Chen Yunlin returns to China after visit
　

‘WIDER ROAD’: The envoy said he hoped cross-strait relations would be traveling on a ‘wider road of peaceful development’ as he closed his five-day visit
　

By Ko Shu-ling and Shih Hsiu-chuan
STAFF REPORTERS
Saturday, Dec 26, 2009, Page 1
　

Chen Yunlin (陳雲林), chairman of China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS), bade farewell to Taiwan yesterday after a five-day visit, saying he hoped both sides of the Taiwan Strait would walk down a “wider road of peaceful development.”

During his visit, Chen signed three trade pacts on fishing crews, quality checks for agricultural products and standardizing inspections and certifications.

Calling Taiwan “a beautiful land,” Chen yesterday said there were many people to thank and many things that touched his heart.

“There are thousands of words I’d like to say, but to sum up, I’d like to express my most heartfelt gratitude to the 23 million Taiwanese compatriots for their understanding, support and care,” he said.

While Chen did not comment at length about an incident in which a police officer was injured during a scuffle with protesters, Chen said he wished the officer a speedy recovery. Chen led ARATS officials in a deep bow for the hard work of law enforcement officers, whom he called his “brothers and sisters.”

Chen described this year as “the most difficult year” this century in terms of the economy and said next year would be a year full of hope and challenges.

He wished his “blood compatriots” and “elders and brothers” in Taiwan a happy new year and said he hoped that cross-strait relations would travel on a “wider road of peaceful development.”

Chen’s Taiwanese counterpart, Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) Chairman Chiang Pin-kung (江丙坤), said they had accomplished another “historic mission” over the past few days.

Chen said that although the result was satisfactory, he wanted to apologize for the failure to sign an agreement on avoiding double taxation and because Chen could not travel around or visit friends as he pleased.

The two sides had planned to sign the accord on double taxation but dropped it after last-minute negotiations broke down over “technical problems.”

Chiang yesterday also apologized to the media for any inconvenience caused by the secrecy of Chen’s itinerary, saying it happened that way because of security concerns.

The three agreements signed this time around, along with nine others and one consensus signed over the past 19 months, all aimed to improve Taiwan’s economic growth and people’s well-being, he said, adding that they benefited the public rather than certain individuals or industries.

After seeing Chen off at the Taichung Airport in Cingcyuangang (清泉崗), Chiang returned to the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) to brief MAC Chairwoman Lai Shin-yuan (賴幸媛) on his meeting with Chen.

Chiang told Lai that he succeeded in carrying out the ­assignment, which he described as “satisfactory.” He said all 12 of the agreements and one consensus point were negotiated on the basis of equality and dignity and under the principle that Taiwan is always the focus and the people’s interest comes first.

Lai said Chiang’s meeting with Chen indicated that the negotiation mechanism is becoming more mature and a norm.

The three agreements signed this time demonstrated that the negotiation team negotiates the best deal possible for Taiwan, she said.

She said the negotiation system aimed to resolve the “real problems” of the two sides and reflected that both sides were “equal and did not deny each ­other’s existence.”

“Over the past 18 or 19 months, the sovereignty of the Republic of China was not at all compromised but instead was further enhanced,” she said.

Chiang meanwhile denied rumors that he intends to retire.

At a separate setting, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) spokeswoman Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) yesterday said the DPP ­supports cross-strait dialogue, but that the talks should be done with greater transparency, adding that the signed agreements should not become effective automatically, but rather should be validated after “going through a review based on the democratic system.”

Meanwhile, former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) said the issue that deserved attention was that the Chinese Communist Party had effectively driven a wedge between Taiwan’s pan-blue and pan-green camps.

President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) was the one who was “damaged the most” by Chen’s visit, she said, because a number of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) heavyweights, including former KMT chairmen Lien Chan (連戰) and Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄), all met Chen in defiance of Ma’s wishes.

“There have been some chemical changes in the relationships between KMT heavyweights and Ma,” Lu said.

“No damage caused by [Chen’s visit] was more serious than that caused to President Ma,” she said.

Lu also described KMT heavyweights being “crazy about” Chen as “the most terrible phenomenon.”

“Chen is not [even] a high-level official in China … If it was [Chinese President] Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) coming to Taiwan, would the KMT officials greet him on bended knee?” Lu said.

With regard to the pan-green camp, Lu said it would take some time for the DPP to amend its relationship with pro-independence groups.

Lu said the rally held by the DPP on Sunday ahead of the cross-strait talks did not meet the expectations of anti-Chen groups who thought the DPP’s protest was too weak.

China jails Liu Xiaobo for 11 years
　

OUTCRY: Human rights groups, the US and the EU expressed dismay over the ‘disproportionately’ long sentence that was seen as a warning to other dissidents

Saturday, Dec 26, 2009, Page 1

One of China’s most prominent dissidents, Liu Xiaobo (劉曉波), was jailed yesterday for 11 years for campaigning for political freedoms, with the stiff sentence on a subversion charge swiftly condemned by rights groups and Washington.

Liu, who turns 54 on Monday, helped organize the “Charter 08” petition, which called for sweeping political reforms, and before that was prominent in the 1989 pro-democracy protests centered on Tiananmen Square that were crushed by armed troops.

He stood quietly in a Beijing courtroom as a judge found him guilty of “inciting subversion of state power” for his role in the petition and for online essays critical of the Chinese Communist Party, defense lawyer Shang Baojun (尚寶軍) said.

