s build-up of missiles trained at Taiwan accelerated. Yet there is nary a beep out of the US State Department lamenting the erosion of “status quo.”
Taiwanese by no means hold sway concerning how that pendulum — which represents the cross-strait status — will keep swinging before settling into the most stable position of an independent and neutral Taiwan. But Taiwanese still have the faculty to at least minimize if not stay completely out of harm’s way by launching an all-out effort to check Ma and company.
Beijing’s desire for de facto unification will only beget more desire for de jure unification, which would thoroughly disrupt the age-old strategic equilibrium and precipitate years — if not decades — of instability in the region.
If Ma cannot be stopped now, Taiwan’s fate as that epicenter might be sealed.
HUANG JEI-HSUAN
Los Angeles, California
Investigating baseball
Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) is reported to have called the recent performance of Taiwan’s baseball team against China “unacceptable.” He has called for action on the team’s “lackluster” performance.
He is right in this regard, and I wholeheartedly agree that there should be a thorough, in-depth investigation into the recent match and the one in Beijing about half a year ago.
Let me commend the premier first for taking this issue so seriously and giving it all due regard. Just half a year ago, there were certain prominent Taiwanese politicians who were hailing the fact that the Taiwanese team would enjoy the “home field advantage” in Beijing. I’m glad to see a more sober and realistic attitude and that prominent Taiwanese politicians are now “singing” an entirely different “song.”
Liu, who was reportedly stunned and angry over the result, has called for a meeting with Sports Affairs Council Chairwoman Tai Hsia-ling (戴遐齡) to “boost” the performance level of baseball players in Taiwan by improving the “physical environment.”
But there could be something very sinister afoot, and I would also ask that the possible manipulation on the part of organized crime groups by means of intimidation and/or extortion not be ruled out.
This is a possibility given the power and influence of triads in Taiwan and China. Special investigators should look into and study the betting patterns of high-stakes gamblers in places such as Hong Kong and Macau, as well as Taiwan. Such high-rolling punters would have made a killing, had they placed their bets on a win by China. Such people could have used their connections with organized crime groups to their advantage by manipulating the results.
In certain respects, baseball could be called sacred in that it is so representative of Taiwan. Baseball is very important to many Taiwanese. Taiwanese should fight tooth and nail to make sure that this “sacred sport” is never profaned by the taint and stench of corruption.
MICHAEL SCANLON
East Hartford, Connecticut
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