Conference voices fear of `evil empire'

COMMUNIST THREAT: Experts at a cross-strait conference said Taiwan needs to forge a national identity if it is to follow a path of development that adheres to the truth

By Huang Tai-lin

STAFF REPORTER

Monday, Nov 03, 2003,Page 1

"For China is an evil empire that deprives its 1.2 billion people of the right to make their own choice."

－Cao Chang-ching, a New York-based political commentator and a former editor of a Chinese Community Party newspaper

The most urgent issue facing Taiwan's public is the need to recognize the threat from China, local and international experts attending a conference on cross-strait issues said yesterday.

"It is rather contradictory that Taiwan, in view of China's incessant and increasing threats, continues to relax regulations governing cross-strait exchanges," said Taiwan Advocates vice chairman Huang Kun-hui.

Huang was briefing panelists on the conclusions of the two-day conference which ended yesterday.

"Many panelists voiced concerns that Taiwan would be jeopardizing its national security if the situation concerning cross-strait exchanges is not soon reversed," Huang said.

Former president Lee Teng-hui, founder of the think tank Taiwan Advocates, which hosted the conference, said: "The exchanges between Taiwan and China have come to a point where they need to be reassessed and changed."

"[Forging a] cross-strait identity is the root to solving cross-strait issues," Lee said.

"Moves such as rectifying Taiwan's name and rewriting the Constitution are attempts to clarify the cross-strait identity in order to allow the normalization of exchanges between Taiwan and China," he said.

Lee disputed claims by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and People First Party (PFP) that they would safeguard the Republic of China (ROC).

"Are we to safeguard a fictitious country or stand up for people's right to seek existence and development?" Lee said. "Are we to defend the ROC and thus sacrifice each citizen's opportunity for continuous development, or to stand up for each citizen's right to seek existence and development and abandon a fake country?

"Taiwan is part of the world, not part of China," Lee said. "Taiwan's public ought to unite and walk our Taiwanese path rather than that of China."

In a round-table discussion prior to the conclusion of the conference, New York-based political commentator Cao Chang-ching said, "Taiwan's people ought not to be intimidated by China but should seek the truth."

Cao pointed to Vaclav Havel's question "are you living in truth?" and praised Lee for daring to speak the truth about Taiwan's status.

"Whether it is former president Lee Teng-hui's `two states' theory or President Chen Shui-bian's `one country on each side' of the Taiwan Strait, both are statements that lead Taiwan toward the path of reality," said Cao, a former editor of a Chinese Communist Party newspaper.

"Only via a path toward reality can Taiwan have a future," Cao said.

Saying that people should cherish their rights, Cao called on people in Taiwan to help those in China seeking a democratic system.

"For China is an evil empire that deprives its 1.2 billion people of the right to make their own choice," he said.

According to Huang, an estimated 1,000 people participated in the conference.

The event included panelists such as Gordon Chang, China expert and author of The Coming Collapse of China, Hidenori Ijiri, a professor at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, and Ross Terrill, senior researcher at the Fairbank Center for East Asia Research.

The conference concluded yesterday with Lee leading representatives from 16 civil groups on a stage calling out the slogan "building a new country and a new constitution through a national referendum."

In New York, Chen woos members of Congress

TRANSIT STOP: Chen urged the US not to sacrifice Taiwan as it turns to China to pursue its war against terrorism and said his trip showed US-Taiwan relations were improving

By Lin Chieh-yu, Nadia Tsao and Fan Cheng-Hsiang

STAFF REPORTERS , IN NEW YORK

Monday, Nov 03, 2003,Page 1

Several members of the US Congress vowed on Saturday to make President Chen Shui-bian's acceptance speech for a human rights award a part of the congressional record.

"President Chen's speech given at the award ceremony held by the International League for Human Rights was very moving, and I will provide the full text to US government administrative officials and my fellow congressmen as a reference," Tom Lantos, the most senior member of the US Congress International Relations Committee, said on Saturday morning.

Chen, saying that since both Lantos and his wife, Annette Lantos, were veterans in the human rights movement and that since Switzerland would be awarding a medal to Annette Lantos next year, the couple would be welcome to visit Taiwan.

Chen met various US congressmen and senators and had lunch with eight of them at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.

Chen tried to win their support for Taiwan's participation in international organizations. He also said that Taiwan would support fully the global anti-terrorism actions led by the US.

