Congressmen call for Bush to make a stop in Taiwan

CNA , WASHINGTON

Two pro-Taiwan members of the US House of Representatives proposed that President George W. Bush take advantage of his current trip to Asia to visit Taiwan as a token of US recognition of the island's outstanding achievements in promoting freedom and democracy.

Representatives Tomas Tancredo and Robert Simmons, both Republicans, made the appeal in a joint letter dated Nov. 15 to Bush, who is attending the 2005 APEC informal leadership summit in Busan, South Korea.

Arms purchase

The congressmen said in the letter that if Bush were to make a brief visit to Taiwan following the summit, he would be able to meet with Taiwan's leader to lay an emphasis on the importance of arms procurement for the country's future, in addition to reaffirming US commitment to a free and democratic Taiwan.

Tancredo told a reporter that Bush is devoted to promoting freedom and democracy around the world, so he should visit Taiwan, one of the US' staunchest allies in Asia.

For his part, Simmons said Taiwan is an emerging Asian democratic country and worthy of a visit by Bush, since stepping up democracy and freedom is the priority agenda of his Asian trip.

Symbolic

Meanwhile, Wu Ming-chi, chairman of the Formosan Association for Public Affairs, said that although the joint letter will not cause Bush to change his itinerary, it has "great symbolic significance" for Taiwan.

Noting that Bush had cited Taiwan's freedom, democracy and prosperity in a keynote speech delivered in Kyoto, Japan, Wu said the Bush administration should take concrete action to conduct direct contact and talks with Taiwan's government.

Following this weekend's summit, Bush is scheduled to travel to Beijing, where he will meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao, and then visit Mongolia before winding up his week-long trip.

Ceremony for Hu an empty gesture

On Friday, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) held a ceremony in the Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square to commemorate the late leader Hu Yaobang, who rose to prominence in the 1980s. Friday marked Hu's 90th birthday. Among the 300 participants were three members of the Politburo Standing Committee: the party's top disciplinary official Wu Guanzheng, Vice President Zeng Qinghong and Premier Wen Jiabao.

Observers agree that this was the Chinese government's way of restoring Hu's stature and reputation. But the question is, what does it really mean for China? Since Hu is remembered as a liberal, is this a prelude to more liberalization and reforms in China?

Unfortunately, few people believe that this is the Chinese leadership's intention. While redeeming Hu is unlikely to bring any substantive change for the time being, the move by itself did raise some eyebrows. After all, for the past two decades, Hu's legacy has become a sensitive subject. Chinese student began rallying in Tiananmen Square in the early summer of 1989 in commemoration of Hu. The rallies evolved into large-scale protests against corruption, inflation and political repression -- all problems that continue to bedevil the Chinese government -- and finally, to the bloody crackdown on June 4 that shocked the world.

To this day, the CCP's official stance on the June 4 crackdown is that it was correct to order the suppression of the so-called "counter-revolutionary political turmoil."

Under the circumstances, it is not surprising that several members of the Politburo Standing Committee -- including Wen -- reportedly raised concerns when Chinese President Hu Jintao decided to restore Hu Yaobang's reputation. Predictably, the concerns were about upsetting the nation's stability. But Hu Jintao persisted with the decision to hold the commemoration ceremony in the face of such internal objections, although he did decide to change his mind and not personally attend the ceremony -- which greatly reduced the significance of the event.

His insistence on holding the event came as something of a surprise. After all, in the two years since he took power, he has been known for tightening up controls within China, including control of the media.

If the move is intended neither to overturn the government's current stance on the Tiananmen massacre, nor to pave the way for any major liberal reforms, then there's only one plausible explanation for why Hu Jintao held the event. Clearly, he wanted to soften his hardline image and win over the support of the CCP's liberal factions -- many of whom continue to revere Hu Yaobang's memory.

Hu Yaobang is remembered as a man who was ahead of his time in supporting liberal reforms. But he was also revered for rehabilitating many people in the post-Cultural Revolution era. Many family members and relatives of those rehabilitated now all hold high positions within the party. For these reasons Hu Yaobang came back into the spotlight, even after being removed from power in 1987 and criticized for having "bourgeois" tendencies.

