May 03, 2005

Taiwan: Chen Takes Initiative with Offer to Beijing


President Chen Shui-bian of Taiwan wants China and Taiwan to set up a procedure for improving communication between their military and security forces, to reduce the risk of misunderstandings or unintended conflicts in the future
Untitled Document

By Keith Bradsher, The New York Times

President Chen Shui-bian of Taiwan called on Monday for China and Taiwan to set up a procedure for improving communication between their military and security forces, to reduce the risk of misunderstandings or unintended conflicts in the future.

The proposal is the latest in a series of startling and significant political and diplomatic developments that are, taken together, awakening new hopes here of a possible thaw in relations across the Taiwan Strait, which has been a flash point of tension in East Asia for the past half century.

A historic meeting in Beijing on Friday between Lien Chan, the chairman of Taiwan's opposition Nationalist Party, and President Hu Jintao of China has led to a rapid series of moves by politicians, including Chen, to seize the opportunity to ease tensions that have persisted since the end of China's civil war in 1949.

While Chen has previously spoken of a general need for "confidence-building" military measures, his proposal on Monday was more specific. It also represented his first initiative since a chill in relations across the Taiwan Strait that followed the Chinese Parliament's approval in March of an anti-secession law that called for the use of "non-peaceful means" to block any Taiwanese declaration of independence.

During a state visit to the Marshall Islands on Monday, Chen called for the creation of "a cross-Strait military and security mutual trust mechanism as soon as possible," according to the state-owned Central News Agency in Taiwan. Chen also repeated in stronger terms than usual his desire for a peaceful relationship with China someday - provided that China accepts Taiwan as an equal, something the Beijing authorities have vowed never to do.

"The door to a cross-Strait dialogue and negotiation is always open, based on the principles of democracy, peace and equality," Chen said.

Lien said on Monday in Shanghai that he also saw a rare opportunity for China and Taiwan to bridge their differences. Lien is due to conclude an eight-day visit to mainland China on Tuesday.

Attention is now shifting to a planned visit to mainland China from May 5 to 12 by James Soong, the chairman of the small People First Party, who is to carry a message to China's leaders from Taiwan's president.

Chen's overture to China has brought considerable attention and speculation because he and his ruling Democratic Progressive Party have risen to power by repeatedly confronting China.

Chen's Democratic Progressive Party has played to a large segment of the island's population that no longer sees the island's political future as lying with mainland China.

China has long promised to use force to stop an actual declaration of independence.

Chen has been put on the defensive by the surprising popularity in Taiwan of the meeting in Beijing between the Chinese president and Lien of the Nationalist Party.

The Nationalists ran Taiwan from the end of China's civil war in 1949 until 2000, when Chen defeated Lien in presidential elections; Chen beat him again in a rematch last spring.

Soong, a longtime Nationalist, broke with his party and ran as an independent in 2000, splitting the Nationalist vote with Lien and unintentionally helping bring Chen to power.

Soong has since set up the People First Party, which, even more than the Nationalists, favors an eventual reunification of Taiwan with China.

The Nationalists did unexpectedly well in legislative elections last December. This prompted Soong and Chen to form a political alliance on Feb. 24, even though their views on relations with China are almost diametrically opposed.

Their 10-point pact on Feb. 24 glossed over their disagreements and was fairly vague about cross-Strait relations. But it still sounded enough like a compromise that a half-dozen senior presidential aides quit in protest, saying that the president was not doing enough to advance Taiwan's eventual independence.

A small, pro-independence ally of the Democratic Progressive Party, the Taiwan Solidarity Union, has been strongly opposed to the visit to the mainland by Lien and the planned visit by Soong.

Politicians from the Taiwan Solidarity Union argue that all of the other parties are too willing to rush into closer relations with China without demanding that China first go farther in recognizing Taiwan. "It's too rapid - it's not only not the right time, it's also not the right way," said Huang Shih-cho of the Solidarity Union.

Complicating the issue are elections scheduled on May 14 for Taiwan's National Assembly, which is separate from the Legislature and essentially deals with constitutional issues.

The newly elected members of the assembly would be expected to vote in June on a plan that would cut the size of the Legislature in half and would allow the constitution to be changed in the future through referendums instead of a Byzantine system now in place that makes it very difficult to win approval for any amendments.

The Taiwan Solidarity Union and the People First Party both oppose the legislation, as they would probably lose most of their seats in the restructured Legislature.

Under the proposed system, members would be elected from single-seat districts instead of the current multiseat districts.

The Nationalists and the Democratic Progressive Party favor the legislation.

