Fri, Apr 27, 2001 page12

• Keep the integration dictum vague

  • By Wang Kun-yi 王崑義
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  Sometimes, in politics, it is better to leave some things unsaid. Once a stance or idea is clearly expressed in words, any room for further negotiation is limited and the path to possible alternatives might be blocked.

  The head of the DPP's international affairs department, Tien Hsin (田欣), recently revealed in the US that "The DPP is willing to sacrifice part of Taiwan's sovereignty in exchange for cross-strait peace." Whether or not his remarks were taken out of context, Tien's intention was perhaps to "speak clearly and directly" (說清楚, 講明白) about President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) "integration" dictum (統合論). With such a clear interpretation of the integration dictum having been made, however, Taiwan might lose any room for cross-strait negotiation.

  Whoever understands China's perspective of "sovereignty" knows that the Chinese authorities actually adopt a view of "absolute sovereignty" (絕對主權觀). Thus, national sovereignty is inalienable and of supreme importance, which is very different from the Western view of "relative sovereignty" (相對主權觀). According to the Chinese concept, therefore, although the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are currently separated, each side will fight for legitimacy. Consequently, as the old Chinese saying has it, "After a long split, a union will occur; after a long union, a split will occur" (分久必合; 合久必分) -- fights over sovereignty always take place within "one nation."

  The Western relative sovereignty, on the other hand, exists between nations for the purpose of co-operation. Although each participant needs to sacrifice part of its sovereignty in order to facilitate co-operation, it still keeps its status as a nation. Both the EU and the British Commonwealth, for example, have operated within such a structure of integration.

  Today, the greater problem is that Beijing not only takes the national sovereignty issue as a symbol of its legitimacy, but also as a tool to promote anti-colonialism and anti-hegemonism, as well as a means to reach an internal consensus. As a result, if national sovereignty is divided into parts, the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) rule will lack legitimacy, and the Chinese people might even launch a revolution to end it.

  So if Taiwan wishes to start talks with China on the issue of integration, first of all, the prerequisite for the talks is that China should admit that Taiwan is indeed a nation, and not Taiwan's willingness to sacrifice part of its sovereignty.

  Next, China should change its ideology regarding anti-colonialism and anti-hegemonism, and stop viewing the US and European countries as if they were the Western empires of the 19th Century.

  Of course, under the current circumstances, it is very difficult for Beijing to take the two steps outlined above. Consequently, if Taiwan proposes to sacrifice part of its sovereignty in exchange for cross-strait peace, the island will fall into the "one China" trap, having used its trump card without securing peace. Thus, "the Buddha said: Don't tell!"

  If we keep the "integration" dictum vague, the island might secure a better tomorrow.

  Wang Kun-yi is a senior journalist.

  Translated by Eddy Chang
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