President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) set the tone for the visit by Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS) Chairman Chen Yunlin (陳雲林) during a TV interview when he said that the talks scheduled between Chen and Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) Chairman Chiang Pin-kung (江丙坤) would be based on the premise of “facing reality, mutual non-denial, improving living standards, reform and peace across the Taiwan Strait.”
In reality, these words merely represent Ma’s personal wishes and will have no beneficial effects on Taiwan’s sovereignty.
While the public is concerned about the potential damage Chen’s visit will have on Taiwan’s sovereignty, the Ma administration is still fooling itself with talk of “equality and dignity” and is caught up in how China will address Ma during Chen’s visit.
During a TV interview, Ma said he hoped he would be “referred to by Chen as ‘president.’”
The problem with this is that China believes that Taiwan is part of China. The education that Chinese receive has made everyone, from top-level leaders to normal citizens, view relations between Taiwan and China as “area to area” relations.
It is therefore not only futile to request that Chen refer to Ma as president, it is also a form of self-deception.
In international law, equality between countries is based on the recognition of sovereignty. As long as China does not recognize Taiwan’s sovereign status as a country, any international exchanges that occur between Taiwan and China will be done on the basis of unequal relations.
China’s hegemonic attitude and the way it suppresses Taiwan on the international stage are pervasive and far-reaching, with Taiwan being excluded from international meetings of a voluntary, non-governmental nature.
Dignity comes from both self-recognition and recognition by others. As the ancient saying goes: “One must first respect oneself before one can earn the respect of others.”
How could someone who does not care about whether he is being belittled by someone else request that he be respected and treated with dignity?
In other words, it is impossible for a political leader who does not really relate to Taiwan’s status as a sovereign and independent country to demand that he be treated with respect and dignity when he meets a Chinese official who views Taiwan as a mere province of China.
“Attitude determines altitude,” and it is Chen’s attitude that will decide whether or not Taiwan will be treated with respect and dignity.
Ma’s claim that he hopes Chen will refer to him as “president” after he already called himself an “area chief” is just a cop-out and all the talk of dignity for Taiwan is just a way for the government to cover up its submissiveness.
Equality and dignity are not mere slogans; they represent a determination to uphold Taiwan’s sovereignty. Every Taiwanese has to show this determination and take affirmative action.
When our leaders knowingly and repeatedly say foolish things and ignore public dissatisfaction, their failure to uphold Taiwan’s sovereignty and failure to represent the will of Taiwanese, all we are left with is empty rhetoric that represents nothing more than the personal wishes and hopes of Ma and Ma alone.
Such rhetoric is nothing to look forward to.
Chen Ching-chuan is a doctoral candidate at National Sun Yat-Sen University.
TRANSLATED BY DREW CAMERON
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