Missing the point
Lee Chang-kuei's (李長貴) opinion piece on Hong Kong's deterioration since its 1997 handover omitted some important points ("Hong Kong's fate a cautionary tale," Aug. 5, page 8).
Hong Kong was already pouring money into China well before the handover. Until 1997, results weren't too shabby.
Hong Kong has long served as a cow ready to be milked by various countries, including its former colonial master Great Britain. Certainly the British rulers weren't any more interested in granting Hong Kong's people more say in the running of their city than the current rulers in Beijing. After all, the British were complicit in "selling out" Hong Kong 20 years ago.
The blame being placed on the Hong Kong government for its economic woes is over-stated, because that ignores the fact that the territory is still a free economy, and government input is lower than that in other capitalist societies. So why hasn't there been any focus on bad or selfish decisions on the part of business?
Hong Kong doesn't operate in a vacuum. Its tough economic times have been shared by just about every other country in Asia and even in other parts of the world. Certainly Taiwan's economy isn't so hot right now, as Lee had stated.
So should the people of Taiwan place blame on President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) assumption of the presidency for their plight any more than the people of Hong Kong should blame Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa's (董建華) ascension to that post for theirs?
Choi Cho-hong
Hong Kong
China threat very real
The nature of democracy is often misunderstood. For example, a democratic legislature does not directly govern the people. Its task is primarily the creation of laws. Once a bill has completed its passage through the legislature and is enacted into law, all citizens, government included, stand beneath the authority of that law. It is the body of laws in any democratic system, built up over generations, that governs the people. Hence, the rule of law.
A totalitarian system does not create true laws. Moreover, the regime itself is not subject to the edicts and directives it issues, a process that occurs without debate, and without the consultation of the governed. Indeed, any citizen's attempt to participate in this would meet with immediate censure, detention, re-education, or worse. In the absence of law, the only "crime" in such a system is to displease the regime with your actions, words or thoughts.
Such are the prevailing attitudes and practices that inform domestic governance in China. By extension, the same principle underlies China's approach to foreign relations. It is the deliberate and sustained theft of life's most precious resource, political freedom.
Does Taiwan care that China clearly seeks to steal its freedom? Many outsiders are incredulous that Taiwanese are so ambiguous, indirect and acquiescent when talking about the Taiwan-China relationship. Frankly, an unequivocal ferocity would be a more sensible response. After all, you're defending your freedom, nation, sovereign independence and way of life. I would sooner allow a criminal to rape and destroy my wife and family than allow a barbaric, totalitarian, essentially lawless state like China to threaten my native land.
The Economist magazine this week took a different perspective on the recent cross-strait war of words. Under the headline "Full of sound and fury," it argued that this was an artificial conflict. The full quote from Macbeth, "Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing," suggests that China's empty threats are only matched by Taiwan's empty words of defiance. Apparently, by this reasoning, China is as unlikely to attack Taiwan as Taiwan is to defend itself. Two paper dragons, playing to the global gallery, exhaling paper fire at each other.
I would dispute The Econo-mist's position. China's appetite for passive, pliant victims is very real indeed. Just ask Tibet, Hong Kong, Macau or Xinjiang.
Stephen Carter
Bangkok
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