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President Chen calls on Beijing to pursue democratic reform

Taiwan will not engage in further cooperation with China unless the authoritarian regime democratizes, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) said yesterday on the second anniversary of the enactment of China's "Anti-Secession" Law.

In the latest issue of his weekly e-newsletter, published one day earlier to coincide with the second anniversary of Bei-jing's enactment of the legislation, the president urged the international community -- particularly the EU -- to refrain from arms sales to China until the latter has genuinely implemented democratic reform and substantially improved its human rights record.

The arms embargo was imposed following the Tiananmen Square Massacre in 1989.

Chen also asked Beijing to learn from Taiwan's nationalization of its armed forces and fully disengage the Chinese Communist Party from the People's Liberation Army.

He also wrote that China should allow the establishment of opposition parties and successfully hold at least two fair and open elections in which opposition parties can participate freely.

Describing Beijing's "Anti-Secession" Law as "a new set of chains imposed on Taiwanese," Chen said an undemocratic, dictatorial China was the biggest threat to the nation's security.

Chen also depicted China's enactment of the "Anti-Secession" Law as a "serious, provocative act" and said the piece of legislation not only legalized military aggression against Taiwan, but also negated the universal values of freedom, peace, human rights and peace.

"It attempts to make war and military power look sacred and brings mankind back to the type of militarism where might is right," he said.

Democratization within China is crucial to sustainable peace in the Taiwan Strait, Chen wrote.

As a responsible stakeholder and member of the democratic community in the region, Taiwan must help push for China's democratization, Chen said.

Until China carries out genuine democratic reform, it should not expect more cooperation from Taiwan, he wrote.
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