Cross-strait relations have been at a low ebb. Taiwan has vowed to go its own way while China has constantly threatened Taiwan with both pen and sword. In response, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) said that the people of Taiwan should not be afraid and that the recent air-raid drill in Shanghai was just routine.
Vice President Annette Lu's (呂秀蓮) "vacation diplomacy" trip to Indonesia last week showed that Taiwan is actively promoting diversified diplomacy to expand its scope for international development in an effort to develop global economic and trade.
In fact, the change in cross-strait relations is a result of Bei-jing's various hostile moves against Taipei. Chen must therefore evaluate whether it's necessary to adjust Taiwan's China policy of "active opening, effective management," conceived by last year's Economic Development Advisory Conference -- the first significant change in the nation's global development strategy since 2000.
At this political turning point, the Beijing government must seriously consider the following: Are its ruthless political oppression and diplomatic blockade really good for the development of cross-strait relations? Will they have any negative consequences? Are they really the only way to force the Taiwanese to yield to Beijing?
Given that Chen has repeatedly expressed goodwill ever since he came to power more than two years ago, can't Beijing recognize that his China policy is different from that of former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝)? Why should Beijing attack him over and over again?
The government's position that "Taiwan should go its own way" is completely irrelevant to the unification-independence issue. Taiwan will march toward its political goals of democratization, localization and internationalization. This is the only way for Taiwan to survive and prosper.
As a result, under the nation's strategy of global economic and trade development, going west to China is no longer the government's sole or primary choice. Taiwan will probably further promote a policy of going south, north or, indeed, in any other direction in which it can continue to develop in terms of diplomacy, economics and trade. The development of cross-strait relations will be shaped by Beijing's attitude. Such constant oppression and threats will only push Taiwan away from its malicious neighbor.
I believe the development of cross-strait relations should be based on neither political oppres-sion nor military threats. Beijing must not "force peace with the threat of war." Politicians must also refrain from changing their political moods simply in order to avoid trouble.
When Beijing fully understands the Taiwanese preference for being their own masters and their will to maintain the status quo, perhaps it will understand that helping Taiwan to go its own way is absolutely the best way to build a future one China. Any military threat or diplomatic blockade will only force Taiwan to go to the extreme of pursuing "one country on each side"of the Taiwan Strait.
Chen Sung-shan is a member of the Civil Service Protection and Training Commission at the Examination Yuan.
TRANSLATED BY EDDY CHANG
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