A broad-based dialogue as close as possible to a consensus is essential before Taiwan’s cross-strait negotiations can advance to more difficult issues, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Stephen Young said yesterday, adding that Taiwan’s democracy plays an important role in managing the process.
Speaking at an American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) luncheon, Young likened the changing level of difficulty in negations to a video game in which players face tougher challenges as they move up levels.
“Even as we welcome Taiwan’s increased engagement with the People’s Republic of China, however, we must not lose sight of the qualities that underpin Taiwan’s unique success: the vibrant democracy, civil society and open economy,” Young said.
Young said it is important in these tumultuous economic and political times that “Taiwan sustains its achievements in this area, including by fostering open dialogue and consensus-building across party lines.”
The government’s plan to sign an economic cooperation framework agreement with Beijing has sparked opposition from the pan-green camp. While pro-government supporters believe the deal would strengthen Taiwan’s economic muscle, the Democratic Progressive Party and the Taiwan Solidarity Union say that any treaties with Beijing must first win public consensus before being signed.
When asked about the possibility of Washington sending a Cabinet member, especially one with an economic profile, to visit Taiwan, Young said such an option had never been excluded but acknowledged it had been a long time since a high-level government official had visited.
Young said that while he understood the symbolism behind such visits, “I am not distressed by the channel of communication between us.”
US-Taiwan relations have always been firmly rooted in the pursuit of mutual interests, Young said, adding that the infrastructure for joining hands and the willingness to do so, such as over an extradition treaty and an agricultural pact, have been established.
Young is set to leave his posting this summer after serving as the top US representative to Taiwan for three years.
Washington has yet to announce his successor. The current US deputy chief of mission to Seoul, William Stanton, is rumored to be the likely replacement.
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