President Tsai, Don’t Continue to Allow the "Taiwan Independence Movement" Elements to Hamper Cross-Strait Relations

  President Tsai, Don’t Continue to Allow the "Taiwan Independence Movement" Elements to Hamper Cross-Strait Relations

China Times Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan)

July 26, 2018

 Translation of an Excerpt

The East Asian Youth Games Committee suddenly convened an extraordinary meeting, resolving to cancel the First East Asian Youth Games, scheduled to be held in Taichung City next year. The DPP government strongly lambasted Mainland China’s suppression, once again escalating the emotions of hostility across the Strait. Nevertheless, the incident had its seeds in the plebiscite proposal on rectifying the designation of Taiwan in the 2020 "Tokyo Summer Olympic Games” pushed by the pan-Green camp. The two sides of the Strait not only lacked mutual trust but also heightened their confrontation; at this moment, the Tsai government must pragmatically exercise self-restraint, and should not allow cross-Strait hostilities to further escalate. Especially, it must face squarely the destructive power of the plebiscite proposal for name changes promoted by the pan-Green camp involving Taiwan independence movement sentiments; in intensifying counterattacking oppression from the other side of the Strait, it should, as soon as possible, resolve the misgivings, both internally and externally, on the direction of the DPP government.

Facts prove that, with respect to the Green camp’s pushing for plebiscite proposals and bills involving Taiwan independence movement sentiments, Beijing’s adoption of strong counterattacks is an established policy; if the DPP government thus causes Taiwan to suffer setbacks in participating in international activities, even if pan-Green supporters blame Beijing’s oppression, the majority of the public, we are afraid, would consider that the DPP must be accountable for self-restraint and stop returning to the old path of ramming de jure Taiwan independence. If it allows the situation to continue to deteriorate, not only will the DPP get hurt, Taiwan will get hurt, and the public will get hurt as well.

President Tsai, in her scheduled visit to Paraguay in August, will transit through the US; the Green camp hopes that the transit this time will stage "transit diplomacy" with a landmark breakthrough effect; however, Washington has indicated that the US will abide by its obligations of the US "One China Policy," the Three US-China Communiqués, and the Taiwan Relations Act. Cross-Strait peace and stability are in conformity with the long-term interests of the United States; the important thing is that both sides of the Strait understand the importance of these interests so as to erect a foundation for peace and stability. Thus, there is absolutely no necessity for President Tsai’s transit in the United States to shoulder too many impractical expectations; conversely, it should be low-key and pragmatic for the benefit of the long-term development of US-Taiwan relations.

Washington’s policy position has been clearly stated; cross-Strait peace and stability conform with the long-term interests of the United States. The long-term friendship between the United States and Taiwan people is still one of the crucial factors of US Asian policy. Some inklings have emerged in the elevation of US-Taiwan relations, but they don’t represent that the Trump administration’s Taiwan policy will have basic changes; just as Taiwan Strait expert Shelley Rigger has warned, Trump’s character is more likely to abandon Taiwan as a pawn.

Taichung City’s right to host the East Asian Youth Games has been cancelled; various airline operators of the US have changed Taiwan’s designation on their websites. All this shows that the DPP government, in allowing the Green camp to dabble in acts involving Taiwan independence sentiments, would only encounter stronger anti-independence forces from the other side of the Strait, while the United States can only pay lip service in adopting certain bills to make the Tsai government feel good. Under the circumstances, President Tsai must see through the big picture, handling the negative effects elicited by the plebiscite proposal involving Taiwan independence sentiments, so as restore cross-Strait relations to a situation permitting dialogue; a request for the East Asian Youth Games Committee to reconsider its position can be deemed as taking the first step.

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