Sun, Mar 15, 2009 page3

• Ma ‘naive’ on PRC law: forum

  WEAK STATEMENT Pundits say President Ma Ying-jeou was a vocal critic of China’s ‘Anti-Secession’ Law when he was Taipei mayor, but is now quiet by comparison

  • By Ko Shu-ling / STAFF REPORTER
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  The idea that China would scrap its “Anti-Secession” Law out of consideration for the Taiwanese public is just a pipe dream, an academic attending a cross-strait forum said yesterday after the government said China should scrap the law.

  “They are either naive or have a low IQ,” said Wang Szu-wei (王思為), a professor at Nanhua University’s department of non-profit organization management. “If [Beijing] had taken into consideration the feelings of the Taiwanese people in the first place, it would never have made the law.”

  Wang made the remarks at a forum on “China’s ‘Anti-Secession’ Law and the Development of Cross-Strait Relations” when asked for comment on a Presidential Office statement yesterday marking the law’s fourth anniversary.

  The Presidential Office said the “Anti-Secession” Law was “unnecessary” because the cross-strait detente was a reciprocal process in which both sides must show goodwill.

  Wang said it was “ridiculous” for a government to make such a remark because a responsible administration should use its leverage to make demands rather than hoping Beijing will show some goodwill.

  The statement was “politically incorrect” and “showy diplomatic language aimed at placating the public on a special occasion,” Wang said.

  President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) was a vocal critic of the law during his terms as Taipei mayor and during his campaign for the presidency. By comparison, he has been quiet on the issue since taking office in May, critics said.

  Wang Kun-yi (王崑義), a professor at National Taiwan Ocean University, said the Presidential Office’s statement was as useless as “a dog barking at a train.”

  Wang Kun-yi said that while Beijing had never strayed from its goal of unification, it had adjusted its strategy, adopting a softer approach.

  A recent example was Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s (溫家寶) wish to visit Taiwan, Wang Kun-yi said.

  Wen said on Friday that he would like to visit Taiwan someday, even if old age meant he could not walk and had to crawl.

  Another example was a reported invitation to former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) to visit China, Wang Kun-yi said. While Beijing previously invited only politicians who accepted “one China,” it now welcomes anyone who supports peaceful development in the Strait to visit in any capacity, he said.

  The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) might be the most reluctant to see Lu visit China because Beijing has always insisted on the “one China” principle in dealing with KMT figures, he said.

  The incident also highlighted the power struggle within China, he said, adding that many politicians hoped to score political points by making Lu’s trip possible.

  George Liu (劉志聰), a researcher at Nanhua University’s Center for Peace and Strategic Studies, said the government’s foreign policy depended entirely on Beijing’s goodwill to gain observer status at the World Health Assembly this year.

  “If [Beijing] is happy with Ma’s performance, it might let us in, but if he makes [China] unhappy next year, it will make us suffer,” he said.

  Liu blamed the communication platform between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party for bringing about the “Anti-Secession” Law.

  Liu said Beijing’s goal was to eliminate support for independence and advance its unification agenda. The KMT on the other had, would do whatever it takes to stay in power, for which it will require China’s assistance, he said.

  Later last night, a rally was staged in front of the Presidential Office to protest the “Anti-Secession” Law and the Ma administration’s policies, which the protesters slammed as skewed toward China.

  Around 1,000 people participated in the rally organized by the Taiwan National Congress, an alliance of more than 20 local and international groups supporting independence.

  ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY RICH CHANG AND CNA
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