"Many people interpret the May 14 elections as life or death for the small parties," said Kao Su-po, a People First Party lawmaker.

The proximity of those elections has forced Chen and other politicians to respond more quickly to the accelerating pace of contacts with China than might otherwise be the case.

TAIPEI President Chen Shui-bian of Taiwan called on Monday for China and Taiwan to set up a procedure for improving communication between their military and security forces, to reduce the risk of misunderstandings or unintended conflicts in the future.

The proposal is the latest in a series of startling and significant political and diplomatic developments that are, taken together, awakening new hopes here of a possible thaw in relations across the Taiwan Strait, which has been a flash point of tension in East Asia for the past half century.

A historic meeting in Beijing on Friday between Lien Chan, the chairman of Taiwan's opposition Nationalist Party, and President Hu Jintao of China has led to a rapid series of moves by politicians, including Chen, to seize the opportunity to ease tensions that have persisted since the end of China's civil war in 1949.

While Chen has previously spoken of a general need for "confidence-building" military measures, his proposal on Monday was more specific. It also represented his first initiative since a chill in relations across the Taiwan Strait that followed the Chinese Parliament's approval in March of an anti-secession law that called for the use of "non-peaceful means" to block any Taiwanese declaration of independence.

During a state visit to the Marshall Islands on Monday, Chen called for the creation of "a cross-Strait military and security mutual trust mechanism as soon as possible," according to the state-owned Central News Agency in Taiwan. Chen also repeated in stronger terms than usual his desire for a peaceful relationship with China someday - provided that China accepts Taiwan as an equal, something the Beijing authorities have vowed never to do.

"The door to a cross-Strait dialogue and negotiation is always open, based on the principles of democracy, peace and equality," Chen said.

Lien said on Monday in Shanghai that he also saw a rare opportunity for China and Taiwan to bridge their differences. Lien is due to conclude an eight-day visit to mainland China on Tuesday.

Attention is now shifting to a planned visit to mainland China from May 5 to 12 by James Soong, the chairman of the small People First Party, who is to carry a message to China's leaders from Taiwan's president.

Chen's overture to China has brought considerable attention and speculation because he and his ruling Democratic Progressive Party have risen to power by repeatedly confronting China.

Chen's Democratic Progressive Party has played to a large segment of the island's population that no longer sees the island's political future as lying with mainland China.

China has long promised to use force to stop an actual declaration of independence.

Chen has been put on the defensive by the surprising popularity in Taiwan of the meeting in Beijing between the Chinese president and Lien of the Nationalist Party.

The Nationalists ran Taiwan from the end of China's civil war in 1949 until 2000, when Chen defeated Lien in presidential elections; Chen beat him again in a rematch last spring.

Soong, a longtime Nationalist, broke with his party and ran as an independent in 2000, splitting the Nationalist vote with Lien and unintentionally helping bring Chen to power.

Soong has since set up the People First Party, which, even more than the Nationalists, favors an eventual reunification of Taiwan with China.

The Nationalists did unexpectedly well in legislative elections last December. This prompted Soong and Chen to form a political alliance on Feb. 24, even though their views on relations with China are almost diametrically opposed.

Their 10-point pact on Feb. 24 glossed over their disagreements and was fairly vague about cross-Strait relations. But it still sounded enough like a compromise that a half-dozen senior presidential aides quit in protest, saying that the president was not doing enough to advance Taiwan's eventual independence.

A small, pro-independence ally of the Democratic Progressive Party, the Taiwan Solidarity Union, has been strongly opposed to the visit to the mainland by Lien and the planned visit by Soong.

Politicians from the Taiwan Solidarity Union argue that all of the other parties are too willing to rush into closer relations with China without demanding that China first go farther in recognizing Taiwan. "It's too rapid - it's not only not the right time, it's also not the right way," said Huang Shih-cho of the Solidarity Union.

Complicating the issue are elections scheduled on May 14 for Taiwan's National Assembly, which is separate from the Legislature and essentially deals with constitutional issues.

The newly elected members of the assembly would be expected to vote in June on a plan that would cut the size of the Legislature in half and would allow the constitution to be changed in the future through referendums instead of a Byzantine system now in place that makes it very difficult to win approval for any amendments.

The Taiwan Solidarity Union and the People First Party both oppose the legislation, as they would probably lose most of their seats in the restructured Legislature.

Under the proposed system, members would be elected from single-seat districts instead of the current multiseat districts.

The Nationalists and the Democratic Progressive Party favor the legislation.

"Many people interpret the May 14 elections as life or death for the small parties," said Kao Su-po, a People First Party lawmaker.

