Liberty Times: What risks do cross-strait negotiations and the signing of a peace pact pose?
Chen Ming-tong (陳明通): From Beijing’s incessant emphasis on the term “peaceful unification,” [it suggests Beijing’s mindset that] only “unification” would bring peace. Therefore, one of the risks of signing the cross-strait peace accords is that Taiwan would face unification.
Beijing’s real intent is to force Taiwan to concede that “both sides of the [Taiwan] Strait belongs to one China” via negotiation “to conclude cross-strait adversarial status.”
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
Because only a war between two factions “within one country” can be called a “civil war,” and admitting that the “civil war” is not yet over, it is admitting that [the war can only be ended] with “one China” as the pretext. This was stated even more clearly in the eight points made by former Chinese president Jiang Zemin (江澤民), known as “Jiang’s Eight Points” (江八點), saying “the formal conclusion of adversarial status between the Strait” is to “gradually realize a peaceful unification.”
Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) knew that he had only a limited time in office and also understood that within the terms of his office he would not “realize the total unification of the nation,” thus in his own statement of cross-strait policy known as “Hu’s Six Points” (胡六點), Hu gave the definition of “peace accords” as the following: “The political relationship under special circumstances during the effective split of the nation.” The recognition that the nation is “not yet unified” indicates that the pretext to the solution is “ultimate unification.”
In other words, it is to use this pretext and force Taiwan to admit that “unification” is the only option for both sides in the future. As for the [goal of] “total unification under the central government at Beijing,” Beijing has all the time to wait, and in fact it does not have to wait too long, as [unification] could be possible within another decade or so.
When former UK prime minister Margaret Thatcher and [then-Chinese president] Deng Xiaoping (鄧小平) signed “The Joint Declaration of the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the People’s Republic of China on the Question of Hong Kong” promising the return of Hong Kong to China in 1997, the Hong Kong public then knew that it was done for and made Beijing its “new center” (central government), and social forces in Hong Kong made their way to Beijing. The result was that even before 1997, Hong Kong was already under the thumb of Beijing.
If both sides of the Strait decide to sign a peace accord under the pretext of unification, then the “new center” in Beijing would be established, and everything from thereon can easily be imagined.
LT: Up to now, many hold the opinion that if President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) is re-elected [in the January presidential election,] he would sign a peace accord. What are your views on this issue?
Chen: Chinese Communist Party academic Xin Qi (辛旗) once wrote that efforts should be made to sign the cross-strait peace accord before 2015, saying that once a consensus has been reached and the accord signed, both sides of the Strait should strive to hold to the accord and implement the accord word for word.
Xin also said that, in particular, neither side should treat the accord passively because of internal political factors, nor refuse to recognize the accords or deny it completely on any grounds.
This hints at Beijing wishing to rope in Taiwan through the peace accord while Ma is still in power, forcing Taiwan on the path of future unification and also laying the groundwork to stop pro-independence political parties from refusing to recognize the accords if they return to power.
As Xin comes from the People’s Liberation Army General Political Department and even holds the rank of brigadier general, his speech completely agrees with Beijng’s definition of the peace accord, and Taiwan should be on its guard.
Part two of this interview will be published tomorrow.
Translated by Jake Chung, Staff Writer
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