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China policy sends wrong message: Lu
PART OF CHINA?: The former vice president said she was
shocked to find academics and colleagues in other countries thought Taiwan would
soon become part of China
By Ko Shu-ling
STAFF REPORTER
Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010, Page 3
¡§We cannot do a lesser job simply because China is better at lobbying.¡¨¡X Anette
Lu, former vice president
Former vice president Annette Lu (§f¨q½¬) said yesterday that the government¡¦s
China-friendly policies have sent a message to the international community that
Taiwan will soon become part of China.
Lu, who just returned from a 12-day visit to South Korea and the US, said she
was impressed by Seoul¡¦s ¡§soft rise¡¨ and internationalization, but added that
she was shocked to hear members of political and academic circles in South Korea
express concern that Taiwan would soon become part of China.
¡§It seems the administration¡¦s China-friendly policy has embedded a strong
impression that Taiwan will soon become part of China,¡¨ she said. ¡§At the same
time opposition voices are not loud enough for the international community to
hear.¡¨
The friends she met in the US also cautioned that an increasing number of US
congressional officials, experts and academics were more interested in China
than Taiwan.
¡§It is a serious matter that deserves the attention of both the ruling and
opposition parties,¡¨ she said. ¡§The administration does not seem to care much,
however. We cannot do a lesser job simply because China is better at lobbying.¡¨
Lu also expressed concern over the administration¡¦s defense policy, saying it
was as disturbing as its economic agenda.
Because Washington has yet to approve the administration¡¦s request for F-16C/D
fighter jets, Lu urged both the ruling and opposition parties to beef up
lobbying efforts in the US capital.
She said she suspected the prospect of obtaining F-16C/D fighter jets was slim
because none of the people she talked to in the US indicated or even implied
that the request would be approved.
Besides, with the production line for the F-16C/D closing by the end of the
year, it will be more difficult to acquire such aircraft in the future, she
said.
As for submarines, Lu said the odds of getting them looked thin mainly because
the US no longer produces diesel-powered submarines, adding that Washington¡¦s
promise to sell them sounded unrealistic.
Instead of relying on the US, Lu urged the country to build its own submarines
and fighter jets. She said she was against engaging in an arms race with
Beijing, but Taiwan must maintain sufficient defense capability.
On the controversy surrounding the import of US beef, Lu urged the Control Yuan
to investigate the negotiating team to determine whether they had committed
dereliction of duty or broken any laws during the negotiation process.
Lu said she suspected the negotiation team made careless mistakes and the
administration complicated the issue by failing to offer a clear account
afterwards, adding that she suspected some people might have capitalized on the
matter to deliberately provoke anti-US sentiment.
¡§I hope the Democratic Progressive Party [DPP] and private sector will know when
to stop,¡¨ she said.
In light of the dramatic change across the Taiwan Strait, Lu urged the DPP to
¡§face reality¡¨ and propose a new discourse about Taiwan¡¦s sovereignty and
Taiwan-China relations.
Lu said Taiwan has been independent since March 23, 1996, when the country held
its first presidential election, adding that those who cast ballots on that day
recognized Taiwan¡¦s independence with their ballots, she said.
Meanwhile, Lu said she was unlikely to attend a Business and Professional Women
summit held in Beijing from May 20 to May 22.
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