"However, I have to remind the US government that although the US needs to strengthen its ties with China for the anti-terrorism campaign and North Korea, we hope the US does not sacrifice Taiwan's interests," Chen told the group.

The politicians who met Chen included Lantos, New York State Senator Charles Schumer and West Virginia Senator Jay Rockefeller.

Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle, Missouri Senator Kit Bond and New York Congressman Gregory Meeks also paid their respects to Chen via telephone.

Chen told former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani that although some people thought the relationship between the US and Taiwan had gone downhill, there was no proof of such a trend.

Chen used the example of the courtesies he had been accorded during his transit stop to show that the relationship between the two countries has been improving.

In his meeting with Giuliani, Chen raised the cross-strait relationship and the North Korea issue. Chen said the cross-strait relationship had come to a standstill, but economically Taiwan had been pushing for breakthroughs.

After Giuliani expressed concern about China's military threat to Taiwan, Chen made comparisons to the Cuban Missile Crisis. Chen said that while the missile crisis lasted only 14 days, China has nearly 500 missiles pointed at Taiwan and that Taiwanese people are forced to live under the threat of these missiles every day.

Chen also convinced Schumer to join the Taiwan Caucus. Chen said it was the best present he received during his transit stop.

According to the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office, 18 Senators have joined the caucus since its creation in September.

The Taiwan Caucus in the House of Representatives boasts 124 members.

"Real friends are those who would open up their arms and stand with you when you are in need, and that's why Taiwan can often get support in the US Congress," Chen said.

Schumer, meanwhile, said Taiwan faces discrimination in international society. He said this goes against the principles upon which the US was founded and that he would do his best to help Taiwan join the World Health Organization and other international groups.

Chen also said he hoped to visit Senator Bond's home state of Missouri and extended an invitation for Bond to visit Taiwan.

Bond said he would help push for a free-trade agreement between Taiwan and the US.

Chen in talkative mood on boat trip down the Hudson

UNDER A STARRY NEW YORK SKY: The president strayed from his prepared speech as he eulogized on his diplomatic breakthroughs on recent trips to the Big Apple

By Lin Chieh-yu

STAFF REPORTER

Monday, Nov 03, 2003,Page 3

President Chen Shui-bian told 450 overseas Taiwanese and friends of Taiwan in New York, "It is a very special day today, a day with historical importance for the 23 million Taiwanese people."

Chen made the remarks during a cruise down the Hudson River on Saturday evening.

"Tonight, the president from Taiwan can get together with so many expatriates and supporters on the same ship in New York, which is a thing that could never happen in the past," Chen said. "This scenario shows that the relationship between Taiwan and the US had been improving steadily in the past three years, and it is like a person eating a sugar cane from the bottom and the taste getting better with each bite."

Under a starry sky, Chen, accompanied by Taiwan's representative to the US, Chen Chien-jen, and American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) chairwoman Therese Shaheen, boarded the New York Spirit and set off for a city cruise from Chelsea Piers on the west side of Manhattan.

Straying from the theme of his prepared speech, Chen talked about his feelings on the three visits he had made to the US as the president in the past three years and on the diplomatic breakthroughs he has made in the past two days in New York.

"In August 2000, we made our first visit to Los Angeles. Back then I could only meet 15 expatriates in my hotel room, and it was not open to the media. Even the congressmen could not meet me officially but had to slip in via the kitchen to see me," Chen said.

"In May 2001, we made a visit to New York and made some improvements. We met with 150 expatriates and we could all sit down to dine together. Even 22 congressmen came to the dinner banquet from Washington," Chen said.

"This year, still in New York, we have met with 450 expatriates, and the media was also allowed to participate and report on the event. Congressmen did not have to slip in via the kitchen to meet me," he said.

Chen stressed that he had mixed feeling about the treatment, because ordinary people could stay in New York freely, but as Taiwan's leader he could hardly go anywhere due to the lack of official ties between the US and Taiwan and pressure from China.

"Even when former president Lee Teng-hui returned to his alma mater Cornell University to give a speech in 1995, he was not allowed the stay the night in New York.

"Afterwards it also took quite a lot of effort to smooth over the tension between Taiwan and China caused by the speech," Chen said.

"But now we are allowed to engage in public activities, conduct public speeches, accept an award and interact with the media. These are very precious achievements," he said.

