Listen to the voice

DPP, officials clash over Ma’s commercial flights
　

PERCEPTIONS: The DPP was skeptical of the Presidential Office’s claim that it was trying to save money to dispel Taiwan’s image as a country that ‘likes to flaunt its wealth’
　

By Ko Shu-ling and Rich Chang
STAFF REPORTERS
Thursday, Jul 24, 2008, Page 1

The Presidential Office and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday locked horns over the former’s decision to have President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) travel on commercial airlines during his upcoming Latin American trip.

While the Presidential Office said the use of commercial flights was an attempt to avoid the stereotypical impression of Taiwan as a country that “likes to flaunt its wealth,” the DPP said the Presidential Office was “saving a little money but losing out on upholding Taiwan’s dignity” by not using charter flights for the whole trip.

Presidential Office Spokesman Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) told a press conference yesterday that the changes were made to “purge” the country’s international image as a “troublemaker” employing “dollar diplomacy.”

The use of commercial flights for segments of the trip would save taxpayers an estimated NT$30 million (US$987,000), he said.

Ma is scheduled to visit Paraguay and the Dominican Republic on Aug. 15 and Aug. 16. The president and his entourage are booked to take a commercial airline en route to Paraguay. They will fly to the Dominican Republic on a charter flight, which will then take them to San Francisco. The delegation is scheduled to return on a commercial flight.

Wang dismissed the DPP’s criticism that taking commercial flights did not correspond with Ma’s status as the head of state and ignored international protocol.

“Taking into account the economic situation, both at home and abroad, it makes sense if we can spend as little as possible to get the same result,” Wang said.

“What is more important is that some practical planning could shake off the country’s image of luxury and avoid creating the stereotypical impression that Taiwan is a country that likes to flaunt its wealth. This would also be useful in future diplomatic tasks,” the Presidential Office spokesman said.

Wang said a National Security Agency appraisal had concluded that it would be safe for Ma to take commercial flights.

In addition, the first-class cabin would be reserved for Ma and his entourage, the same arrangement that was used when the former vice president and premier went abroad on commercial airlines, he said.

While former officials’ delegations included hundreds of people and needed more than three hours to check in luggage, Wang said the Presidential Office would tightly restrict the number of people accompanying Ma while keeping the inconvenience caused to other passengers to the minimum.

Regarding Ma’s transits through Los Angeles on his way to Latin America and through San Francisco on his way back, Wang urged the public to refrain from complicating matters.

“Stopovers are just a part of the trip, not the purpose,” he said. “We hope to make everything as simple as possible. Both the US and Taiwan feel the trip should be conducted according to the principles of ‘safety, comfort, convenience and dignity.’”

The DPP held a separate press conference yesterday morning, where it accused Ma of damaging the country’s dignity by using commercial flights rather than special charter flights for his first overseas trip as head of state.

“The decision to use commercial flights is in accordance with Ma’s ‘diplomatic truce’ with China and is imperiling Taiwan’s diplomatic efforts,” DPP Deputy Secretary-General Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said.

Chen said that, in the face of China’s oppression, “head of state diplomacy (元首外交)” has been the core of Taiwan’s diplomatic efforts.

“But Ma’s so-called low-profile overseas trip could leave Taiwan’s allies with the impression that the country does not assert its diplomatic ties,” Chen said.

Saying that security was the most important concern in a presidential trip abroad, Chen said the Presidential Office was emphasizing how much money the government could save, but skimping on the security issue.

Using commercial flights and traveling with other passengers could increase the security risks of the trip, he said.

“Ma’s move only improves his personal image of frugality, but not that of the nation,” DPP Cultural and Publicity Department Director Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) said.

The move was intended to mask Ma and the government’s poor performance, he said.

Listen to the voice

A creeping loss of sovereign spirit

Thursday, Jul 24, 2008, Page 8

After the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) fictional “1992 consensus” — with Taipei and Beijing purportedly agreeing on “one China, with each side having its own interpretation” — comes another attempt to undermine Taiwan’s sovereignty.

Beijing, as the host of the Summer Olympics, has been maneuvering to change Taiwan’s title at the Games from “Chinese Taipei” or Zhonghua Taibei (中華台北) to “Taipei, China” or Zhongguo Taibei (中國台北).

Under a protocol signed with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Taiwan’s Olympic team is addressed as “Chinese Taipei.” Beijing has, however, brazenly chosen to ignore this, choosing to push its own take on the name.

Never mind President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) acknowledgment in his inaugural speech of Chinese President Hu Jintao’s (胡錦濤) words on facing reality, pioneering a new future, shelving controversies and pursuing a win-win situation. Shrewd as ever, China has referred to Taiwan’s Olympic team as Zhongguo Taibei in its media reports. Yang Yi (楊毅), the spokesman for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, argued that the IOC decision on the use of Zhonghua Taibei was not binding on any other Chinese groups, organizations or individuals.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Mainland Affairs Council have slammed Beijing, saying the Taiwanese team would never accept the title Zhongguo Taibei.

While the government pats itself on the back for verbally defending the dignity of the national team, there lies a subtle yet sad change in the game of Taiwan versus China in which Taiwan, so far, is losing points.

Case in point: Under the former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government, the administration battled to participate in international events and organizations under the name “Taiwan” rather than “Chinese Taipei.” Now, under the KMT regime, the nation has fallen to defending the name “Chinese Taipei” against the title “Taipei, China.”

Yang has argued that using the name Zhongguo Taibei does not belittle Taiwan. He was right — to a certain extent — because Taiwan had already downgraded its name when it accepted the title “Chinese Taipei” in 1981.

But the seemingly harmless effect of calling Taiwan “Chinese Taipei” is slowly creeping in and gradually transforming national identity. Hence, we see more Taiwanese fans cheering for their athletes by calling them “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” and Ma readily choosing the name “Chinese Taipei” for the country’s application to join the WHO.

While visiting a national athletes’ training center in Kaohsiung yesterday, Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) was asked whether Beijing’s use of Zhongguo Taibei to refer to Taiwan’s Olympic team was a downgrading of Taiwan’s status.

Liu replied that the government was prepared “to deal with any possible scenarios that may happen.”

Let’s hope so. Or else Beijing could introduce Taiwan as part of China at the Olympic opening ceremony when it calls Taiwan’s Aboriginal dance performance a show by “one of China’s minority groups” while Ma’s weak protest goes unnoticed.