Soong hogs China policy limelight

Independent presidential candidate James Soong (宋楚瑜) had a big day in front of the cameras yesterday, dueling with a Chinese academic live on CNN and then explaining his proposed cross-strait policy later to a domestic audience.

There was a marked contrast between the two, as Soong tried to extrapolate on his CNN comments to local viewers, focusing on what he called his two-pronged cross-strait policy blueprint. This policy, he said, entailed seeking a "mutual nonaggression treaty" with China, while defining cross-strait ties as "quasi-international."

Critics, however, said there is no real distinction between the policy and that of other presidential candidates.

During a live interview on CNN yesterday, in which he debated cross-strait issues with Yan Xuetong (閹學通), director of the Chinese Institute for Contemporary International Relations, Soong said that if elected president, he would de-escalate cross-strait tensions and encourage dialogue by proposing a mutual non-aggression treaty be signed in front of international witnesses.

To ensure cross-strait stability, Soong said there are two important preconditions: that any change in the status quo must be approved by Taiwan's people, and that whatever happens in the Taiwan Strait should not disrupt the entire Asia-Pacific region.

Under such circumstances, Soong said the mutual nonaggression treaty with international witnesses present would be preferable to international intervention, referring in particular to the US and Japan.

He also said that while it was necessary to build up the nation's armed forces, he would define them as "defensive" in nature, not designed with military competition with China in mind.

Speaking to local reporters after the CNN interview, Soong described cross-strait ties as being a "quasi-international relationship based on mutual non-jurisdiction (互不 隸屬)" and "mutually exclusive sovereignty (相對主權)."

"When China and Taiwan both enter into the WTO this year, it will become obvious that the cross-strait relationship is neither a domestic nor entirely international affair,'' Soong said.

Soong's policy advisers later explained the concept of a "quasi-international relationship."

"Although Taiwan and China are separate states, their interaction inevitably produces mixed effects,'' said Shaw Chong-hai (邵宗海), a political scientist at National Chengchi University, who drafted Soong's policy.

"The special ties between Taiwan and China are similar to the Earth and the moon, which run in their respective orbits but, given their rhythms, it would be very difficult to cut all connections between them,'' Shaw added.

Soong's new proposals immediately came under fire by both opposition leaders and academics.

Lin Chia-cheng (林嘉誠), policy director for the DPP's presidential hopeful Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), said there was nothing new in suggesting a mutual nonaggression treaty. Anyway, he said, the problem is not Taiwan having enough offers but Beijing accepting them.

"China would never allow the cross-strait issue to be internationalized. Therefore I can't see any possibility at present of reaching such a pact with China,'' Lin said.