Chen then praised the US government for its support for Taiwan and the friendship between the two countries. He said that in 2001 when he won Liberal International's freedom prize, he did not have the freedom to accept the prize himself.

"Many countries, even European ones which put an emphasis on human rights, treat us thus. In comparison, US is Taiwan's real friend," Chen said.

Chen emphasized his breakthroughs to make listeners feel that the relationship between the US and Taiwan is strong. But in fact because of Chen's recent policy moves back home, including the referendum issue and a new constitution, Chen's aides were quite worried that the US government would be unhappy and downsize the reception for Chen.

Therefore, before the trip Chen's aides were trying to get the media to focus on the strengthening understanding and trust between Taiwan and the US during the trip, hoping to lower the media's expectation of the scale of Chen's reception.

"In fact, Chen also hoped to make direct, intensive explanations of Taiwan's stand and his ideology to the Taiwan-friendly congressmen and guarantee that he would not cross the Bush administration's red line," DPP Legislator Parris Chang, who has followed Chen to the US, said.

After two days of activities, the Taiwanese reporters following Chen and the foreign affairs ministry officials in the US were all surprised that Chen's performances in each function broke the framework previously agreed by both sides. Chen even crossed over the gray area in the diplomatic arena and pushed the US' bottom line further down.

For example, Chen managed to walk into the crowd to greet them on the day he arrived, he also talked to the media in public and his speech did not follow his prepared copy faithfully. His aides also helped to publicize and politicize almost all activities.

But it takes further analysis on Washington's reaction and talks to see whether Chen's breakthrough will construct a new mode for the interaction between Taiwan and the US, or would force the US government to re-examine the relationship between the two countries.

Meanwhile, major Taiwanese groups and diplomats in the US all think that Shaheen has played an important role in Chen's success in various activities.

"Compared with former chairman Richard Bush, who adopted the conservative style of a professional diplomat, Shaheen is a more open, passionate entrepreneur," aid Joyce Chang, executive director of Formosa Association for Taiwan Affairs.

"Her style indeed helped the Taiwanese delegation feel at home and even do whatever they want," she said.

"Shaheen fully demonstrated her authorization from the US government. The level of interaction the president had with our American friends and Taiwanese in the US is way over the original expectation. But it would be interesting to see whether the tension between Shaheen and the Department of the State will heighten afterwards," Chang said.

Shaheen is a successful businesswoman who has never been a diplomat but has a professional diplomat for a husband.

When Chen was touting the US on the ship last night, and explaining that all breakthroughs were consented and agreed on by Shaheen, Shaheen immediately mentioned the Department of State and US President George W. Bush to serve as an endorsement for her actions, and that further leveraged the level of Chen's reception by the US.

After Chen said several times that when everyone was on the same boat, no one should question the captain but should trust the captain fully, Shaheen responded by saying light-heartedly that she felt nervous, but fortunately there were State Department people present there to maintain security.

Then she said that she was proud of the past two days, proud of both Taiwan and the US, and that Chen's successful visit to the US happened because many angels were guarding him, especially the most important "secret angel," Bush.

"Shaheen may seem to be talking gibberish on the surface, but if we read into her words carefully, it can be seen that she is quite sensitive and subtle," said Jou Yi-cheng, former director of the Democratic Progressive Party's youth department and currently a student in the School of Advanced International Studies at the John Hopkins University.

"She brought in the Department of State at the right time, and even mentions her close ties with Bush. It serves as an endorsement for A-bian's diplomatic breakthrough," she said

Forum warns of cross-strait dangers

WATCH OUT: Trips for Taiwanese students holidaying in China were a ploy to brainwash the younger generation into beliveing Chinese propaganda, panalists claimed

By Melody Chen

STAFF REPORTER

Monday, Nov 03, 2003,Page 3

Cross-strait exchanges may lead to Taiwan's demise if the country does not stop China from achieving its ambition of unification with Taiwan, experts warned yesterday.

Grave warnings against China's unification strategies interspersed experts'speeches in an international conference session titled "The Strategy and Campaign -- How China Uses Cross-Strait Exchanges to Influence Taiwan" in Taipei.

"This summer alone, China's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) held six summer camps for Taiwanese children," said Deputy Secretary-General of Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation Yen Wan-ching.