The proximity of those elections has forced Chen and other politicians to respond more quickly to the accelerating pace of contacts with China than might otherwise be the case.

TAIPEI President Chen Shui-bian of Taiwan called on Monday for China and Taiwan to set up a procedure for improving communication between their military and security forces, to reduce the risk of misunderstandings or unintended conflicts in the future.

The proposal is the latest in a series of startling and significant political and diplomatic developments that are, taken together, awakening new hopes here of a possible thaw in relations across the Taiwan Strait, which has been a flash point of tension in East Asia for the past half century.

A historic meeting in Beijing on Friday between Lien Chan, the chairman of Taiwan's opposition Nationalist Party, and President Hu Jintao of China has led to a rapid series of moves by politicians, including Chen, to seize the opportunity to ease tensions that have persisted since the end of China's civil war in 1949.

While Chen has previously spoken of a general need for "confidence-building" military measures, his proposal on Monday was more specific. It also represented his first initiative since a chill in relations across the Taiwan Strait that followed the Chinese Parliament's approval in March of an anti-secession law that called for the use of "non-peaceful means" to block any Taiwanese declaration of independence.

During a state visit to the Marshall Islands on Monday, Chen called for the creation of "a cross-Strait military and security mutual trust mechanism as soon as possible," according to the state-owned Central News Agency in Taiwan. Chen also repeated in stronger terms than usual his desire for a peaceful relationship with China someday - provided that China accepts Taiwan as an equal, something the Beijing authorities have vowed never to do.

"The door to a cross-Strait dialogue and negotiation is always open, based on the principles of democracy, peace and equality," Chen said.

Lien said on Monday in Shanghai that he also saw a rare opportunity for China and Taiwan to bridge their differences. Lien is due to conclude an eight-day visit to mainland China on Tuesday.

Attention is now shifting to a planned visit to mainland China from May 5 to 12 by James Soong, the chairman of the small People First Party, who is to carry a message to China's leaders from Taiwan's president.

Chen's overture to China has brought considerable attention and speculation because he and his ruling Democratic Progressive Party have risen to power by repeatedly confronting China.

Chen's Democratic Progressive Party has played to a large segment of the island's population that no longer sees the island's political future as lying with mainland China.

China has long promised to use force to stop an actual declaration of independence.

Chen has been put on the defensive by the surprising popularity in Taiwan of the meeting in Beijing between the Chinese president and Lien of the Nationalist Party.

The Nationalists ran Taiwan from the end of China's civil war in 1949 until 2000, when Chen defeated Lien in presidential elections; Chen beat him again in a rematch last spring.

Soong, a longtime Nationalist, broke with his party and ran as an independent in 2000, splitting the Nationalist vote with Lien and unintentionally helping bring Chen to power.

Soong has since set up the People First Party, which, even more than the Nationalists, favors an eventual reunification of Taiwan with China.

The Nationalists did unexpectedly well in legislative elections last December. This prompted Soong and Chen to form a political alliance on Feb. 24, even though their views on relations with China are almost diametrically opposed.

Their 10-point pact on Feb. 24 glossed over their disagreements and was fairly vague about cross-Strait relations. But it still sounded enough like a compromise that a half-dozen senior presidential aides quit in protest, saying that the president was not doing enough to advance Taiwan's eventual independence.

A small, pro-independence ally of the Democratic Progressive Party, the Taiwan Solidarity Union, has been strongly opposed to the visit to the mainland by Lien and the planned visit by Soong.

Politicians from the Taiwan Solidarity Union argue that all of the other parties are too willing to rush into closer relations with China without demanding that China first go farther in recognizing Taiwan. "It's too rapid - it's not only not the right time, it's also not the right way," said Huang Shih-cho of the Solidarity Union.

Complicating the issue are elections scheduled on May 14 for Taiwan's National Assembly, which is separate from the Legislature and essentially deals with constitutional issues.

The newly elected members of the assembly would be expected to vote in June on a plan that would cut the size of the Legislature in half and would allow the constitution to be changed in the future through referendums instead of a Byzantine system now in place that makes it very difficult to win approval for any amendments.

The Taiwan Solidarity Union and the People First Party both oppose the legislation, as they would probably lose most of their seats in the restructured Legislature.

Under the proposed system, members would be elected from single-seat districts instead of the current multiseat districts.

The Nationalists and the Democratic Progressive Party favor the legislation.

"Many people interpret the May 14 elections as life or death for the small parties," said Kao Su-po, a People First Party lawmaker.

The proximity of those elections has forced Chen and other politicians to respond more quickly to the accelerating pace of contacts with China than might otherwise be the case.


Source: International Herald Tribune