This weekend’s “election” in Hong Kong provided a glimpse of what Beijing and its cronies would like to implement in Taiwan if they could.
The territory’s people had absolutely no say in the choice of their next leader, Beijing loyalist Leung Chun-ying (梁振英). Instead, Leung was chosen in a packed convention center by 1,200 politicians and tycoons with leanings toward China.
There was never any doubt that Beijing would have its way, because China’s leaders have done whatever they can to stifle the democratic aspirations of people in Hong Kong since 1997.
Although never democratic, even under British rule, Hong Kong citizens have been promised full suffrage by 2017. However, that now appears to be receding into the distant future, because it is only five years away and China has done nothing to indicate it has any intention of introducing direct elections for the territory’s leader.
This is the “one country, two systems” formula that Beijing wants to foist on Taiwan. It does not matter which formulation one prefers — “one country, two areas,” or “one country, two interpretations” — the end result would be the same. Beijing would call the shots and loyal Taiwanese tycoons would do what they were told.
Although there are obvious differences between Taiwan and Hong Kong — Taipei has a military and a vibrant democracy — politicians loyal to China have come up with a plan to erode, degrade and disband the Taiwanese military, while buying up most of its media resources with Beijing-backed money.
Doing away with the military would make it impossible for Taiwan to fight China, while investing heavily in the media makes it possible for Beijing--oriented news organizations to erode the foundations of democracy in Taiwan from within.
China is also deliberately creating a new generation of tycoons in Taiwan by offering economic incentives of the type seen in the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) signed by Taiwan and China in June 2010. The ECFA “early harvest” list gives preferential trade treatment to hundreds of products, turning China into the primary export market for many of Taiwan’s finished products. This serves Beijing’s long-term goals in two ways — it creates a class of Taiwanese tycoons loyal to China, while making Taiwan’s economy increasingly dependent on the “motherland.”
If things keep going in this direction, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) will be the last president directly elected by Taiwanese: The next president woud likely be chosen at a Chinese Communist Party-Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) conclave like the one that recently concluded in China, at which former KMT chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) kowtowed to Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤), accepting Taiwan as just a region of China.
Although this approach might seem new, it is actually very old. Western countries used it for centuries to keep their colonial possessions in check. Originally used by the Portuguese, compradores were native managers of Western colonial businesses who were made rich by keeping the colonial power happy and the local population obedient.
Hong Kong’s tycoons are the modern-day equivalent in Beijing’s comprador system, and judging by the number of Ferarris and Lamborghinis on the roads in Taipei these days, and the skyrocketing price of luxury housing, Taiwan does not appear to be very far behind.
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