ARATS, China's semi-official body handling cross-strait affairs, also recruited more than 1,500 Taiwanese university students to China this summer for sightseeing trips to ancient Chinese emperors' tombs and cultural sites such as Confucius temples, Yen said.

The design of such trips' itineraries was intended to evoke Taiwanese students' admiration for China, Yen said.

The association's enthusiasm for inviting Taiwanese students to visit China, Yen added, reveals Beijing is now expanding its campaign to unify with Taiwan by wooing the nation's younger generation.

Moreover, the Beijing authorities have been recently relocating Chinese officials based in the coastal provinces inland in order to bring Taiwanese businessmen's investment into the more backwater areas, Yen said.

As these Chinese officials have established good relationships with Taiwanese businessmen operating in the coastal provinces, Yen said, it is easy for them to persuade the businessmen to invest their money in China's less developed provinces.

"China may not swallow Taiwan in a mouthful, but we have to be very wary to prevent it from eating Taiwan bit by bit," Yen cautioned.

"We cannot have the illusion that if we stop developing our ties with other countries, China will be in cordial terms with us," Yen said.

Advisor to the Taiwan Research Institute Ruan Ming and Chen Hsiu-fang, a student from Tamkang University's Graduate Institute of China Studies, analyzed how China has adjusted its cross-strait policy since President Chen Shui-bian won the 2000 election.

According to their analysis, Wang Daohan, China's top negotiator with Taiwan, conducted a meeting to review China's cross-strait policy in Shanghai one week after the 2000 presidential election.

In 1996, China launched missile tests off Taiwan's waters before the country's first direct presidential election in an effort to persuade voters not to choose former president Lee Teng-hui, who Beijing viewed as a separatist. Lee won a landslide victory.

Three days before the 2000 presidential election, former Chinese premier Zhu Rongji held a press conference to threaten the Taiwanese people to vote for either Lien Chan or James Soong, now leaders of the major opposition parties, rather than the pro-independence Chen Shui-bian.

Zhu's intimidation was believed to have boosted Chen Shui-bian's popularity and helped him end the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) half-century regime in Taiwan.

In Wang's review of China's blunders in attempting to influence Taiwan's 1996 and 2000 presidential elections, he said because of the missile tests and Zhu's threat, China had made itself look like "a diner devouring with ugly gestures."

Wang decided China should not display the "ugly eating gestures" anymore. Instead, if Beijing wanted to unify with Taiwan, it should release a bait to lure Taiwan into the trap, Ruan's report quoted Wang as saying.

Wang said: "We have to observe [Taiwan's situation] calmly ... Taiwan is changing. We have to study the developments of its political parties. We will use politicians and the media to split Taiwan."

Ruan's report said the KMT, after losing its regime, took China's bait.

"Lien has so far been unable to give a clear definition of Taiwan's national identity," Ruan said.

Referendum law should be put to a serious test

By Hsu Yung-ming

Monday, Nov 03, 2003,Page 8

At the International Symposium on Initiatives, Referendums and Direct Democracy held in Taipei in mid-October, Theo Schiller, professor of political science at Marburg University in Germany, suggested that Taiwan put the draft referendum law to a referendum. His idea was not taken seriously at that time. Now looking at political squabbles over different draft versions proposed by the ruling and opposition parties, I think that Schiller's suggestion might be a way out.

A referendum held without any legal basis lacks legitimacy. But a referendum held to approve the draft referendum law has a subversive effect. If the pan-blue and pan-green camps are divided on this issue, why don't they leave it for the people to decide? Since this is an important law dealing with people's rights, it won't be a bad idea for people to practice direct democracy by choosing between these two versions.

Moreover, if Taiwan's first nationwide referendum is conducted on a referendum law itself, it will only attract global attention and not be provocative.

The controversy over different draft versions between the pan-blue and pan-green alliances stems from their divergent perceptions of democracy.

Of course, this also demonstrates the predicament faced by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as a minority government. The public has become a powerful resort for this localized government.

On the contrary, the pan-blue alliance is holding a more pessimistic viewpoint, believing that people are vulnerable to politicians' manipulation. Therefore, not only administrative agencies' power to conduct referenda should be restricted, but the threshold for public signature drives should also be raised. Holding a referendum is the last resort. Society should be run on the basis of representative democracy in order to avoid chaos.

