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Ma's thoughts on ROC are a `naive fantasy': president

President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday criticized Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), calling his statement that "Taiwan is the Republic of China" (ROC) a "naive fantasy."

"It is the status quo and right to say that the Republic of China is Taiwan," Chen said. "But it is problematic and even wrong to say that Taiwan is the Republic of China."

Chen made the remarks in an interview with CNBC Asia Pacific Television broadcast yesterday.

Chen said Ma and the KMT regarded China and Mongolia as part of the ROC. This is not the "status quo," however, he said.

"It is a fantasy, a very naive fantasy," he said. "If the ROC is so big that it includes China and Mongolia like they claim, Taiwan is not the ROC in that sense."

Although Taiwan and China have developed a close economic relationship, this does not necessarily mean closer political ties, Chen said, adding that more and more people identify themselves as Taiwanese rather than Chinese.

Citing polls, Chen said that 69 percent of the public identify themselves as Taiwanese, adding that he was certain that the figure would increase to 70 percent or 75 percent in the run-up to the presidential election next year.

Hong Kong's "one country, two systems" model would not work in Taiwan, Chen said.

It is highly unlikely that Taiwan will follow in the footsteps of Hong Kong by signing a Closer Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with China, because the nation's economic relationship with China is already sufficient, he said.

Unlike the "cross-strait common market" proposed by Ma's running mate Vincent Siew (蕭萬長), Chen said the DPP would never seek a closer relationship with China under Beijing's "one China" principle.

It would be more significant to sign a free-trade agreement with the US, he said, adding that the matter is high on the administration's agenda.

Like former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), who has said that former presidents should not meddle in the affairs of the incumbent president, Chen said he would not interfere after his term ended and would be content doing volunteer work and being a grandfather.
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