Taiwan, caught by increasing worries that China's recent economic and diplomatic victories would mar its future, yesterday received comfort from a China expert who said Taiwan will survive because the communist regime will shortly collapse.
Defying the recent wave of applause for Chinese leaders, both in Asia and around the world, Gordon Chang (章家敦), author of The Coming Collapse of China, told a largely pro-independence audience that intractable problems hidden in China will eventually bring the People's Republic to its knees.
Speaking to a packed hall at an international conference titled "Cross Straits Exchange and National Security of Taiwan" in Taipei, Chang said: "Today the 23 million people of Taiwan face their most dangerous moment."
"These days Taiwan looks so weak, and China appears so mighty as it goes from strength to strength and from victory to victory," Chang said.
"Many in the pro-China camp say political integration with Beijing is Taipei's only option, and, should Taiwan fail to unite with the People's Republic [of China], it will be left with nothing," Chang said.
"Some people here say that Taiwan cannot compete with Chinese industry. Taipei, therefore, could be forced to reconcile with the Mainland's leaders so that the island's business community can participate in the booming economy across the Strait," he added.
Chang, who has lived and worked in China for almost two decades, predicted China will collapse within this decade.
"First, the economy will fail, and then the political system will disintegrate. The Communist Party will no longer be governing China," he said.
"I say, although this is Taiwan's most dangerous moment, it is only a moment. In the long term, the trends are in Taiwan's favor. Soon we will see Taiwan get stronger and China get weaker," Chang said.
Cataloging China's enormous problems "from the economy to the environment, from debt to disease, from chaos to corruption," Chang said behind China's brilliant performances lie serious crises hard for the country to take.
"Yet China's failure does not necessarily mean Taiwan's success," Chang cautioned.
Vice President Annette Lu (
Lee recently launched a serious of activities and conferences to urge the public to realize Taiwan is a sovereign country.
Chang perceived now is a time some Taiwanese have found their confidence about the future wavering because China seems to score successes wherever it goes.
Lee, in his speech, emphasized it is urgent Taiwanese have to know Taiwan is an independent country and that the country is separate from China.
People in Taiwan will find it thorny to handle international affairs and cross-strait relations if they do not realize Taiwan and China are two distinct states, Lee said.
Of pan-blue pro-China politicians' attacks on President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) government, Lee said that such people had teamed up with China to stand against their own government.
China is Taiwan's enemy, Lee said, citing various examples to prove his point. "But there are people in Taiwan who treat our government as their enemy and China as their partner," he said.
Taiwan's over-dependence on China's economy triggered wide discussion in one conference session titled "The Cross Straits Economic Exchange and Its Impact on the National Security of Taiwan."
Economists and government officials joining the conference were worried about Taiwan's economic development because it has been too closely tied with China's economy.
Also See Stories:
Build state identity: conference
Forum warns of many risks to `Fortress Taiwan'
Lu warns public not to stumble into Beijing's `trap'
NO HUMAN ERROR: After the incident, the Coast Guard Administration said it would obtain uncrewed aerial vehicles and vessels to boost its detection capacity Authorities would improve border control to prevent unlawful entry into Taiwan’s waters and safeguard national security, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday after a Chinese man reached the nation’s coast on an inflatable boat, saying he “defected to freedom.” The man was found on a rubber boat when he was about to set foot on Taiwan at the estuary of Houkeng River (後坑溪) near Taiping Borough (太平) in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口), authorities said. The Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) northern branch said it received a report at 6:30am yesterday morning from the New Taipei City Fire Department about a
IN BEIJING’S FAVOR: A China Coast Guard spokesperson said that the Chinese maritime police would continue to carry out law enforcement activities in waters it claims The Philippines withdrew its coast guard vessel from a South China Sea shoal that has recently been at the center of tensions with Beijing. BRP Teresa Magbanua “was compelled to return to port” from Sabina Shoal (Xianbin Shoal, 仙濱暗沙) due to bad weather, depleted supplies and the need to evacuate personnel requiring medical care, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Jay Tarriela said yesterday in a post on X. The Philippine vessel “will be in tiptop shape to resume her mission” after it has been resupplied and repaired, Philippine Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who heads the nation’s maritime council, said
REGIONAL STABILITY: Taipei thanked the Biden administration for authorizing its 16th sale of military goods and services to uphold Taiwan’s defense and safety The US Department of State has approved the sale of US$228 million of military goods and services to Taiwan, the US Department of Defense said on Monday. The state department “made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale” to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US for “return, repair and reshipment of spare parts and related equipment,” the defense department’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a news release. Taiwan had requested the purchase of items and services which include the “return, repair and reshipment of classified and unclassified spare parts for aircraft and related equipment; US Government
More than 500 people on Saturday marched in New York in support of Taiwan’s entry to the UN, significantly more people than previous years. The march, coinciding with the ongoing 79th session of the UN General Assembly, comes close on the heels of growing international discourse regarding the meaning of UN Resolution 2758. Resolution 2758, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1971, recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the “only lawful representative of China.” It resulted in the Republic of China (ROC) losing its seat at the UN to the PRC. Taiwan has since been excluded from