Freedom and democracy a good foundation for cross-strait talks

Two Chinese dissidents in attendance at President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) inauguration have urged their mainland counterparts to take note of Taiwan's transition to democracy, while warning the island against the possibility of Chinese military aggression.

Former Chinese student democracy leader Wang Dan (王丹) said Taiwan should use democracy and freedom as a foundation for talks with China and predicted that a democratic transition would take place on the mainland in a few decades.

"To emphasize democracy and freedom in cross-strait dialogues is good for both Taiwan and China," Wang said.

"We observed the changes in Taiwan and we believe this will happen on the mainland sooner or later," he said, referring to Taiwan's transition from military rule to a democracy.

"I think in 10 to 15 years a dramatic change will happen there and then we will be able to return home. From the road the DPP has walked, I think we mainland freedom fighters can learn a lot, like utilizing domestic resources and increasing influence at the grass-roots level."

Wei Jingsheng (魏京生), who spent nearly 18 years in jail in China between 1979 and 1998 after calling for democratic reform, warned of the ever-present threat of war across the Taiwan Strait.

He urged the island's population and the world community not to ignore Beijing's military.

"The danger exists, and it is a wrong judgment that communist China will not invade [Taiwan]," Wei said. He warned that there are "crazy elements" in China who were eager to launch a war.

"The world community does not seem to sense the danger. This is indeed a very critical moment," he said.

Wei warned that the expected entry of both Taiwan and China into the WTO may escalate the possibility of war rather than peace across the Strait.

"In order to retain power in face of the mass unemployment from the closing of the state-owned enterprises [as a result of the WTO], the Chinese leadership may rally Chinese nationalism and invade Taiwan as a way to divert attention from internal problems," Wei said.

He compared China to a "wolf," ready to swallow a "sheep," Taiwan.