One high-ranking official gave voice this past week to what many have long suspected -- that the government's handling of recent cross-strait developments has been guided in part by tactics no more sophisticated than trial and error.
"This situation is unprecedented in Taiwan, and so we can only make decisions along the way. This is a completely new situation, and we need to gradually adjust the government's position so we can open a window of opportunity for cross-strait talks," a government official said on condition of anonymity.
With the opposition parties cozying up to Beijing and the National Assembly elections just around the corner, cross-strait developments have indeed been puzzling of late. This has been underscored by unlikely political alliances, with President Chen Shui-bian (
It has also been marked by a shift in Beijing's previous tactic of issuing military threats to get its way, to what has been called its new "charm offensive." This new tactic has been characterized most recently by Beijing's move to woo Taiwan with concessions on tourism, agricultural trade deals and even two endangered pandas.
At home, cross-strait relations have recently come under the shadow of the upcoming National Assembly elections slated for this weekend. While it remains unclear whether cross-strait policies might see any changes, recent events have led many to think twice about whether the script of cross-strait dialogue might be tweaked.
Since Beijing passed its "Anti-Secession" Law authorizing the use of force against Taiwan should it seek formal independence, the Mainland Affairs Council has taken a "wait and see" approach, and its attitude toward Soong's visit to China has fallen along the same lines.
High-ranking officials said last week that the government would have to "look over all relevant information -- the tone and content of the discussions and what China might say after Soong's visit -- before making an assessment."
"All this must be included in our assessment as to whether there has been a softening in China's stance on Taiwan, and if it is willing to conduct talks with our government directly," the official said.
The implicit concern, however, is what the administration will do if Beijing ignores the Chen administration and deals exclusively with the opposition parties. In an interview last week, former Mainland Affairs Council vice chairman Lin Chong-pin (
But Lin warned that "Beijing has a deliberate policy of using exchange to achieve its goals."
Chen's recent about-face on Lien and Soong's China visits might reflect this concern. Having taken the initiative to ask Soong to act as his messenger to Beijing, Chen on Sunday made moves to distance himself from Soong, claiming that the PFP leader had met with China's Taiwan Affairs Office director Chen Yunlin (
The ambiguity of Chen's relationship with Soong during his tour of China leaves much room for misinformation, however. Asked whether Soong's remarks in China in support of the controversial "1992 consensus" and opposition to Taiwan's independence was an accurate representative of the Chen-Soong 10-point consensus, the official predicted that Soong would relay Chen's message behind closed doors.
"[Soong's] public and private remarks need to be dealt with separately," the government source said. But whether this distinction will be lost on pan-green supporters in the upcoming election is of concern.
"Soong's remarks could have a backlash on the DPP. This is expected because the DPP and PFP's original position on these matters are so vastly different. So there could be green backlash," the official said.
The government wants, understandably, to have its cake and eat it too, but whether the ruling party will be able to pull off the balancing act that cross-strait politics demands remains to be seen.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and