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China's WHO meddling works against them again

In view of the recent outcry over PFP Legislator Kao Ming-chien's (高明見) attendance at a WHO-organized SARS conference in Kuala Lumpur last week on the recommendation of China, political observers said that Beijing's latest attempt to belittle Taiwan have once again proved counterproductive.

Rather than affirming its claim to the Taiwanese public that Taiwan is a part of China, Beijing ended up stoking Taiwan's resentment toward Beijing and fanning independence sentiment.

"On the outside, Beijing appeared to score points as it showed to the international community that -- by adding a Taiwanese representative onto its own recommendation list -- Taiwan is part of China," said Shane Lee (李憲榮), a professor of law and politics at Chang-jung University.

"Yet on the inside, Beijing appeared to drop points as its aroused public indignation and awoke the Taiwanese public's awareness on sovereignty and identification with Taiwan," Lee said.

Indeed, Beijing has touched a sensitive nerve regarding the debate between independence and unification.

In Taipei, a group of TSU supporters showed up in front of the PFP headquarters protesting against Kao's acceptance of China's recommendation.

And in Kaohsiung, over 500 pro-green supporters staged a protest outside the city's PFP offices charging Kao and PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) with treason.

Echoing Lee's comments, Hung Mao-hsiung (洪茂雄), an international relations graduate research fellow at National Chengchi University, said that Beijing made the recommendation in a bid to belittle Taiwan on the international stage.

The incident also highlighted the Chinese Communist Party's true essence, "which is inflexible and harbors an an arrogance that reeks of its determination to take action regardless of consequence and how other people think and feel," Hung said.

Hung said it is China's communist mentality that prompts China to often act in ways that more often than not draw a negative response in Taiwan.

"Despite previous lessons that its oppression of Taiwan is likely to result in a strong backlash, Beijing finds it hard to refrain itself from doing so because of its communist nature," Hung said.

"Given its communist nature, Beijing, regardless of the fact that there have been increasing interacting and exchange between people on both sides of the strait, still chooses to resort to methods that hurt the feelings of people in Taiwan," Hung said. "Beijing really ought to learn to respect Taiwan's democracy."

Chang Ya-chung (張亞中), director of the Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies at Nanhua University, said he can't think why Beijing, with Taiwan's presidential election less than nine months away, would try to stir up trouble that can only serve to turn Taiwanese against it.

One hypothesis is that China might have the kind of bureaucracy that forces it to make these kinds of decisions, Chang said.

Chan also commented on Taiwan's peculiar political state.

"Where else in the world would you find a legislator's loyalty to the nation being questioned or presidential candidates that always have to emphasize and defend their loyalty to their nation?" Chang said.
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