One of the reasons why the cross-strait panel of the Economic Development Advisory Conference succeeded in having all 36 of its proposals passed as "a package deal" by the conference was the persuasiveness of Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), chairwoman of the Mainland Affairs Council, according to analysts
Among the 36 proposals were the recommendations that the "no haste, be patient policy" should be replaced by one of "active opening, effective management" and that the ban preventing Chinese tourists from visiting Taiwan be lifted.
Tsai, a former negotiator for Taiwan in talks with international trade organizations -- including the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and its successor, the WTO, and APEC -- was trained in the US and the UK.
PHOTO: CHEN CHENG-CHANG, TAIPEI TIMES
Her many years of negotiation experience were reflected in her performance at the conference meeting.
During a tea gathering with reporters, Tsai alluded frequently to that experience. "In many instances, we were negotiating with opponents while arguing with our own partners," she said.
Reacting to criticism from the opposition about the passage of the measures as a package, Tsai said that the "package deal approach" was one of the most popular and effective methods currently used in negotiations.
In response to the argument that the conference had avoided reaching agreement on the "one China" principle, Tsai again explained the panel's solution by referring to her negotiation experience.
"When two sides can't reach a consensus on one specific issue on the negotiation table, it is advisable to throw all the varied opinions and proposed measures into the pot. You'll find that somehow the differences in opinions enable you to arrive at an equilibrium," Tsai said.
Chen Ruey-long (
"She can find a solution that is capable of being accepted by both sides and quickly convince its opponents to accept it," Chen said.
Lin Chong-pin (林中斌), deputy chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council and the council's official spokesman, echoed Chen's remark and explained that she finds it easy to put herself in other people's shoes.
"Her analytical skills are very good and she makes decisions very quickly. And she has a strong sense of empathy," Lin said.
Deng Chen-chung (
"She is always willing to learn and to communicate with her partners. She knows how to cooperate with her team," Deng said.
In addition to her 10 years of experience as a negotiator, Tsai's expertise in international law -- she holds a PhD in the subject from the London School of Economics -- enabled her to assist former president Lee Teng-hui (
Lee appointed Tsai in 1997 to head a group to research diplomatic ways to assert the Republic of China's sovereignty. She was at the time a consultant to the National Security Council.
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) appointed Tsai as chairwoman of the Mainland Affairs Council last year.
To avoid the controversy caused by Lee's "state-to-state" comments, Tsai announced as soon as she assumed office that she would not comment on the address.
She initially refused to be interviewed by Taiwan media, making her a particularly controversial Cabinet member.
In the end, in May this year, Tsai finally agreed to give interviews with members of Taiwan's media.
Council spokesman Lin Chong-bin admitted that it was tough to be a mediator between Tsai and the media.
"I took three weeks off on sick leave last year," Lin said.
Lin emphasized that Tsai's exceptional cautiousness was behind her initial refusal to talk to the media, but that she was now changing her relations with reporters.
During a rare interview with The Journalist, Tsai explained her former silence by saying that she was concerned that anything she said might be misconstrued and destabilize cross-strait relations.
In the same interview, Tsai mentioned that speaking is her most frequent form of exercise and that staring blankly at the wall is the only way she has of releasing tension.
The other magazine which Tsai gave an interview to was the controversial Next. It published a profile of her in its fifth edition and described her as a lonely individual.
In the magazine's report, Tsai was quoted as saying that she is used to having everything taken care of for her because she was the youngest child in a wealthy family.
When asked what his opinion is of Tsai's performance on the cross-strait issue, Lin paid her his greatest compliment.
"In 50 years, when we look back, we'll see her name in history," Lin said.
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