China has learned to deal with Taiwan by manipulating the US and Japan, a tactic it is using to avoid stirring resentment among Taiwanese while trying to hold the Taiwanese government in check, a former official said yesterday.
"Having learnt from its dealings with Taiwan these past 10 years, [China] has realized that its hardline policies only cause repugnance among Taiwanese people," said former Mainland Affairs Council vice chairman Lin Chong-pin (
"In this regard, China has shifted its Taiwan strategy from launching verbal attacks and military threats to trying to win the support of Taiwanese people," Lin said.
Lin has also served as deputy minister of national defense, and is currently executive director of the private Foundation on International and Cross-Strait Studies.
"This time, we saw that China reacted to President Chen Shui-bian's (
For that matter, US-Taiwan and Japan-Taiwan relations might meet with difficulties in the aftermath of the planned abolishment if Taiwan fails to explain the issue thoroughly, Lin said.
"I don't think the abolishment [of the council] will influence the friendship between Taiwan and the US, but there will be difficulties, and we have to be prepared for them in advance," he said.
Lin said the government and political parties haven't been aware of China's strategy shift in recent years, which has left Taiwan in disarray when responding to China's "soft tactics," such as preferential treatment of Taiwanese fruit imports.
"It was politically correct for the government to criticize China's `Anti-Secession' Law with regard to [the legislation's implied] military coercion, but this focus neglected to address the fact that China has been using many forms of a united front strategy to curry favor with Taiwanese people," he said.
Lin made the remarks at a press conference held at the Legislative Yuan to publicize a foundation report that monitored cross-strait events last year.
The report predicted that cross-strait military tensions will continue over the next three years, and will be the most crucial factor impeding cross-strait rapprochement.
The report said that Chinese President Hu Jintao's (胡錦濤) two-pronged strategy -- using hard and soft power tactics -- as well as the stability of Chen's cross-strait policies will be the determining factor in how cross-strait relations play out.
In related news, Peacetime Foundation of Taiwan executive director Chien Hsi-chieh, the publisher of the report, called on Chen to convince people his policies were correct before deciding to scrap the unification council and guidelines.
"Winning people's support on abolishment [of the council] is a process that highlights Taiwan's democratic values. It will contribute to the public's understanding of the issue and help the government withstand pressure from the US and China," Chien said.
Kenting National Park service technician Yang Jien-fon (楊政峰) won a silver award in World Grand Prix Photography Awards Spring Season for his photograph of two male rat snakes intertwined in combat. Yang’s colleagues at Kenting National Park said he is a master of nature photography who has been held back by his job in civil service. The awards accept entries in all four seasons across six categories: architectural and urban photography, black-and-white and fine art photography, commercial and fashion photography, documentary and people photography, nature and experimental photography, and mobile photography. Awards are ranked according to scores and divided into platinum, gold and
More than half of the bamboo vipers captured in Tainan in the past few years were found in the city’s Sinhua District (新化), while other districts had smaller catches or none at all. Every year, Tainan captures about 6,000 snakes which have made their way into people’s homes. Of the six major venomous snakes in Taiwan, the cobra, the many-banded krait, the brown-spotted pit viper and the bamboo viper are the most frequently captured. The high concentration of bamboo vipers captured in Sinhua District is puzzling. Tainan Agriculture Bureau Forestry and Nature Conservation Division head Chu Chien-ming (朱健明) earlier this week said that the
The first bluefin tuna of the season, brought to shore in Pingtung County and weighing 190kg, was yesterday auctioned for NT$10,600 (US$333.5) per kilogram, setting a record high for the local market. The auction was held at the fish market in Donggang Fishing Harbor, where the Siaoliouciou Island-registered fishing vessel Fu Yu Ching No. 2 delivered the “Pingtung First Tuna” it had caught for bidding. Bidding was intense, and the tuna was ultimately jointly purchased by a local restaurant and a local company for NT$10,600 per kilogram — NT$300 ,more than last year — for a total of NT$2.014 million. The 67-year-old skipper
BREACH OF CONTRACT: The bus operators would seek compensation and have demanded that the manufacturer replace the chips with ones that meet regulations Two bus operators found to be using buses with China-made chips are to demand that the original manufacturers replace the systems and provide compensation for breach of contract, the Veterans Affairs Council said yesterday. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Michelle Lin (林楚茵) yesterday said that Da Nan Bus Co and Shin-Shin Bus Co Ltd have fielded a total of 82 buses that are using Chinese chips. The bus models were made by Tron-E, while the systems provider was CYE Electronics, Lin said. Lin alleged that the buses were using chips manufactured by Huawei subsidiary HiSilicon Co, which presents a national security risk if the
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