Roadmap for Freezing Taiwan Independence = Republic of China +Taiwan

 Roadmap for Freezing Taiwan Independence = Republic of China +Taiwan

United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)

A Translation

July 9, 2014

A Summary

The DPP longs to complete the "last mine." But the last mine is not about returning to power. It is about publicly renouncing Taiwan independence path. If the DPP returns to power but refuses to renounce Taiwan independence, internal and external pressures will prevent it from governing the nation smoothly. If the DPP ever hopes to complete the "last mine," it must publicly renounce Taiwan independence path. It may wish to begin with Stage Five, with the "Republic of China plus Taiwan."

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See full text of the editorial below

The DPP longs to complete the "last mine." But the last mine is not about returning to power. It is about publicly renouncing Taiwan independence. If the DPP returns to power but refuses to renounce Taiwan independence, internal and external pressures will prevent it from governing the nation smoothly.

Beijing has explicitly voiced opposition to the DPP's Taiwan Independence Party Platform. That means if the DPP returns to power, it will not be able to cling to Taiwan independence. But at present the DPP seems reluctant to nullify or freeze its Taiwan Independence Party Platform. At the same time, it tries to switch its position to affirming its Resolution on Taiwan's Future. This presents two problems. One. The Taiwan Independence Party Platform and Resolution for a Normal Nation have yet to be nullified or frozen. As long as this remains the case, the Resolution on Taiwan's Future will lose all force. Two. The Resolution on Taiwan's Future asserts that "Taiwan is a sovereign and independent nation. Its current name is the Republic of China." This is "backdoor listing," amounting to "one nation on each side" and "two states theory." There is no such thing as a "Republic of Taiwan Constitution." Therefore, the notion "Taiwan is a sovereign and independent nation" has no basis whatsoever in fact.

Nearly money the current leaders of the DPP champion the founding of a "Republic of Taiwan" on the basis of the Taiwan Independence Party Platform. The Taiwan Independence Party Platform has already been abandoned in actual practice. But when the DPP takes a detour via the Resolution on Taiwan's Future and embraces the Republic of China, it is merely using backdoor listing as a cover for Taiwan independence. In truth, the DPP never embraced the Republic of China based on the Constitution of the Republic of China. Those who use backdoor listing as a cover for Taiwan independence say that "Taiwan is a sovereign and independent nation. Its current name is the Republic of China." But genuine defenders of the Republic of China simply say, "The Republic of China is a sovereign and independent nation."

What is the relationship between "Taiwan" and the "Republic of China?" Taiwan independence advocates speak of "four stages." Stage One. The Republic of China is on the Chinese mainland. The Republic of China government was founded in 1912 on the Chinese mainland while Taiwan was still under Japanese colonial occupation. 1945 marked Taiwan retrocession. Stage Two. The Republic of China comes to Taiwan. Four years after the retrocession of Taiwan, the KMT central government lost control of the Chinese mainland and retreated to Taiwan. The Nationalist government comes to Taiwan and uses it as a "base to recover the Mainland." But talk of an "alien regime" infiltrates and stealthily grows later. Stage Three. The Republic of China on Taiwan. In the 1970s the Republic of China government pulls out of the United Nations. It resolves to defend Taiwan and "nativize" the government. Taiwan independence sentiment gains momentum. Stage Four. The Republic of China is Taiwan. Martial law is lifted. Taiwan independence forces are cut loose but unable to find a way out. Lee Teng-hui and Chen Shui-bian assert that "The Republic of China is Taiwan." This is "backdoor listing." Tsai Ing-wen asserts that "Taiwan is the Republic of China, and the Republic of China is Taiwan."

The assertion that "The Republic of China is Taiwan" implies that the Republic of China is equivalent to Taiwan, juristically. This is a way to create a "de-Sinicized Republic of China," i.e., a "Republic of China, but without China." It is also a way to create a "backdoor Taiwan independence by the name of Republic of China." This is why Chen Shui-bian revised the textbooks, turning Chinese history into foreign history and Sun Yat-sen into a foreigner. Tsai Ing-wen asserts that "My Republic of China has no Yangzi River, Yellow River, or Heilongjiang." But a Republic of China without Sun Yat-sen and without the Yangzi River is not the Republic of China. A Republic of China which has nothing besides Taiwan, is not the Republic of China. Therefore, as long as the DPP asserts that "Taiwan equals the Republic of China and the Republic of China equals Taiwan," it is definitely not the correct path the DPP should take in the transition of its position on national identity.

From now on, both the blue and green camps should speak of the "Republic of China plus Taiwan." History and the global political situation constantly change. The Republic of China's relationship with Taiwan has naturally evolved to Stage Five, i.e., the "Republic of China plus Taiwan." In other words, today's Republic of China is still the Republic of China founded in 1912. It still has Sun Yat-sen. It still has the Yellow River. But today's Republic of China has also had 65 years to integrate "Taiwan Elements." This is what we mean by the "Republic of China plus Taiwan."

The term "Taiwan Elements" refers to free and democratic political and social systems, values, and lifestyles. Zhang Zhijun, Mainland’s Taiwan Affairs Office Director, recently said that the Mainland respects the "Taiwan people's choice," aka "Taiwan values" or "Taiwan consciousness." The Republic of China is infused with these "Taiwan elements." In cross-Strait relations, the term "China" provides a point of linkage. Meanwhile, the term "Republic of China" reaffirms its sovereignty. This means that the future of cross-Strait relations will continue to be determined by the procedures prescribed in the Republic of China Constitution. This future will be decided by 23 million people on Taiwan. Cross-Strait relations will be directed by a rational process that leads to better goals.

One may opt for either process orientation or goal orientation. But whichever way one chooses, the Taiwan independence path will remain inferior to the Republic of China constitutional path. Take process orientation. Under Taiwan independence, peaceful cross-Strait relations are impossible. Take goal orientation. Giving Mainland a justification, Taiwan independence most likely will lead to military reunification. By contrast, the Republic of China constitutional strategy is a rational path that ensures cross-Strait peaceful development. It may be referred to as the "big roof concept of China," or the "Greater China Framework" that will create a better future for both sides. Taiwan is the water. The Republic of China is the glass. As long as the glass remains intact, the water remains contained. Break the glass, and the water is lost.

If the DPP ever hopes to complete the "last mine," it must publicly renounce Taiwan independence path. It may wish to begin with Stage Five, with the "Republic of China plus Taiwan."

(Courtesy of United Daily News)

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