National security is the highest responsibility demanded of a government by the people of a country. It is not a matter that can be trifled with. National security comprises security on many levels, involving the economy, national defense, politics and society. The actions of the government in recent years, regardless of which of these security levels are looked at, has been extremely disappointing. Even Taiwan's foreign friends are becoming anxious and beginning to question the nation's commitment to its own security.
The current government has failed most spectacularly in the area of the economy. A few days ago, there was an international seminar on Japan's Taiwan Studies held at the National Library. The Japanese found it difficult to understand the policy of investment in China, detrimental as it is to Taiwan's national security. It was their opinion that this phenomenon would not be found in any normal country.
They were very critical of Taiwan's over-reliance on China, and its inability to break away from dependence on cheap labor and the processing and assembly business model.
Japanese academics are not the first to have pointed out the fact that Taiwanese businessmen are retarding the advancement of Taiwan's industry through their investment in China. The renowned expert on competition, Mike Potter, warned against Taiwan's over-reliance on China and its neglect of upgrading its technological capability as early as 1997. But the government has not altered course, and the ever- growing reliance on China has become the gravest national security concern.
This year, 41 percent of Taiwan's export orders have been manufactured in China. This has affected the political environment, giving rise to questions of military and political security. In total disregard of US concerns for Taiwan, the Legislative Yuan's Procedure Committee has blocked the special arms-procurement budget for the 35th time, trampling over the issue of national security.
Do they consider this to be a game? Should the decision depend entirely on the advantage held by one political party? And how can the government and the president stand by as the country is being sold out in this manner? Why do they not appeal to public opinion?
The reason is that wholesale investment in China has caused the Taiwanese people to lose sight of what their country is, and now they are no longer able to distinguish friend from foe.
We are already caught up in the maze of economic integration through which China is advancing its unification agenda, and Taiwanese have become numb to China's legitimization of its bellicose intentions.
The public did not even respond when former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) joined hands with China to belittle Taiwan.
In other words, Taiwan's economic security, as it affects our budgetary allocations and public opinion, has already begun to affect military security.
Recently, the government and opposition parties have been seeking ways of using tourism from China to make up for the outflow of Taiwan's industry and invigorate domestic spending. This is simply a case of grasping at straws, and they are clearly blind to the danger that tourism from China could represent to society.
When the number of Chinese visitors who overstay their visa reaches a certain number, it will become increasingly difficult for the police to maintain social order. If the government opens the gates to tourism from China before mechanisms for effective management have been put in place, then the flood of Chinese tourists may well frighten away visitors from Japan and the US.
The government should not sacrifice social order simply to please members of the tourism industry, but this is probably as a result of the crisis in our economic security.
Chinese capital within the nation's media organizations is also a threat to the nation's political security. As a result of China's policy of "unlimited war," Taiwan's economic and cultural discourse is now being manipulated by a pro-China media, to the detriment of Taiwan-centric academic, economic and cultural discourse.
The "Greater China" consciousness has even begun to affect the upper levels of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leadership. They have begun to question the reasoning behind changing the national title, of localization and of the support Taiwan movement. The ideals and aspirations to establish a nation of Taiwan on which the party was founded are gradually being dismantled. This is a fact which is being proved by the difficulties being faced by the DPP in next month's county and city elections. Clearly, this is a warning that the nation's political security is in jeopardy.
The government must remember that national security is not a game. It is necessary to realize that capital from Hong Kong, since the handover in 1997, should now be considered as Chinese money.
Moreover, China should not be seen an an economic savior. The umbilical cord that nurtures Taiwan's pro-Beijing media must be cut and mechanisms for the effective management of Taiwanese investment in China must be established.
The government's first priority is to ensure national security, and only by doing these things will the nation be able to maintain its independence and sovereignty, and preserve its future.
Translated by Paul Cooper and Ian Bartholomew
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