Symbolic and superficial gestures of this sort can never truly win peoples' hearts. Only with genuine reform and liberalization can the Chinese leadership genuinely win support that will withstand the test of time.

Tell China to scrap missiles

By Fred Baehner

To US President George W. Bush:

On the eve of your visit to China, we, the undersigned representatives of Taiwanese-American organizations, appeal to you to reaffirm the US' support for freedom and democracy in Taiwan. In your upcoming meetings with the Chinese leaders, please remind them that it has long been US policy that the future of Taiwan be resolved peacefully and with the expressed consent of the Taiwanese people.

You have been advocating the spread of democracy throughout the world. We applaud your dedication to this core American value. Taiwan has achieved its democracy through sweat and tears. It is clearly in the US' interests to protect and nurture this hard-won democracy. Therefore we implore you to let the Taiwanese people exercise their democratic right in determining their destiny. We urge you to refrain from expressing non-support for Taiwan independence.

To say that the US does not support Taiwan independence risks precluding de jure independence as an option for the future of Taiwan. Taiwan has been a de facto independent country for 60 years. Taiwan has never been ruled by the People's Republic of China.

A survey in Taiwan last year found that 62 percent of the respondents said they were Taiwanese. A mere 19 percent identified themselves as Chinese. Given free choice, the people of Taiwan would most likely vote for de jure independence.

The best way to foster democracy is to create an environment in which the people's will can be freely expressed.

In the case of Taiwan, the 700 Chinese missiles targeting the nation produce a coercive rather than conducive environment for the exercise of democracy. These missiles also gravely threaten the status quo that you have been so eager to preserve. We recommend that, in your negotiations with the Chinese leaders, you insist that these offensive weapons be dismantled.

In April 2001, you stated that the US would do whatever necessary to help Taiwan defend itself. We are grateful for your strong commitment to the safety and security of Taiwan. We trust that on your China trip, you will not give in to Chinese demands to diminish Taiwan's status as a free and democratic nation or as a full and equal member of the international community.

Fred Baehner

American Taiwan Society

Match deeds to words

By Rao Kok-Sian

US President George Bush should be given credit for his speech praising Taiwan's democracy. Indeed, Taiwan's struggle for democracy should be a model for all nations who need it. This recognition has been overdue, but better late than never. As a Taiwanese-American, I salute Bush.

On the other hand, I am not sure whether I should applaud the encouragement to Chinese leaders to "emulate Chinese democracy in Taiwan," because I am totally confused by the disconnect between words and deeds. Just look at the humiliation that Taiwan has experienced in the international community. Taiwan's elected leaders and officials are restricted from traveling in many parts of the world, and their representatives are not welcome in international meetings. Their passport is useless in most parts of the world.

Taiwanese leaders have visited the US, but no welcoming ceremonies have been held for presidents for decades. Former president Lee Teng-hui had to sleep overnight on a plane at the Los Angeles International Airport while transiting to South American nations for state visits. He had to become a "private citizen" before being welcomed on Capitol Hill.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Mark Chen used to be a NASA engineer and traveled everywhere in the US before he went back to Taiwan to further the nation's democracy. But once he took office as foreign minister, he was denied entry to Washington to visit his daughter. If I were a Chinese leader, I would have taken the hint. Why bother with democracy? Military might is the only way to go.

The international community has violated the human rights of Taiwanese residents and has also pushed Taiwan to accept China's terms for unification -- just like European countries were pushed to accept Nazi Germany before World War II.

Almost all nations use "Taiwan" to refer to the nation, but Taiwanese residents have to call their offices "Chinese Taipei" and salute to a flag with no national identity. After Taiwanese give up their freedom and dignity, who will be next? Why it is so hard to say "we agree to disagree" about the way Taiwan should be treated? The treatment that Taiwan gets while trying to keep its dignity and open, democratic way of life are humiliations to humanity.

Deeds and words never go hand in hand for politicians. Why is it that Bush can sit and drink tea with the Dalai Lama, but cannot meet President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) anywhere in the US? The US Congress is seeking ways to "upgrade" its ties with Taiwan and grant the nation a better status. That would be a welcome sign that the US actually means what it says about encouraging nations to embrace democracy -- and that it backs up its words with deeds.

Rao Kok-Sian

Boston, Massachusetts