--- It Will Not Be Able to Maintain Any Sort of New Order
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It Will Not Be Able to Maintain Any Sort of New Order

The global standard that the United States calls on the world to adopt consists of a free market economy and democratic government. However, this simply the scheme the United States envisions in its plan for the formation of a U.S.-centered new world order. Not only other countries but also the United States itself should recognize its inherent biases. If the United States purports to be the leader of the new world order, it ought to be more considerate of the sensibilities of the countries that give allegiance to freedom and democracy. If it ignores the voices of other democratic countries, it will not be able to maintain any sort of new order.

In an interview with the Central News Agency, Chiao said Beijing is trying to turn the huge ethnic Chinese population living abroad into leverage to influence world opinion and use them as an army to disrupt the Republic of China’s diplomatic activities.

Also included in the educational reforms is the promotion of education of the “heart” or “spirit.” This education of the spirit will be greatly needed in Taiwan from now on. Taiwan is certainly more affluent than it ever was, and progress has been made in democratization, yet deviance of many kinds has erupted throughout our society.

Taiwan’s policy has been and continues to be the promotion of cross-strait dialogue and the improvement of relations with the mainland. Rather than responding to our goodwill with reciprocity. Communist China has continually has continually isolated Taiwan in the international arena by quashing our space for international activities. Peking has used its “one-China” policy to claim that it is a central government while we are a local government, thereby undermining and obscuring the Republic of China’s status as an independent and sovereign state. Nothing could be further from the truth. Throughout its history, the PRC has never had jurisdiction over the Taiwan area, even for a day; the ROC is not its local government. To let such a gross fallacy continue would further create misconception in the international community and difficulties for Taiwan in its economic development, international relations, and even cross-strait dialogue. It is therefore important for the world to recognize the existence of the Republic of China on Taiwan, an independent and sovereign state since its founding in 1912. Peking should also face the reality that there are two equals on either side of the Taiwan Strait.

The greatest challenge for people of Taiwan’s next generation is how to further progress in the three noneconomic areas, that is, democratization, pragmatic foreign policy, and closer relations with the mainland.  

In 1979, the United States recognized the People’s Republic of China, and ended its diplomatic relations with the Republic of China, but at the same time, it adopted a domestic law, the Taiwan Relations Act, to help secure the security or the economic or social system of the people of Taiwan. This act gives the U.S. president and Congress the right to take appropriate action in response to threats to these interests, such as a military incident in the Taiwan Strait. That is why, in a case such as occurred in 1996, when the mainland conducted missile tests in the Strait, the United States did not sit by silently, but took action to stand by this law.

The U.S. Congress has traditionally been sympathetic to Taiwan. The American people in general are aware that the Chinese regime that advocated freedom and democracy is the Nationalist Party, and that it is Taiwan that has achieved freedom and democracy and shows greater respect for human rights. Within the U.S. administration itself, there are some differences in approach, with one department distancing itself from Taiwan while another stresses Taiwan’s vital strategic position, and is not as keen to cooperate or sympathize with the mainland.

These differences are a matter of course. We are fully aware of the multilayered character of U.S. relations vis-à-vis Taiwan, and we must therefore keep up with what is happening.   

Many Japanese seem to be very sensitive about the fact that their country once colonized Taiwan. It is clear that making another country a colony and exploiting its land and people are no longer considered good national policies and are not condoned by the ethics of international society today.

As the story goes, when a television station wants to report news about me, they make a point of asking mainland China if that will be all right. Even if Peking is to condone such reporting, they will warn that any positive appraisal of Lee Teng-hui will be “problematic.”