Taiwan trudges on despite lack of US ties

"Since 1972, Taiwanese people have been worried the nation's destiny might be determined by big countries."

Lai I-chung, director of foreign policy s

Today marks the 25th anniversary since the US switched recognition from Taiwan to Beijing. Reviewing the 25 years, analysts and officials said each major setback in Taiwan-US relations has prompted Taiwanese to seek deeper democracy.

The US dealt a major blow to Taiwan by "acknowledging" the Beijing government in 1971, after which most of the world followed suit. Taiwan withdrew from the UN that same year.

"Since 1972, Taiwanese people have been worried the nation's destiny might be determined by big countries," said Lai I-chung (賴怡忠), director of foreign policy studies for Taiwan Thinktank.

Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國), who took power in 1978, sensed the urgent need to speed up Taiwan's democratization, but he did not want the democratization process to threaten the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) rule, Lai said.

On Dec. 16, 1978, Taiwan was shocked by the US announcement to sever ties with the country. It formally lost diplomatic ties with the US in 1979. Large-scale public demonstrations took place on campuses and in front of the US Embassy in Taipei.

Angry crowds threw eggs at the cars of an American delegation to Taipei led by then US deputy secretary of state Warren Christopher.

The KMT halted an election of people's representatives, saying the nation was in a state of crisis.

The aborted election triggered widespread discontent among pro-democracy groups, generally termed tang wai (outside the party) activists, and contributed to the Kaohsiung Incident in 1979.

Many of the tang wai activists persecuted during the incident are now heavyweights in the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) and former DPP chairman Lin I-hsiung (林義雄) were on the wanted list.

In a paper he wrote when serving as a lawmaker, DPP Deputy Secretary-General Lee Ying-yuan (李應元) said Taiwan's most dangerous period spanned from 1970 to 1990, after the US normalized ties with China to contain Russia.

"Taiwan's economy was about to take off during that period and its democracy was still in poor shape. Taiwan's national strength and image were in a bad situation. If crises had taken place in Taiwan, perhaps no countries would have offered help," Lee said.

DPP Legislator Chang Chun-hung (張俊宏), who was jailed for eight years for his involvement in the Kaohsiung Incident, said that although the US once treated Taiwan cruelly, it has acted like an eagle pushing a fledgling Taiwan over the cliff to teach it to fly.

"We did not perish but have since grown stronger. We cannot always rely on the Americans," Chang said.

Taiwan has grown up by deepening democracy and freedom. Crises in Taiwan-US relations may isolate the country, but "they also give Taiwan opportunities to practice how to fly on its own," Chang said.

"Taiwan's democracy has grown faster than that of most Asian countries," Chang said, adding the US has played a role in this.

Current relations, which the KMT-People First Party (PFP) alliance described as being in their worst state since the US cut ties with Taiwan, is another chance for Taiwan to learn to stand up by itself, Chang said.

The pan-blue camp said US President George W. Bush's public reprimand of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) during his meeting with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶) in Washington last week signalled the greatest crisis in Taiwan-US relations since 1979.

Su Chi (蘇起), co-convener of the KMT-PFP alliance's defense task force, said there are concerns in the blue camp over Chen's strategy to arouse anti-American sentiment to gain votes in next year's presidential election.

Su said that Chen is portraying himself as a tragic hero oppressed by the US and China owing to his proposals to have a referendum alongside the presidential election.

"We don't want to see Taiwan's relations with the US keep deteriorating. Taiwan has been one of the most pro-US countries in the world. We hardly see anti-US protests in Taiwan," Su said.