There have always been two opposite voices in Taiwan's cross-strait policy -- especially regarding the relaxation of the "no haste, be patient" (
Despite their distinct political understandings and opinions, both are trying to influence the direction of our China policy for the sake of the nation's survival and development.
Their love for Taiwan should not be purposely twisted as "betraying Taiwan" or "abandoning ideals" by some of those in power, since it is very difficult to reach a consensus on the cross-strait issue, and there is no standard to judge between right and wrong.
On Aug. 13, Vice President Annette Lu (
Lu not only intentionally ignored her promise to encourage diverse opinions from the conference, but also confused her own role as a member of Chen's administration.
Such a move was stunning and has seriously damaged Chen's credibility in holding the conference. He therefore clearly responded by saying that only those who lack confidence fear competition, saying that it is the wisest choice and the best direction for the government to replace the "no haste, be patient" policy with a policy of "proactive openness and effective management."
DPP Chairman Frank Hsieh (
As a solution to the problem, the DPP said that it does not wish to become an obstacle to the relaxation of the cross-strait policy, despite the varied opinions inside the party. For years, the DPP has advocated replacing "no haste, be patient" with a "strengthen the base and march west" policy.
Chen has also promoted cross-strait relations since the day he took office. From his declaration of the "four no's" -- no to declaring independence; no to changing Taiwan's formal name; no to including "state-to-state" in the ROC Constitution; and no to endorsing a referendum on independence -- to his "integration" dictum (
Such a policy would be a great help to Taiwan's economic development.
Why then would some of those in power shift the muzzle to their own people and impede Chen? Just as Chen said, those who are confident do not fear competition.
Taiwan has advantages in cooperating and competing with China. The nation should not be afraid of the capital outflow to China's market. Rather, with governmental support, companies relocating to China can have better conditions for competing with Chinese firms.
Taiwan's outstanding talent and management can get a foothold in China's market. This is the way for Taiwan not to be annexed by China's economy.
Taiwan's current policy of closing itself to China is no longer in keeping with its needs in light of global industrial development.
As the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are on the cusp of WTO entry, adopting the "strengthen the base and march west" policy and improving the competitiveness of local industry is the only hope for Taiwan's future.
Chen Sung-shan is a member of the Civil Service Protection and Training Commission at the Examination Yuan.
Translated by Eddy Chang
Taiwan’s victory in the World Baseball Softball Confederation Premier12 championship is an historic achievement. Yet once again this achievement is marred by the indignity of the imposed moniker “Chinese Taipei.” The absurdity is compounded by the fact that none of the players are even from Taipei, and some, such as Paiwan catcher Giljegiljaw Kungkuan, are not even ethnically Chinese. The issue garnered attention around the Paris Olympics, yet fell off the agenda as Olympic memories retreated. “Chinese Taipei” persists, and the baseball championship serves as a reminder that fighting “Chinese Taipei” must be a continuous campaign, not merely resurfacing around international
This month, the National Health Insurance (NHI) is to implement a major policy change by eliminating the suspension-and-resumption mechanism for Taiwanese residing abroad. With more than 210,000 Taiwanese living overseas — many with greater financial means than those in Taiwan — this reform, catalyzed by a 2022 Constitutional Court ruling, underscores the importance of fairness, sustainability and shared responsibility in one of the world’s most admired public healthcare systems. Beyond legal obligations, expatriates have a compelling moral duty to contribute, recognizing their stake in a system that embodies the principle of health as a human right. The ruling declared the prior
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) appears to be encountering some culture shock and safety issues at its new fab in Arizona. On Nov. 7, Arizona state authorities cited TSMC for worker safety violations, fining the company US$16,131, after a man died in May. The Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health released its six-month investigation into the fatality and cited TSMC for failing to keep the workplace free from hazards likely to cause death or serious harm. At about the same time, the chip giant was also sued for alleged discriminatory hiring practices favoring Asians, prompting a flurry of debate on whether TSMC’s
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Weng Hsiao-ling (翁曉玲) has motioned to abolish the “Wu Sz-huai” (吳斯懷) clauses of the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例) — which forbid all Taiwanese who enter China from engaging in any activities detrimental to national security or interests. This motion led the Taiwan Statebuilding Party (TSP) to report her for infringing upon the National Security Act (國家安全法), which Weng called a lawless and undisciplined attempt to threaten a legislator. However, the true lawless and undisciplined person is Weng — the one standing in the enemy
RSS