We want to point out that the majority of Taiwanese people had no part in the Chinese civil war, which was fought of the Chinese mainland between the communists and Chiang Kai-shek’s nationalists.

The Taiwanese unwillingly became a victim of this civil war, when the United States allowed the defeated nationalists to occupy Taiwan in 1945-49. United States’ “one China” policy doesn’t take into account the view of the Taiwanese, who happen to be the majority of the people on Taiwan. Nobody bothered to check with the Taiwanese themselves whether they considered their Taiwan to be part of China.

However, during the 1980s and early 1990s, the people of Taiwan transformed the island from a repressive dictatorship into a blossoming multi-party democracy. This transformation increased the claim for acceptance of Taiwan as a full and equal member in the international community.

Until now, both the United States and western Europe have given regrettably little though to --- and support for --- Taiwan’s attempt to get out of its isolation. Under China’s diplomatic theater, the “one China policy” was hurting democracy and human rights. If the United States and Europe would like to see democracy and human rights spread in East Asia, it is time for them to stand up for these basic principles.

In terms of global competitiveness, Taiwan moved up last year to fourth place (from sixth) according to the world economic forum. The March 1999 report of a Switzerland risk-assessment company, business environment risk intelligence, state that Taiwan is the third-safest place for Investment (58 countries were covered).

Though Taiwan’s population is a fraction of China’s, the island imported US$3 billion more from the US than China did in 1998. Taiwan led the world as the most free country in terms of monetary policy, property rights and under ground economic activities.

Taiwan has been ranked as the 11^th most free country in the world in terms of economic activities, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday (Jan. 15, 2000), quoting the annual survey conducted joined by the Washington-based U.S. think tank Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street journal, an American newspaper, the ministry said Taiwan’s ranking is four slots lower than the previous year, because of the 921 earthquake and Asian financial crisis to the Island’s tighter limitations on the movement of capital.

A study done by Greg Mastel, director of the global economic policy project at the America Foundation, predicted that “Taiwan’s total imports could rise by more than US$50 billion after accession as large and increase as China’s WTO membership is likely to create.”

Mastel goes on to say that “over the past decade, Taiwan has liberalized its economy and trade practices steadily. As a result, Taiwan is now more open and more fully in compliance with WTO standards than dozens of present members. No one doubts that Taiwan will be a positive addition to the WTO.” Many have feared that the outcome of relations between Taiwan and the mainland may end up in military conflict.

But then we also feared that the Y2K computer bug might do the same thing. With years of preparation and plenty of advanced warning, the world has entered smoothly into the 21^st century. With the same careful planning and preparation, let’s hope that a new era of peace and cooperation will begin across the Taiwan strait, that doing business in Taiwan will be enhanced, and that children here will no longer be asked to suffer needlessly from policies that they cannot understand.