Do the Taiwan People Hope to See this Stage Scene?

 Do the Taiwan People Hope to See this Stage Scene?

China Times Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan)

August 27, 2019

 Translation of an Excerpt

Earlier this year, Beijing announced "Xi Jinping’s Five Points"; the Tsai government seized the opportunity to emphasize that the other side of the Strait forcibly pushed for "one country, two systems", claiming that it attempted to annex Taiwan. Since June, the violent protests and demonstrations in Hong Kong streets have intensified. Both Beijing and opposition groups in Hong Kong have drawn their swords and arroews; the DPP authorities have even seized the opportunity to spread Sinophobic sentiments among the people in Taiwan, creating a sense of crisis. Suddenly, that the Mainland attempted to annex Taiwan seemed to have become the consensus of many people. However, what the Mainland pursues is "reunification by consensus," and not "unilateral annexation." The Hong Kong incident precisely proves the Mainland’s good faith in its "one country, two systems" policy. Taiwan’s true challenge is not being annexed or being another Hong Kong, but the issue of rejecting communication and consultations, as well as whether it will be marginalized and consumed.

Annexation is the habitual rhetoric used by the DPP government to scare the public, not the main axis of the Mainland's policy toward Taiwan. As early as 40 years ago in the "Letter to Taiwan Compatriots", the Mainland no longer drummed the slogan of "liberating Taiwan", but pledged "when resolving the question of reunification, we respect Taiwan’s status quo and the views of figures in various circles of Taiwan, adopting rational and reasonable policies and methods, not letting the people of Taiwan suffer losses." Deng Xiaoping pointed out in the 1980s that peaceful reunification was the reunification of the nation jointly achieved by both sides of the Strait (then the lingo was both the KMT and the CCP), now "not I gobble up you, nor you me."

Taiwan’s true challenge is not being annexed or being another Hong Kong, but misjudging the situation and missing its opportunities. Whether or not we are willing to admit it, the Taiwanese are Chinese, it is one country; Taiwan’s system is the constitutional government system of the Republic of China, and that is two systems. Regardless of the views held by the pro-reunification and pro-independence groups among the Taiwan people, the goal of the Mainland’s pursuit of reunification will not change; with the increase of national strength, the pressure on reunification will become greater and greater. If we see through this point, what the knowledgeable in Taiwan should do then is not to gradually go separate ways with the Mainland or to turn confrontational as foes, but to strive to overcome Sinophobic sentiments, especially daring to engage in consultations and negotiations with the Mainland in order to seek the maximum rights and benefits for the people of Taiwan.

If Taiwan continues to evade consultations and negotiations, and continues to demonize "one country, two systems", handing out with both hands our pulpit on reunification by consensus, should the US withdraw from Asia, Taiwan could only accept "being reunified" or even "one country, one system". Do Taiwan people hope to see this stage scene? Do Taiwanese want to see this stage scene?

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