The Beijing government, an authoritarian regime with no idea whatsoever about democracy and no courage to implement it, has once again interfered in a democratic election in Taiwan.
Beijing's white paper "The Principle of One China Policy and the Taiwan Issue," released on Feb. 21, revealed the fact that Beijing is unwilling to implement democracy and is also too narrow-minded to see the thriving of democracy in Taiwan.
Whenever there has been an election in Taiwan, the response from Beijing has never been good wishes, but military and verbal threats. Beijing leaders should bear the responsibility for the increasingly estranged relationship between Taiwan and China.
The white paper is written in a domineering manner. Not a single paragraph in it shows respect for the will of the Taiwanese people.
The one-sided wishful thinking and the distortion of historical facts simply reveals the conservativeness and backtracking of China's leaders. They think people in Taiwan are inert, always waiting to be "liberated." In fact, the people under Beijing's rule in China are not as inert as they think. Nor are the Chinese as belligerent as they imagine.
Unilaterally calling Taiwan "a local government in the territory of China" and insisting dogmatically on solving the Taiwan sovereignty dispute with its "one country, two systems" policy has made cross-strait dialogue impossible.
The content of the white paper is nothing more than a reiteration of China's policy toward Taiwan over the past decade. The intention is to use political extortion in the run-up to the presidential election. Beijing wants to force Taiwan's people to choose the presidential candidate favored by China.
The white paper is actually a propaganda piece designed to help one presidential candidate. In a implicit, roundabout way it has specified Beijing's ideal agent -- whoever belittles the sovereignty of Taiwan and boldly challenges the "state to state" model is the ideal president for Taiwan in Beijing's eyes.
After reading the white paper carefully, I find that it was written to suppress the political paths proposed by President Lee Teng-hui
In the aftermath of Lee announcing his "state to state" model, China has taken great pains to protest in the international community and distort the reality that China and Taiwan are governed by two separate political entities.
Since the DPP passed its pro-independence charter in 1991, Beijing has vehemently criticized the charter and refused to have any contact with DPP members. Neither Lee's proposition nor the DPP's charter are welcomed by China.
Nevertheless, people in Taiwan have never changed their position on self-determination in spite of the intimidations and protests from China.
If the Taiwanese voted for the candidate of their choice in the face of a Chinese missile threat, then no interference from China will influence the result of this month's election.
Among all the presidential candidates, it is very clear which candidate is favored by China. But I don't think any candidate can win the people's support by criticizing the "state to state" statement. On the contrary, he will simply reveal his pro-China stance by doing so.
Since 1990, China has failed to help their desired candidates win a presidential election in Taiwan. Both Chiang Wei-kuo
Neither propaganda or missiles from China can change the determination of Taiwan people to pursue democracy. To win the election, every candidate has pledged to protect Taiwan's security.
In fact, the only genuine guarantee to Taiwan's security is democracy. The implementation of democracy in Taiwan is the best response to the military threats from China.
Echoing the policy brought up by the leaders of China is a humiliation to Taiwan's democracy. China can seek the "one China" principle as the ultimate goal. But they will only arouse Taiwan people's antipathy if they insist on interpreting the "one China policy" in a way that regards Taiwan as a local government of China.
The leaders in Beijing have been the troublemakers for Taiwan's democracy. Establishing a more democratic society in Taiwan is the best solution to the trouble from China.
Chen Fang-ming is a professor of Chinese literature at National Chi-Nan University.
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