The meeting between the 10 countries of ASEAN and China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and India in Kuala Lumpur ended with the signing of a joint communique on Dec. 14, declaring the establishment of an "East Asian Free Trade Area." Thanks to China's omnipresent political power, the preparatory and negotiation process leading up to the declaration did not mention Taiwanese participation once. As the fourth strongest economic power in East Asia, it is both infuriating and regrettable that Taiwan continues to be ignored in this way.
However, we must remain calm and try to understand the significance to Taiwan of three big revelations contained in this declaration.
First of all, there is a direct warning to the pro-China political parties. In other words, no matter what compromises or good will Taiwan offers China on economic matters or trade -- including full deregulation of capital flow or technology into China, lifting the restrictions on the import of Chinese goods to Taiwan, or even unilaterally opening of the three links -- China will not relax its political suppression of Taiwan. The definition in Beijing's political dictionary leaves no room for misinterpretation: "Taiwan is a rebellious province without any basis for its demands for sovereignty." This is, again, made abundantly clear in the Kuala Lumpur Declaration.
Therefore we do not want to see those politicians who see it as their mission to promote the development of a peaceful joint market between China and Taiwan cheat their own political consciences, nor do we want to sit idly by watching these people continue to mislead the public. Insisting on Taiwan's status as a sovereign state is the only way to protect the livelihood and security of the public, and it is also the only means by which these politicians can have leverage with Beijing.
Next, we must praise the wisdom of those who fear communism. It is undeniable that talk of China's rapid rise and the dire future of Taiwan's economy is deafening. It is regrettable, however, that the vision of Taiwan as the economic orphan of Asia contained in the Kuala Lumpur Declaration is welcomed by some people, happy that Taiwan is becoming gradually more marginalized. It must be stressed that the Taiwanese economy will suffer if East Asia transforms into an organization similar to the EU without Taiwan's participation.
A look at the history of economic integration in Europe shows the many facets involved in its successful evolution, such as all member states enjoying highly developed economies, transparent democratic decision-making mechanisms, solid cultural assets and common intellectual values.
The main reason the EU has been able to maintain such smooth development for half a century is the principle that the stronger states do not bully the weaker states.
The signing ceremony held for the Kuala Lumpur Declaration also saw the incident involving Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶), who refused to lend his pen to Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. This was not only a way of showing displeasure at Koizumi's continued annual visits to the Yasukuni Shrine. A comparison to the EU's experience shows that Asian economic integration consists more of opposition than cohesion, so there isn't much for Taiwan to worry about.
Finally, we should hold to the principle that love runs deep and we should be eager to fulfill our responsibilities and give honest criticism of the policies of the government. When it comes to political issues, the government tolerates the opposition's uninterrupted tributes to Beijing, and its responses to sensitive issues are often weak. Its handling of Beijing's hidden manipulations of elections in Taiwan is also extremely inappropriate.
As far as economic and trade issues go, it should not be very difficult to come up with effective short, medium and long-term strategies for dealing with cross-strait trade and economic issues while maintaining vigilance on national security and a global approach regarding the nation's industries.
In the search for the reasons behind the past 10 years of stagnating average national income, Switzerland's model is instructive. Switzerland has managed to stay clear of the EU integration process because it has been able to create a working environment that offers high salaries.
If Taiwan can remain competitive in the areas of manpower and technology, then it has nothing to fear from the "Asian Free Trade Area.".
Translated by Perry Svensson
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