Only Worn-out Slogans Are Left in Countering M’land China?

 Only Worn-out Slogans Are Left in Countering M’land China?

United Daily News Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan)

July 30, 2018

 Translation of an Excerpt

The East Asian Youth Games scheduled to be held in Taichung were blocked by Mainland China; the Tsai government immediately lambasted the turn of events, and Premier Lai Ching-te and the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) followed each other in counterattack. These counter-measures did not face squarely the font of the problem over cross-Strait policy, nor did they intend to resolve the issue over the plebiscite proposal for changing designations in the Tokyo Summer Olympics 2020, nor did they mind the rights and interests of safeguarding Taiwan’s athletes in the games. Also because of this reason, when Lai Ching-te voiced his counterattack, he exposed the predicament over Taiwan’s lack of bargaining chips; when the MAC made its first move to counter, it even went to the length of sacrificing the rights and interests of the Kinmen population’s use of water, showing its coldness and indifference.

Recently Mainland China has canceled the East Asian Youth Games and compelled foreign airline operators to change Taiwan’s designation on their websites; in the aftermath of these setbacks, Lai Ching-te, in an exclusive interview with a media outlet, pointed out China's "three mistakes" and Taiwan's "four strategies" in response to Mainland China’s oppression of Taiwan. Premier Lai bluntly pointed out that "China is mistaken" three times: including changing Deng Xiaoping's path of laying low and biding one’s time, eliciting regional tensions; using unfair trade practices in securing foreign patents, igniting the China-US trade war; and in cross-Strait relations, overlooking President Tsai’s goodwill. Lai Ching-te demanded that China "hold the horse on the brink of the abyss."

Referring to Lai Ching-te’s Mainland China’s "three mistakes," the first and second mistakes all belonged to the bigger game theory picture of US-China global strategies; the third mistake is in turn reviewing cross-Strait relations. In reality, the changes in cross-Strait relations all originated from Tsai Ing-wen's non-recognition of the "1992 Consensus," leaving both sides without a common political foundation, so much so that any goodwill has been deemed by the Mainland as an "unfinished answer sheet of the questionnaire." Moreover, from Tsai Ing-wen to Lai Ching-te, from the MAC to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the messages released on the cross-Strait positioning and policy stances, have often been chaotic and contradictory. Especially, Lai Ching-te’s narrative is all the more tantamount to hijacking Taiwan by the Taiwan independence movement, and encasing cross-Strait relations into a corner of the US-China game theory chessboard, leaving Taiwan’s existence and future completely to the care of the United States, which is devoid of wisdom.

Facing Mainland China’s oppression, Lai Ching-te counterattacked with four strategies, which are surprisingly only empty rhetoric and four worn-out slogans: "Strengthening Taiwan, consolidating Taiwan, publicizing Taiwan, and solidifying Taiwan." For instance, even “taking the initiative” to contribute articles to international media outlets has been openly and proudly listed as a vital strategy for "publicizing Taiwan," showing at the same time Lai's foolish bravado. Just imagine this move, besides adding pressure on our diplomats to show their accomplishments for increasing "exporting for the purpose of domestic consumption," in contrast with Mainland China’s moves in recent years, the fight for the international pulpit, isn’t this humiliating?

Premier Lai’s counterattacks being so pale, it may indeed be related to his bigger picture, but it also exposed the fact that Taiwan lacks countering checks. The Tsai government has no strength to counteract it; its opening gambit has hurt Taiwan people’s rights and interests; both sides must do some soul-searching. Under the hijacking of ideologies, the common folks are being sacrificed, but the people are innocent.

Attachment : none