It is key for Beijing to recognize Taiwan as a political entity before both sides can sit down and negotiate a peace agreement, an academic supporting the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) said at a cross-strait forum yesterday.
Huang Kuang-kuo (黃光國), a professor of psychology at National Taiwan University, said Beijing must take into consideration Taiwan’s “face” before both sides can make an effort to create a win-win situation.
“When one does not have the courage to face history, that person does not have the courage to face reality,” he said. “The two sides must face reality. With the theory that the Republic of China was subjugated in 1949 in mind, both sides are unlikely to talk about a peace agreement.”
As both sides have expressed the hope to jointly publish a “Greater China dictionary,” Huang dared the administration to challenge the Chinese authorities to write history together.
Huang made the remarks during a forum organized by the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) in Taipei yesterday morning. The theme of the event was “Chinese culture with Taiwanese features — its meaning and impact on cross-strait relations.”
Taiwan has a unique culture, Huang said, which mixes Chinese culture, Western culture and maritime culture. Despite its uniqueness and advanced character, Taiwan seems to lack self-confidence, he said.
Huang drew a clear line between Taiwan-centered consciousness and what he called “Taiwan spirit,” which he defined as “a new power blending different cultural features.”
With the rise of China, Huang said Taiwan must keep an open mind when it comes to competing with China.
“If we cannot compete with them, why don’t we cooperate with them?” he said.
Chen Sheng-fu (陳勝福), chief executive officer of the Ming Hwa Yuan Foundation, said China was making aggressive efforts to catch up with Taiwan on the cultural front, in resources and budget.
However, he said that such efforts were politically motivated. Describing culture as soft power and “the last line of defense,” Chen said the cultural exchanges of both sides are like marriage or friendship.
“It will only be sustainable if each side can preserve and unfold its own characteristics in an equal manner,” he said. “Politics is the first priority when China engages in economic and cultural exchanges with Taiwan.”
Taiwan, on the other hand, is a democracy where individual groups make separate efforts and therefore decentralize their power. Chen said, urging the government to work together with the private sector to maximize their efforts.
SEF spokesman Maa Shaw-chang (馬紹章), however, expressed a different opinion, saying “culture is to attack, not to defend” and that “politics is temporary and culture is forever,” to which Chen said “I do hope so.”
Chu Yun-han (朱雲漢), president of the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange, said the term “Chinese culture with Taiwan features” was coined by President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九). Among its characteristics are the preservation of Chinese culture and integration of the cultures of Taiwan’s modern society and immigrant society.
As both sides are set to move cross-strait negotiations a step forward from economic issues to cultural and educational ones, Chu proposed they remove “unnecessary man-made obstructions” and treat each other equally and reciprocally.
Culture can serve as an important asset in the development of cross-strait relations, he said, adding that it is different from economic and military might and that its essence is not quantity but quality.
“Taiwan has the condition and opportunity to play a significant role in the international arena,” he said. “The foundation of Taiwan’s soft power is culture.”
Emphasizing that time was pressing, Chu said China was exerting itself to catch up with Taiwan at a speed faster than one could imagine.
“Let’s hope Taiwan does not become the turtle and China the hare,” he said.
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