This fear is not only reflected in the various regulations restricting referendum legislation, but also shown in the statements of some representative political figures. The disturbance recently triggered by Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou likening the referendum to China's Cultural Revolution is only one of the many examples.

So putting the proposed referendum law to a referendum might violate some political taboos. First, it might be a referendum held in the absence of a legal basis since this referendum will be held to approve the draft referendum law.

Second, it would be a referendum initiated by administrative agencies, rather than being endorsed by the people. Of course, the public can also launch a signature drive demanding a referendum on the referendum law passed by the legislature. But the signature drive must be completed quickly because the version proposed by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the People First Party sets a six-month deadline for such a referendum.

Heated controversy over referenda is in some way a manifestation of sorrow in Taiwan's democratic development.

But in the context of Taiwan-China relations, holding a referendum apparently becomes a super self-defense weapon against China's attempt to claim Taiwan's sovereignty. When Taiwan no longer has its economic advantages, democratic development has instead become a favorable bargaining chip. In this situation, putting the draft referendum law to a referendum might be more than an idea, but could also be a direction that we can take.

Hsu Yung-ming is an assistant research fellow at the Sun Yat-sen Institute for Social Sciences and Philosophy, Academia Sinica.

The US' view of political groupings

By Bill Chang

Monday, Nov 03, 2003,Page 8

`It's a fact that Beijing is more friendly to the blue camp, and appreciates certain individuals in the camp, while the Chinese government has always condemned the green camp both orally and in writing.'

On his recent visit to the US, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan said whatever he wanted to say and met whomever he wanted to meet during his trip -- although the former vice president does not have an official title anymore. Coincidentally, the US Department of State affirmed on Oct. 18 that "the US does not favor one candidate or one party over another" in Taiwan's upcoming presidential election. But the coincidence muddied the implications of the US statement.

Lien also made another interpretation of the "one China" principle that was in fact closer to the green camp's stance. Therefore, some intriguing questions are raised: Which has better relations with Washington, the blue or the green camp? What does Lien's statement signify?

To be fair, the blue camp has better connections and diplomatic experience in the US compared to the green camp. This is because the blue camp had years of experience in running the nation in the past, and therefore had more chances to build relations with Washington. Besides, many blue-camp heavyweight politicians received their education in the US, and they speak English fluently. These politicians were quite friendly and tactful to US officials when they were in office. But most green-camp politicians started their political careers from local elections, and they are relatively young. Another factor is the uniqueness of diplomacy, which can be observed from the fact that none of Taiwan's representatives abroad are Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members.

This situation is not necessarily related to professional diplomatic training or the amount of a party's talent. The KMT often appointed retired high-level military officers as Taiwan's ambassadors in the past, and they mostly did their jobs well. Many US ambassadors are considered outsiders of the State Department. For example, both American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Chairwoman Therese Shaheen and AIT Director Douglas Paal are not professional diplomats. But they are able to give orders to professional bureaucrats without difficulty.

Nevertheless, the US thinking on Taiwan's future political situation may be somewhat irrelevant to Washington's relations and familiarity with either the blue or the green camp. For Washington, the uncertainty of a blue-camp government is actually higher than that of a green-camp government. Although the green camp has more new and strange ideas, its power base simply comes from the green-camp supporters, as well as the US support for the nation's democracy and freedom -- which can be solely decided by Washington. However, the blue camp's power base comes not only from its own supporters but also from the other side of the Taiwan Strait. It's a fact that Beijing is more friendly to the blue camp, and appreciates certain individuals in the camp, while the Chinese government has always condemned the green camp both orally and in writing.

Next, the green camp's stance is simple and understandable to Washington. But the blue camp is a unity of two plates. A collision of plates is a potential source of earthquakes, geographically and politically. For example, the blue camp has made various interpretations on the cross-strait issue and Taiwan's status -- including the "one-China roof" and "one China, with each side making its own interpretation." Since the KMT and the People First Party (PFP) united equally, any individual in the two parties is unable and unsuitable to represent the entire camp. Moreover, the US is at a loss what to do in the face of China's interaction with and support for the blue camp. But it's much easier for the US to affect or even manipulate the green camp.

