Sat, Jul 20, 2002 page8

• Partisan feuds threaten diplomacy

  • By Kao Lang 高朗
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  President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) said that his recent trip to Africa had been a great success. But the opposition parties refused to respect his accomplishments. Just as Chen was arriving back in the country, the KMT legislative caucus convened a press conference to criticize him for three trips abroad that they said had cost NT$15 billion but achieved no diplomatic breakthroughs. The caucus announced that would rally the opposition alliance to axe the president's budget for foreign travel.

  In recent years, there have been frequent reports that Taiwan engages in dollar diplomacy and the public is upset about it. When the DPP was the opposition party, it often criticized the KMT for its "sucker diplomacy," but after coming to power, it has continued to follow in the KMT's footsteps, writing one fat check after another.

  Obviously, despite the transfer of power two years ago, foreign policy has not changed. The reason for the lack of change isn't merely casual acceptance of old routines, but rather that there have been no significant changes in Taiwan's diplomatic situation. Unless the party in power stops caring about the number of allies that recognize Taiwan, heavy foreign aid spending is unavoidable.

  Since both the ruling and opposition parties have engaged in "sucker diplomacy" and the opposition has increased its supervision of the foreign aid budget, why has the opposition chosen this moment to suddenly raise its voice and criticize Chen's performance abroad? In part, I fear, their criticism is related to comments made by the president while abroad.

  Although Chen called his African trip "a journey of humanitarian concern," in fact he gave people quite a different impression. The speeches he delivered during the trip conveyed the impression that his real concern wasn't with our allies at all, but rather with domestic political problems. Less than four days after setting off, Chen blasted the opposition parties, saying that he would soon set in motion a cross-party "alliance for national stabilization" and remarking that the opposition alliance is "following a dead-end path and has little life left in it."

  These remarks from the president increased the tension between the ruling and opposition parties. During the president's travels abroad, his focus should be on our allies. Everyone is now curious as to why he chose to make such critical and inflammatory statements while overseas.

  Since Chen relentlessly tweaked political nerves back home during his trip, his diplomatic agenda was overshadowed. The media stopped showing any interest in his African journey. The only thing that concerned anyone was how Chen would form his proposed alliance. Even after Chen returned home and declared that his journey had been a great success, who cared?

  The press conference held by the KMT legislative caucus revealed the seriousness of the rift between the ruling and opposition parties. No matter how much goodwill Chen brought back with him from his trip overseas, all the public sees is political wrangling.

  The president's shots at the opposition from abroad and his wrangling with the opposition deserve criticism, regardless of the time or place of his comments. However, the opposition's failure to confine discussion to the issues at hand and its attempts to axe the president's travel budget are mistaken. To be fair, Chen's overseas visits have been helpful in cement-ing alliances, rallying overseas Chinese and boosting diplomatic morale. They should be supported across party lines. Chen should receive applause for his willingness to visit our African allies, most of which are poor nations.

  As for the proper amount of economic assistance that should be given to allies, this problem didn't begin with Chen, nor will it end with him. The ruling and opposition parties should work together in a calm and fair manner to review how dollar diplomacy can be fixed. Even if the ruling and opposition parties changed places and viewpoints, there should be no substantial change in foreign relations and foreign aid policy. The only difference should be in who carries out the policy and who criticizes it.

  For Chen personally, this African journey should serve as a learning experience. The lengthy comments he made about domestic politics while he was abroad not only obscured the initiative he showed in visiting Africa but could result in the sacrifice of the diplomatic budget on the altar of partisan strife.

  Everything has become politicized in Taiwan. If the president throws political curveballs even when he is abroad, then the expression that "foreign policy is an extension of domestic policy" may be rephrased as "foreign policy is an extension of domestic political strife." Chen should bear this lesson in mind, especially when he goes abroad again. Opposition parties should also exercise restraint. They shouldn't let their burning dissatisfaction with the president result in collateral damage to the foreign-policy budget. After all, the ruling and opposition parties need to seek a unified approach to relations with the outside world.

  Kao Lang is a professor in the department of political science at National Taiwan University.

  Translated by Ethan Harkness

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