※ [本文轉錄自 politics 看板]
作者: vandenburg (范登堡) 看板: politics
標題: Taiwan's 'Pragmatic Path'
時間: Tue Feb 7 16:47:50 2006
Taiwan's 'Pragmatic Path'
By MA YING-JEOU
Wall Street Journal
February 7, 2006
In recent years, Taiwan has seen its economy stagnate while deep divisions
in the political arena threaten to tear apart our country's social fabric.
From our country's name to its anthem, flag and symbols of national unity,
there is little consensus on the issues on the political agenda.
Externally, Taiwan was conspicuously absent from December's East Asian Summit
in Kuala Lumpur. Not being part of either Northeast or Southeast Asia, while
refusing to forge closer ties with the Chinese mainland, Taiwan finds itself
without friends in the region. That is graphically demonstrated by issues
such as the bird-flu threat, which Taiwan is left to fight on its own.
The woefully low popularity rating in Taiwan of President Chen Shui-bian and
his ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is but a reflection of the wider
morass our country is facing. The Kuomintang (KMT) and I have watched this
deterioration in Taiwan's situation with sorrow and dismay. Our landslide
victory in the local elections of December 2005 was a victory for the Taiwanese
people, and a vote of no confidence in the incumbent DPP administration.
Although the DPP will still remain in power for the next two and a half years,
we cannot and should not shy away from the hopes pinned on us by a majority of
voters on Taiwan. Taiwan can do more and Taiwan's people deserve more.
The key is for Taiwan to refocus itself on greater democracy, openness, and
pragmatism. The quintessence of democracy is a government executing the will
of the people. In particular, Taiwan's people yearn for a government free from
corruption, a country free from internal strife, and a region free from
confrontation.
The KMT must thoroughly rid itself of corruption and illegal electioneering at
all levels, and closely monitor the Chen administration for similar misconduct.
Government exists to serve the public, not to reap personal gain. We should
pursue all corruption and election cases with same, or even greater, alacrity
and rigor that I did while serving as justice minister in the KMT
administration from 1993-96.
Politically, the KMT should serve as a responsible and responsive opposition
party. We should act as a check and balance on the ruling party and the Chen
administration, while always keeping our actions within reasonable limits and
being mindful of the national interest. As a society, Taiwan has been
internally divided for too long. It is time to begin the healing process.
To aid this process, the KMT is determined to pursue a course of reconciliation
rather than emotional confrontation.
Likewise, the KMT should continue to help lower tensions across the Taiwan
Strait. In 1992, when I was senior vice chairman of the cabinet-level Mainland
Affairs Council, the KMT administration ironed out a political compromise with
Beijing on the knotty issue of one China, known as "one China, different
interpretations." During the 1990s, Taipei conducted 24 rounds of talks with
Beijing, including a landmark meeting between Chairman Koo Chen-fu of the
Straits Exchange Foundation and President Jiang Zemin in 1998. We participated
in these discussions without jeopardizing Taiwan's security, economy,
democratization, or international standing. I see no reason why we can't
repeat them in future.
Taiwan needs a new paradigm -- a fresh way to look at itself and others. For
too long the country has been torn between its Chinese and Taiwanese
identities, between the ideas of unification and independence. The KMT now
believes that neither unification nor independence is likely for Taiwan in the
foreseeable future and that the status quo should be maintained. The island's
future should be determined by its people, rather than the government. In this
fresh paradigm, Taiwan sees itself in a new light. I am confident that as the
island further opens itself up, it can only become more prosperous and secure.
It is a hard fact of life that Taiwan lives beside a communist giant. But we
need not view our geographical position in a negative light. That communist
giant is also the world's largest factory and source of manpower. Taiwan is
also fortunate to be located close to the world's second largest economy,
Japan; and just across the Pacific from the world's only superpower, the United
States. If Taiwan could maintain friendly relations with all three nations,
while not making an enemy out of any of them, the island would prosper forever.
Taiwan also has much to contribute to the region. Its political and economic
development and its cultural and linguistic receptivity to China, Japan, and
the West allow it to play a uniquely positive role among the three big powers.
The last thing it needs, and which it can scarcely afford, is to become a bone
of contention in the big-power game.
The problem is that, instead of pursuing such a pragmatic path, over the past
few years Taiwan has been too "idealistic" for its own good.
During the 1990s, Taiwan was justifiably proud of the political democratization
it had built upon its economic miracle. But after the transfer of power from
the KMT to the DPP in 2000, the Chen administration got carried away and pushed,
in rapid succession, for a referendum, a new constitution, and even a change in
Taiwan's name. Few other countries have amended their constitutions as many
times as quickly as Taiwan -- seven times in the last 15 years. Yet, even after
all these changes, President Chen was still vowing, in his recent New Year's
Day message, to push ahead with another, even more comprehensive round of
amendments.
Being a new democracy does not entitle Taiwan to rock the boat in the regional
waters. We should instead seek to advance the security and stability of the
area. In a similar spirit of pragmatism, Taiwan, while it seeks to defuse
tension across the Taiwan Strait, should also demonstrate its determination to
protect itself by maintaining adequate defensive capabilities.
The controversial arms-procurement bill to fund weapons purchases from the
United States is still pending in our parliament, the Legislative Yuan. I
believe all sides need to refrain from politically or emotionally-charged
accusations about this issue. Instead we should deal with it by weighing up
four factors -- cross-strait relations, Taiwan's defense needs, its financial
capability, and public opinion. This is a grand debate about Taiwan's national
security and a valuable exercise in democracy. A consensus forged in good faith
will be all the more cherished in future.
Opportunity and challenge always exist side by side. In the last five years,
Taiwan has focused more on challenges at the expense of opportunities. With
more democracy, openness, and pragmatism, Taiwan can rectify this, and the
voyage ahead will be smoother and swifter as a result.
Mr. Ma is chairman of the Kuomintang in Taiwan.
--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc)
◆ From: 218.161.123.188
--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc)
◆ From: 218.161.123.188