Book examines historical remarks on Taiwan's status

The ideas of "independent sovereignty" and "one country on each side" of the strait established the foundation for pursuing new international status for Taiwan in the 21st century, Examination Yuan President Yao Chia-wen (姚嘉文) reveals in a new book that will be published tomorrow.

Yao the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) made two resolutions in the 1990s, based on the San Francisco Peace Treaty, that Taiwan enjoys independent sovereignty and does not govern China.

"The resolutions provided the groundwork for President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) to make his comment of `one country on each side' last year, which exemplified the longstanding goal of indepen-dence advocates to establish an independent country in Taiwan."

Taking lead from a comment by Emperor Chu Yuan-chang (朱元璋), the founder of the Ming Dynasty, that he was not interested in conquering overseas lands from continental China in 1368, Yao collected ten remarks which he conceived as decisive to the history of Taiwan in his book, the Ten Sentences Influential to Taiwan.

"The emperor's remark outlined the empire's overseas policy and declared his preference of continentalism. His announcement decided the uncertainties of Taiwan's fate for centuries, as the island had altered its status and nationality because of a change of rulers in the Chinese kingdom or the replacement of its colonial governors," Yao says in the preface.

Yao that when a remark reflected decision-making, or the expression of a significant policy, there must be some wisdom to be gleaned from the expression.

"The remarks of history would benefit later generations to make the right decisions on their future," he said.

The ten remarks Yao collected in the book date from the 14th-Century Ming Emperor's words to Chen's interpretation last year of the status quo of the cross-strait situation.

"Chu's statement excluded Taiwan from the Chinese kingdom's territory until the next monarchy, the Chin Empire, took over the island and added it to its domain in 1683. This confirmed Taiwan's independent existence in primitive times," Yao said.

He said that the teachings of Cheng Ch'eng-kung (鄭成功) on "the renaissance of the Ming Dynasty" after he founded a government in central Taiwan laid the foundation for a potential maritime nation.

The US policy of "one China, but not now" during the 1970s is also included as an influential remark in Yao's book, referring to the relations between Taiwan, China and the US.