March 8, 2000 --- John Howard, Kofi A. Annan, Trent Lott, Denny Hastert, Walter Schwimmer, Hans Christian Kruger
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March 8, 2000 ---
In Taiwan, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Chen Shui-bian yesterday counterattacked against mainland China’s latest verbal assault him, saying that Beijing is in no position to interfere with the upcoming election.

He called on all Taiwan’s people to brace themselves against China’s threats and to decide the country’s future by themselves, saying that Beijing is “not qualified” to help the ROC choose its future leader.

Chen’s remarks came one day after a Chinese military newspaper, in a thinly-veiled attack, warned ROC voters not to back a “prominent figure” who was advocating independence.

“The DPP has never been so near to governing,” Chen told a rally in his Taipei campaign headquarters, which consisted of more than 300 overseas Chinese supporters from 43 countries who flew back to Taiwan to cast their votes on March 18.

Academia Sinica President Lee Yuan-tseh, the 1986 Nobel Prize winner in chemistry gave a wide-ranging speech, in which he also pointed to the seriousness of gang and local faction involvement in public construction projects, insufficient government investment in education and the need for further constitutional reform.

Yet Lee devoted much of his speech to addressing cross-strait relations. He regretted that despite the economic, social and cultural exchanges across the strait in recent years, the two sides have failed to build up mutual trust. Lee thus said it is necessary to alter the “content and means of exchange” in the future so as to reduce mutual misunderstandings.

The underlying reason that economic and other civil exchanges have not led to better understanding between the two rivals has been a lack of political or official exchanges. Beijing has refused to have any contacts with Taipei officials unless they agree to meet with their mainland Chinese counterparts in a private capacity.

The absence of official contacts and dialogue not only has made it difficult for the two sides to increase mutual understanding and reduce longtime distrust, it also has impeded efforts at resolving cross-strait disputes that require the involvement of government official.

Lee also discussed the reunification issue. He said that at a time when the two sides of the strait have yet to achieve mutual trust, any attempt to push for reunification talks would lack a rational foundation and does not serve the interests of long-term bilateral relations.

The problem is not with Beijing’s pressure for talks. Rather it is the communist regime’s insistence that Taiwan must accept its reunification formula of “one country, two systems,” that would place Taiwan under communist rule and, for that reason, is rejected by the people on this island.

If so, Lee continued, the so-called “one China” principle by then will likely have a completely different meaning and content. And the present issue of unification may thus become less controversial in 50 years. So relations between Taiwan and the Chinese mainland may undergo benign adjustments under the framework of a global village in the long run, Lee opined.

All this suggests that a more reasonable approach on Beijing’s part is the key to breaking the longstanding impasse in cross-strait relations and to opening the way leading to reunification. Taiwan can do nothing unilaterally to help ease the tense situation unless it unconditionally accepts Beijing’s terms.

The vast majority of the people of Taiwan do not embrace the idea of independence. But they could be prompted to cast votes for Chen on election day in protest of the communist intimidation and interference. This, in fact, happened four years ago when Taiwan people returned Lee Teng-hui to the presidential office with an overwhelming victory despite Beijing’s attempt to derail his reelection bid with hostile war games and missile tests.

Chen’s two main rivals and those citizens opposing his political views might be quietly pleased to see the communist intervention. But the point is that as a free people with full political sovereignty, Taiwan has the right to choose a leader of its own free will, independent of outside intervention.

Moreover, should the people of Taiwan succumb this time to Beijing’s invasion threat and cast their votes in accordance with the wishes of the communist government, it will only encourage the mainland leaders to replay their scare tactics whenever they find Taipei’s policy inconsistent with their interests.

However, Taiwan’s kind intention for Chinese people is hard to start charity. So, Taiwan needs your support.