On the eve of the 21st century, officials at the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) expressed its desire yesterday to see progress in relations across the Taiwan Strait for the year 2000, rather than a repeat of 1999, which they referred to as "a year of lost hopes."
"At the beginning of the new century we hope that relations will develop with peace and stability," Su Chi (
Su reiterated his hopes that China's and Taiwan's entry into the WTO would be a channel both sides could use to restore relations and exchanges that ground to a halt in 1999.
PHOTO: AFP
"We hope the opportunity Koo Chen-fu (
But such hopes pale in comparison to the problems both sides face this year.
After president lee Teng-hui (
China said future talks would resume when Taiwan revokes its "state-to-state" stance.
Taiwan, however, has showed no signs of budging on the issue.
Su said the problem lay not with Taiwan, but China, which has continued to pursue its own agenda in total disregard to the needs of Taiwan.
"This is not because the ROC said something or did something, it's because China has other plans in mind," he said.
Su summed up his thoughts on China's approach with a Chinese epithet: "yi-wo-wei-zhu, dui-wo-you-li (
In addition, Su said, China's growing pattern of domestic instability, and "blind trust in the military" are negative signs.
China is "increasingly using military strategy to look at the Taiwan question," he said.
With the island's second direct presidential election coming up in March, a decrease in tension between Taiwan and China does not appear a likely prospect. China has become increasingly defensive about the Taiwan issue over the past year, Su said.
"No matter whether it is toward the US, the Republic of China, or other countries, China has developed a trend of overreacting to other countries," Su said. "This has further complicated the situation across the Taiwan Strait," he said.
Su played down the ramifications the election could have on ties with the mainland.
"The majority of people want to maintain the status-quo and those who support either independence or unification with China represent extreme cases," Su said.
The problem, however, is that "China takes those who represent the status-quo portion and considers them to be supporters of independence," Su added.
"This is an absolutely incorrect analysis of the situation and has led to unnecessary nervousness across the Taiwan Strait."
During the Taiwan's first direct presidential election in 1996, China held joint forces military exercises and launched missiles into the Taiwan Strait as a warning to President Lee over what the mainland claimed were his moves toward independence.
Any attempt to repeat such heavy persuasion would be a mistake, Su added.
"If China takes the approach of scolding and criticizing Taiwan -- calling every move it makes a move toward independence -- then it will continue to be difficult to improve relations across the Taiwan Strait," he said.
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