The “diplomatic truce” strategy proposed by President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) is “constructive” and long overdue but Beijing must reciprocate fast before the small window of opportunity closes on improved cross-strait relations, a panel of academics said yesterday, touting Taiwan’s democracy as its most effective leverage over China.
Ma’s approach to China, often lambasted by the green camp as denigrating Taiwan’s sovereignty, was highly praised by the panelists, describing the tactic as “strategic, smart and appropriate,” which not only promotes the pressing interests of Taiwan such as augmentation of international space, but also serves the interests of the US and China.
“There is a consensus of support [in Washington] of what Ma is doing,” said Derek Mitchell, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), adding that Taiwan lost the political tug-of-war against China 30 years ago when Washington and Tokyo cut relations with Taipei.
IMPASSE
The diplomatic impasse between China and Taiwan has prompted both sides to shower small countries, especially in the Pacific region, with money in exchange for recognition.
The practice has tarnished Taiwan’s reputation and sparked protest from some countries, such as Australia, Mitchell said.
So far China has not made any significant moves to indicate whether it would accept Ma’s invitation to enter into a truce, but the fact that Ascuncion had not switched sides as its president had threatened to do during his campaign was evident that China had agreed “ tacitly,” said Douglas Paal, vice president of the Carnegie Endowment Foundation.
Paal, also a former American Institute in Taiwan director, supports the possible controversial visit of Beijing’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait Chairman Chen Yunlin (陳雲林) to Taiwan later this month or early next month, and said the visit should not be postponed as many pro-Taiwan academics have suggested.
“It has already been postponed for 60 years,” he said.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) supporters who plan to protest against Chen’s visit, he said, should ponder how the Chinese would view such a protest.
Such a display could be seen as merely a rally for more pro-green support in Taiwan.
What DPP supporters should think about, Paal said, is what is best for Taiwan’s national interests.
The panelists, however, all evaded the question on whether there were any drawbacks or danger to Taiwan’s democracy in Ma’s “diplomatic truce” when the question was raised by Taipei Times.
Paal also chalked up the recent China-originated toxic milk powder as “growing pains” that many developed nations, such as the US, have had to experience, citing the corrupt US meat industry in the late 19th century.
Hong Tsai-lung (洪蔡隆), associate research fellow at the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research, urged that in the effort to normalize economic ties with Beijing, “Taiwan subjective awareness” (台灣主體意識) must be carefully considered and warned that Taiwan’s asymmetric trade dependence on China may limit Taiwan’s leverage in negotiating with Beijing.
COMMON MARKET
“Advocates for a cross-strait common-market ... have failed to address this deep worry,” he said.
He said the common-market idea, as proposed by Vice President Vincent Siew (蕭萬長), will do harm to Taiwan unless China promises not to boycott the signing of free-trade agreements (FTA) between Taiwan and other countries.
Charles Freeman, CSIS Freeman Chair in China Studies, said “whether we like it or not, an FTA between Washington and Taipei is unlikely unless Beijing acquiesces.”
Freeman said Taiwan should bolster its economic muscle by shaping itself as “go-between — a place for foreign corporations to build equity to get to China,” he said.
In terms of bilateral military affairs, Bonnie Glaser, senior associate at CSIS, said both sides should establish mutually beneficial confidence building as well as accident avoidance measures, such as a military hotline, to further reduce tension in the Strait.
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