A senior Taiwanese official explained President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) recent outreaches toward China yesterday, saying governments come and go but people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait will always be there.
The wishes of people on both sides of the Strait are basically the same, said Lin Chong-pin (
In a commentary carried by The Asian Wall Street Journal yesterday, Lin said Chen had made a number of peace overtures to Beijing since his inauguration in May 2000.
But Chen's efforts to engage Beijing's leaders have not produced any results, Lin said.
Two blind spots in Beijing's perception seem to have blocked its leaders from breaking through a self-imposed impasse of refusing to resume dialogue until Taipei accepts the "one China" principle, in whatever form Beijing chooses to define it, he noted.
First, Lin said, Beijing's intransigence has actually nurtured pro-independence sentiment in Taiwan.
`mainland fever'
After Taipei lifted the ban on Taiwanese residents making visits to China in 1987, "mainland fever" swept the nation.
Whenever an earthquake, flood or drought struck China, generous donations were made by the Taiwanese public to aid disaster relief efforts.
But Beijing's subsequent actions disappointed Taiwanese, chilled the fever and gradually reduced the donations to nil, he explained.
"These actions most notably included the June 4, 1989, Tiananmen massacre and the test firing of missiles during Taiwan's presidential election in March 1996," he wrote.
Second, he continued, Beijing thinks that Taiwan is a mirror image of China. The centrally controlled media, fed from the top down, that still exists in China has long since become history in Taiwan, he said.
Given Taiwan's robust media and energetic government, no Taiwanese leader can defy the wishes of the majority without losing power come the next election, he said.
He said about 60 percent of Taiwanese have opted for peace and prosperity in the form of a continuation of the status quo.
Not talking to Taipei does not endear Beijing to the real master on Taiwan -- its people -- he stressed, adding that Beijing's refusal to renounce the use of force against Taiwan is even more counterproductive.
the art of persuasion
If China really wishes to pursue unification, it should try to win over the hearts and minds of the Taiwanese people and confidently let the Taiwanese choose their own destiny, he said.
Beijing seems to have gingerly learned that lesson in recent years -- but it remains to be seen how thoroughly, according to Lin.
Some have confidence in China's economic potential, while others think Taiwan's democracy will never perish.
"In the long run, however, time is not on the side of China or Taiwan. Time, rather, is on the side of the people on both sides of the Strait," he said.
"Their interests are basically the same, and, while governments may come and go, they will be there forever," Lin said.
"Taipei and Beijing should strive toward a win-win relationship. Consultation is the key to peace and prosperity. If [Chinese President] Mr. Jiang [Zemin (
RSS