Dec. 14,1998---Tony Blair

[ Up ]

 
 

Taiwan Tati Cultural
And Educational Foundation
B16F, No.3 Ta-Tun 2St.
Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.
December 14, 1998.

Dear Mr. Prime Minister Tony Blair,

Political analysts see the three-in-one election at Taiwan as an indication of Taiwan people's desire to maintain the status quo on cross-strait relations. Like magic, the banners, flags, and posters of the three-in-one election disappeared from city streets. The "morning after" was eerily quiet in sharp contrast to the emotion charged campaign rallies. Taiwan's democracy was come of age. Fear of possible riots on election night, proved unfounded, large crowds which gathered at the front runners' respective campaign head quarters showed admirable restraint.

This is a sure sign that Taiwan's democracy is becoming mature. Looking back at the island's elections over the past decade. It is obvious that democracy has become more mature after each election. Just look at the performances of the losers, there was no bitterness when they conceded to their opponents only blessings and good wishes. They appealed to their supporters to accept the results and pledged support for the task ahead.

The biggest winner in these elections is not the KMT, despite its impressive performance. The biggest winner is democracy. Democracy is putting down deeper and deeper roots. With the passage of time, it is going to became a tradition and a part of Taiwan's culture.

Beijing's sympathizers point to Singapore and to the former dictatorships in Korea and Taiwan as examples of how a market economy can thrive under autocracy. But they ignore one thing, all these societies have been capitalist in ideology, and their economics have been firmly based on private-ownership rights protected by transparent laws.

A forward-looking China has to stop lying to itself. That is easier than it sounds, because everybody already recognizes the lie. By freeing itself of a useless dogma, Beijing can start building a modern, fair and efficient society resting on a true separation of executive, legislative and judicial powers. The present reforms installing a better banking system, revamping the state-owned sector--- are only stopgaps.

Without going much further, discarding the communist credo and building a liberal society based largely on private ownership, it is hard to see how China can ever rid itself of systemic corruption.

In fact, it is unclear that even the technical, stopgap measures can succeed without political reform. People said, "To eliminate corruption is to destroy the party, to tolerate corruption is to destroy the nation". This shows how deeply the cancer has taken root. And that should be a sobering thought for Beijing 's communist leaders.

In our view; democratic Taiwan is the future of mainland China. Matured elections and democratic culture is the only way to help communist China. The stability of Asia region that depending on Beijing's democratic tendency, everybody knows that corruption is a way of life in the land of "socialism with Chinese characteristics" in countless communiques, top leader warn that corruption has become the No. 1 threat to the party's survival for outranking "western hegemony".

Taiwan experience is the only drug for curing communist China's trouble. Taiwan

need you support to deal with misleading Beijing government.

 

 

Sincerely Yours,
Yang Hsu-Tung.
President of
Taiwan Tati Cultural
And Educational Foundation

 

Back Up Next