As the opposition leader, Lien had a successful visit to the US, which proved that Taiwan's overall diplomatic environment in the US has not changed after the nation's power transition in 2000. He also clarified the meaning of the "one China" principle, and repeatedly assured Washington of stable Taiwan-US relations in the future. As the deputy chief of the KMT's cultural and communication department Kuo Su-chun said, "The `one China' for us is the Republic of China, while for the mainland is the People's Republic of China." These actions indirectly show that Lien already realized the US position in cross-strait relations, as well as Washington's possible doubts about the blue camp. His remarks served as a clear sign.

Bill Chang is a former deputy director of the DPP's Chinese Affairs Department.

Panama: A bridge to the Americas?

By Parris Chang

Monday, Nov 03, 2003,Page 8

President Chen Shui-bian left for the US and Panama on Oct. 31. Why does he want to leave the country now, with only 140-odd days until next year's presidential election?

Some say that he is leaving the country as part of his election campaign, that he is exporting it and then re-importing it again. Some Taiwanese diplomats think Chen is full of confidence regarding the March 20 election next year, and therefore only follows already made plans. He has invited the three chairmen of the Legislative Yuan's Foreign Affairs Committee to accompany him, but the two chairmen from the blue camp, in a deliberate boycott of Chen, turned the invitation down.

Chen's schedule includes three days in the US (two nights in New York, and then one night in Alaska on the way back to Taiwan) and two nights in Panama. Some people are ridiculing him about this, saying that he is visiting the US and just passing through Panama.

Due to extraordinary activities in New York, including the acceptance of a human rights award from the International League for Human Rights, where he also gave a speech, it is predicted that Beijing will lodge a serious complaint with the US government.

The louder China protests, the more Chen's every move during the trip will be noticed and reported by the media, which is helpful to increasing Taiwan's visibility internationally. This script has already been played out many times, and China is certain to play along yet again.

This is the third time Chen traveled to the US since he became president. In New York, he received the 35th International Human Rights Award from the International League for Human Rights. This is a significant breakthrough. Led by Chen, Taiwan has voted the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) out of government and the nation has won the appreciation of all circles of US society, including the US government. After he received this award, which he fully deserves, it became an impossibility that China's President Hu Jintao would be given the same honor.

The International League for Human Rights is a fairly well-known human rights organization in the Western world. For several decades it has spared no effort to promote human rights internationally.

In the past, it has presented its award to internationally well-known fighters for democracy and human rights, such as former Czech president Vaclav Havel, former South African president Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama of Tibet.

Some blue camp legislators here in Taiwan have smeared the reputation of the organization in the Legislative Yuan's Foreign Affairs Committee, saying that it is controlled by proponents of Taiwanese independence. This has been accompanied by China-friendly newspapers that have actually given wide coverage to such ignorant, laughable opinions. Fantastic indeed.

While in New York, Chen is scheduled to have dinner with several Democrat and Republican senators and house representatives to further discuss the idea that the two countries should continue to strengthen cooperation in specific areas, such as free trade agreements and accession to international organizations.

He will also work to win their support for the democratization of Taiwan by holding referenda and initiating the creation of a new constitution. He will further meet with big US industrialists to encourage them to invest in Taiwan. When the people of Taiwan see Chen carrying out these activities, they will understand and approve of his efforts to improve Taiwan's diplomacy and economy, as well as his efforts to implement a variety of reforms.

Chen is visiting Panama to participate in the country's 100th anniversary of its founding. Panama has invited many heads of state and government leaders to join in this celebration. Chen can look forward to three opportunities to meet with these leaders, possibly including US Foreign Secretary Colin Powell, during the mass assembly this afternoon, at the signing ceremony of the Panama Centennial Statement and at the dinner reception. We hope that he will be able not only to shake Powell's hand, but that the two will be able to hold talks behind closed doors, where they will exchange a wide range of ideas on the East-Asian situation and promote relations between the US and Taiwan.

Panama is an important diplomatic ally of Taiwan. Chen will also participate in an official ceremony to exchange documents concerning the free trade agreement between the two countries, which has already been passed by both countries' parliaments.

Panama is the first country with which Taiwan has signed a free trade agreement, and it will therefore serve as a benchmark for other countries. I hope that the people of Taiwan will use Panama as a bridge for investing in the US and South America.

Panama and Taiwan have both experienced colonialism, and the two countries therefore hold the same opinion regarding the protection of national independence, opposition to colonial rule and pressure from the great powers. The two countries should cooperate to realize their common ideals and interests.

Parris Chang is a DPP legislator.