The most valuable thing Taiwan will get from the recently passed Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement will be the ability to move more freely on the international stage and to strike free-trade agreements.
To echo the view of the Economist, Taiwan will not unify with China simply to take advantage of a few tariff breaks, nor will there be a permanent peace across the Taiwan Strait, especially as China has failed to reduce the number of missiles it aims at Taiwan.
Achieving trade agreements with Southeast Asian nations and beyond is crucial to President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) re-election campaign. Therefore, if China pressures them not to sign, Ma’s electoral hopes will be dealt a serious blow. However, such an outcome is not in Beijing’s interest. China is comfortable with Ma and feels that it can trust him. Its worst nightmare is the return to power of the Democratic Progressive Party.
Between now and the 2012 presidential election, Taiwan has a window of opportunity to promote itself on the international stage and to better economically connect with other countries. This will strengthen Taiwan’s own identity and sovereignty.
However, in order to make the most of this, Taiwan must seriously improve the promotion of its international image.
Expensive government advertisements placed in upscale US magazines have a limited effect when it comes to creating a clear image of Taiwan. Unfortunately, mentioning Taiwan to many in the US elicits the response that the shopping in Bangkok (Thailand) is fantastic.
The challenge is here and now. The Taiwan lobby in the US Congress was weakened under former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁). Now that China is successfully copying many of the lobby’s techniques, the growth in influence of the pro-China business lobby only adds to the urgency of the matter.
While China aggressively expands the number of its Confucius Institutes, of which there are already 316 operating in 94 countries, serving as instruments of soft power through promoting the study of Chinese language and culture, I have yet to see or hear of any of the promised “Taiwan Academies” being established.
As China prepares to shape world opinion with its expanded information campaign, Taiwan ought to follow the example of Japan or Germany. Japan’s NHK World is an English-language TV program that is broadcast in the US and focuses on Japanese affairs. Germany enhances its global image through the Deutsche Welle, which broadcasts TV shows, in several languages, about all aspects of contemporary Germany. Other examples can be found in the UK’s BBC World and France 24. Clearly, China sees the benefit of such TV programs as it will soon start its own English-language TV programming with global reach.
During a recent visit to the East-West Center in Hawaii, eminent US-China scholar Jerome Cohen said it all: “It [Taiwan] is certainly free and certainly impressive. Taiwan is a great product for soft power. It has something to sell,” but hasn’t made enough effort to get its story out there.
It is the story of an agrarian-based former colony that bore the brunt of authoritarianism under the boot of martial law, transformed itself into a key link in the global supply chain of computer parts and established a vibrant participatory democracy based on the rule of law. Many nations would like to enjoy the standard of living and freedom that Taiwan has achieved.
Unfortunately, Taiwan’s priorities are confused. After a dismal showing at the 2008 Olympics, Taiwan is reported to be investing significant sums to do better in 2012. In contrast, it seems far less sure of what to do when it comes to improving international communications.
Bill Sharp is a faculty member of Hawaii Pacific University in Honolulu.
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, people have been asking if Taiwan is the next Ukraine. At a G7 meeting of national leaders in January, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida warned that Taiwan “could be the next Ukraine” if Chinese aggression is not checked. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said that if Russia is not defeated, then “today, it’s Ukraine, tomorrow it can be Taiwan.” China does not like this rhetoric. Its diplomats ask people to stop saying “Ukraine today, Taiwan tomorrow.” However, the rhetoric and stated ambition of Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on Taiwan shows strong parallels with