The US' top representative in Taiwan yesterday echoed calls by President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) for a restart of cross-strait dialogue, without the political conditions that would force Taiwan to accept the "one China" policy.
Raymond Burghardt, director of the semi-official American Institute in Taiwan, recommended a return to an understanding reached between the two sides in 1992 whereby political issues -- including "one China" -- would be shelved.
"[In 1992] the negotiators decided to put aside the intractable political issues concerning sovereignty and the definition of `one China' in order to make progress on practical issues," said Burghardt, who was speaking at a luncheon held by the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei. "That still seems like a wise formula to resume dialogue."
Chen has maintained that the "1992 consensus" entailed simply an understanding to hold discussions free of political preconditions and that there was no consensus on "one China."
Burghardt agreed.
Delivering what he termed a "completely personal analysis of what happened," Burghardt said that "the phrase `the 1992 consensus' [with each side having its own interpretation of `one China'] which was used by the Kuomintang government to some extent is confusing and misleading. I would say there wasn't a consensus, there was an agreement.
"That's what happened. Nothing more or nothing less," he said.
An exchange of faxes between the two sides at that time detailing their respective positions, in which there was "some language that overlapped and some language that differed," was determined by Taiwan and China to have constituted an agreement to hold talks, Burghardt said.
Andrew Yang (
Yang said that, "Instead of both sides discussing this issue or trying to clarify ... `one China,' Chen is instead offering Beijing improved economic measures that will open the door to greater cross-strait trade and interaction."
Chen has come under mounting pressure from opposition politicians and the business community to accept the "1992 consensus" as if it were an implicit understanding that both sides recognized "one China."
But while offering to discuss "one China" in cross-strait talks, Chen refuses to agree to accept the concept as a condition to negotiations.
Observers have likened Beijing's insistence on acceptance of "one China" as a trap, severely curtailing Taiwan's room to negotiate.
"Beijing wants to use their version of the 1992 understanding to trap Taiwan," Yang said.
Acceptance of any version of "one China" would give the impression Taiwan had caved in to Beijing, he said.
In addition to the semantic struggle over the conditions for talks, chances for cross-strait dialogue will likely be hampered by Beijing's change in leadership which will begin in earnest next year, Burghardt said.
"The leadership transition in Beijing is only going to make it harder than usual for the leaders there to show any flexibility. I think it's very unlikely there are going to be cross-strait talks before Taiwan's election in December," he said.
Burghardt, who has served as director of the AIT since August 1999, has been tapped to serve as the next US ambassador to Vietnam. His appointment is still awaiting confirmation by the Senate, he said.
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