While reminding Taiwan to remain alert to all subsequent developments over the tension ignited by North Korea's nuclear weapons program, academics at a seminar yesterday said that Taiwan should take the crisis as an opportunity to highlight its democratic reforms.
"Taiwan should take this opportunity to promote its positive image -- for example, the development of democracy, its economic strength and modernization -- to the international community to offer an example that counters the North Korean regime," said Kuo Chien-chung (
The seminar was held to discuss the effects and possible impacts on North Korea's nuclear program to regional security in Northeast Asia.
North Korea admitted to a secret nuclear arms program last October. Fears over regional security intensified when it abruptly carried out anti-ship missile tests on the eve of the inauguration of South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun late last month and was reported to have fired up a key nuclear reactor.
Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Vice Chairman Chen Ming-tong (
"Via the nuclear crisis ignited by North Korea, Taiwan can take this opportunity to sell its positive image to the international community to show the world how different Taiwan is from North Korea."
Chen also said that the government's approach to the North Korean crisis is to remain alert, and keep abreast of both China's reaction and US-China interaction.
"Washington has stated that it is not prepared to compromise its support for Taiwan to get China's help in persuading North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program," Chen said, referring to the US' effort to lobby China to use its influence on North Korea.
"And thus what the government will do is continue to remain observant and monitor all interaction between Washington and Beijing."
Foundation chairman Chen Lung-chu (
Noting that South Korea has expressed its willingness to aid North Korea economically, though its trade with North Korea in 2001 amounted to approximately US$300 million, Kuo suggested Taiwan take the opportunity to examine its own trade interactions with China.
Trade between Taiwan and China in 2001 was about US$30 billion, Kuo said.
"South Korea, being in a similar situation -- facing a military threat from its neighbor [as Taiwan does from China] -- is adopting a policy of talking pretty but acting pragmatically," Kuo said.
"I think such a tactic is worth studying."
Lin Cheng-yi (林正義), a research fellow at the Institute of European and American Studies at Academia Sinica, noted that the tension concerning North Korea could impact Taiwan in two ways.
"While a negative result might be that of an arms race in the region, a positive outcome for Taiwan would be China's need to deploy its military forces to regions bordering North Korea. And that will definitely help reduce its military threat against Taiwan," Lin said.
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