Some called it a bombshell, but it was only the bursting of a bubble. President Chen Shui-bian (
The pan-blue dominated legislature, in typical hypocritical fashion, cries that Chen does not have the best interests of the people in mind. That same pan-blue legislature has just cut the annual budget of the council to a mere US$32. This was more than just a slap in the face of the council, it confirmed that even the pan-blues consider the council useless. And for them to complain now that the council has ceased to function only insults the people of Taiwan.
The issue of the council revolves around democracy and misinterpretations of the nature of independence. Taiwan enjoys democracy and, therefore, independence. To unify with a country of its choice is certainly one of its options. Another option is that it remain free and independent. When a political party insists that unification is the only option, as the KMT and other pan-blue parties do (at least, most of the time), it denies Taiwan its democracy.
While the pan-blues are trying to hijack Taiwan for their ends, the goal of the council, ironically, was to establish a democratic, free and equitably prosperous China. This is a noble goal for China, of which the KMT are waishengren on Taiwan, but it rests on a false premise stated in the guidelines, that "Unification ... is the common wish of Chinese people at home and abroad." The Taiwanese people were never consulted or even given a vote in the formulation of this premise.
There is much more besides to illustrate why the guidelines should be scrapped. The terms of the process for unification stated in the guidelines have been continually violated by the People's Republic of China (PRC).
A few examples will serve to illustrate this point. Both sides of the Taiwan Strait should "establish a mutually benign relationship by not endangering each other's security and stability." "Democracy and the rule of law" should be present in both the PRC and the Republic of China. "Both sides of the [Taiwan] Strait should work together and assist each other in taking part in international organizations and activities."
With more than 700 missiles pointed at Taiwan, a total lack of democracy in the PRC, and the PRC's continued efforts to keep Taiwan from participating in the World Health Organization, ASEAN, the UN, etc, there should be no doubt in anyone's mind that the council is a one-sided dream fostered by the KMT. It is a dream that is totally disassociated from the reality of life on either side of the Taiwan Strait and which serves only to fog over the reality of how the KMT reluctantly relinquished its martial law and one-party state.
Despite all this, KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (
As for its symbolic meaning, Ma is clearly stating: "You were duped, learn to enjoy it."
Jerome Keating is a Taiwan-based writer.
Two weeks ago, Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh (楊紫瓊) raised hackles in Taiwan by posting to her 2.6 million Instagram followers that she was visiting “Taipei, China.” Yeoh’s post continues a long-standing trend of Chinese propaganda that spreads disinformation about Taiwan’s political status and geography, aimed at deceiving the world into supporting its illegitimate claims to Taiwan, which is not and has never been part of China. Taiwan must respond to this blatant act of cognitive warfare. Failure to respond merely cedes ground to China to continue its efforts to conquer Taiwan in the global consciousness to justify an invasion. Taiwan’s government
This month’s news that Taiwan ranks as Asia’s happiest place according to this year’s World Happiness Report deserves both celebration and reflection. Moving up from 31st to 27th globally and surpassing Singapore as Asia’s happiness leader is gratifying, but the true significance lies deeper than these statistics. As a society at the crossroads of Eastern tradition and Western influence, Taiwan embodies a distinctive approach to happiness worth examining more closely. The report highlights Taiwan’s exceptional habit of sharing meals — 10.1 shared meals out of 14 weekly opportunities, ranking eighth globally. This practice is not merely about food, but represents something more
In an article published on this page on Tuesday, Kaohsiung-based journalist Julien Oeuillet wrote that “legions of people worldwide would care if a disaster occurred in South Korea or Japan, but the same people would not bat an eyelid if Taiwan disappeared.” That is quite a statement. We are constantly reading about the importance of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), hailed in Taiwan as the nation’s “silicon shield” protecting it from hostile foreign forces such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and so crucial to the global supply chain for semiconductors that its loss would cost the global economy US$1
Concerns that the US might abandon Taiwan are often overstated. While US President Donald Trump’s handling of Ukraine raised unease in Taiwan, it is crucial to recognize that Taiwan is not Ukraine. Under Trump, the US views Ukraine largely as a European problem, whereas the Indo-Pacific region remains its primary geopolitical focus. Taipei holds immense strategic value for Washington and is unlikely to be treated as a bargaining chip in US-China relations. Trump’s vision of “making America great again” would be directly undermined by any move to abandon Taiwan. Despite the rhetoric of “America First,” the Trump administration understands the necessity of
RSS