Liu was not allowed to respond in court to the sentence.

“Xiaobo and I were very calm when the verdict was read. We were mentally prepared for it that he would get a long sentence,” said Liu’s wife, Liu Xia (劉霞), who was allowed in to hear the verdict.

She was barred from the trial on Wednesday.

“Later we were allowed 10 minutes together, and he told me he would appeal, even if the chances of success are low,” she said.

Liu has been among the most combative critics of China’s one-party rule.

His case sparked an outcry from Western governments and rights activists at home and abroad.

The unusually harsh sentence drew a fresh outcry that is likely to grow.

China “sees Liu Xiaobo as a representative figure, and thinks [it] can scare the others into silence with such a harsh sentence,” dissident writer and Christian activist Yu Jie (余杰) said. “[Chinese President] Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) believes that with the West weakened and human rights taking a back seat, he can ignore pressure over attacks on freedom of expression.”

FOREIGN RESPONSE

The Swedish EU presidency yesterday condemned the decision, saying it raised concerns about freedom of speech and the right to a fair trial in China.

“The Presidency of the European Union is deeply concerned by the disproportionate sentence against the prominent human rights defender Liu Xiaobo,” it said in a statement. ”The verdict against Mr Liu gives rise to concern with respect to freedom of expression and the right to a fair trial in China.”

“We continue to call on the government of China to release him immediately,” US embassy official Gregory May told reporters outside the courthouse following sentencing. “Persecution of individuals for the peaceful expression of political views is inconsistent with internationally recognized norms of human rights.”

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said in a statement that the verdict cast “an ominous shadow” over China’s commitments to protect human rights.

“The conviction and extremely harsh sentencing of Liu Xiaobo mark a further severe restriction on the scope of freedom of expression in China,” she said.

TAIWAN RESPONSE

In Taiwan, when asked to comment on Liu’s sentence, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) ­Chairwoman Lai Shin-yuan (賴幸媛) said “human rights are universal values.”

“We care about human rights not only in Taiwan but in every corner of the world. The MAC has been consistent in human rights-related issues,” she said, stopping short of saying more.

DPP RESPONSE

Meanwhile, Democratic Progressive Party spokeswoman Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) yesterday called on China to embrace democracy and human rights.

Hsiao condemned the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government for remaining silent on Liu’s case while many countries around the world have voiced their support for Liu.

“President Ma Ying-jeou [馬英九] used to pride himself on supporting demonstrators for democracy at Tiananmen Square in 1989, but he has been silent about democracy in China since he took office as president last year,” Hsiao said.

“We are very disappointed in him, and we are worried the government may further diverge from mainstream public opinion during cross-strait exchanges in the future,” she said.

Prediction market shows odds still falling for Ma
　

PLACE A BET: National Chengchi University’s Center for Prediction Market said on a scale from NT$0 to NT$100, the chance of Ma being re-elected dropped to NT$45.3
　

By Ko Shu-ling
STAFF REPORTER
Saturday, Dec 26, 2009, Page 3

The odds of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) winning re-election in 2012 continued to drop after this week’s cross-strait talks, while the trust index for Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) continued to rise, reaching more than 50 percent this month, polls showed yesterday.

The Center for Prediction Market at National Chengchi University said on a scale from NT$0 to NT$100, the probability of Ma winning re-election was, according to bidders, NT$45.3.

Prediction markets are speculative exchanges, with the value of an asset meant to reflect the likelihood of a future event.

On Dec. 6, the figure fell below NT$50 for the first time since May, losing 2.3 percentage points in a day after Ma, who doubles as Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman, said his party had not performed as well as hoped in the “three-in-one” elections.

The KMT won 12 of the 17 mayor and commissioner posts up for grabs earlier this month, but its total percentage of votes fell 2 percentage points from 2005 to 47.88 percent of votes nationwide.

Since the center opened the trading on Ma’s re-election chances on April 11, prices have largely hovered around NT$60, but jumped to NT$70 in mid-June.

The figure then fell to NT$51.80 in August after Typhoon Morakot lashed Taiwan, killing hundreds.

Since Ma took over as KMT chairman, the center said the number had steadily declined from NT$58 on Nov. 18 to NT$50.80 on Dec. 5.

The figure fell below NT$50 after the local elections and fell further yesterday.

Meanwhile, a separate poll said voters’ confidence in Tsai stood at 51.8 percent this month, up 5.6 percent from last month and outperforming Ma’s 43.5 percent.

The poll released by Chinese-language Global Views magazine found that the DPP’s trust index was also higher than the KMT’s this month — the first time since the KMT returned to power in May last year.

That DPP’s trust index was 41.2 percent — a record high since the center began conducting its polls in June 2006 — compared with 40.6 percent for the KMT.

The pollster said the KMT’s decline had a lot to do with the way the administration handled the global economic downturn and its poor governance. The two factors combined contributed to public apprehension.

“In other words, the immediate problem facing the administration is not the presidential election in 2012,” it said.

The fiendish plot of Mr Fu Kun-chi
　

By Johnny Neihu 強尼內湖
Saturday, Dec 26, 2009, Page 8

It’s been really interesting watching the pitched battles that have played out in Taiwan this week — a fascinating series of struggles between two sides that obviously dislike each other intensely.

Watching from the sidelines as one side tries to outwit the other with unannounced thrusts and parries has been a real pleasure for an aging hack like myself.

If for one moment you’re thinking I’m talking about pro-independence protesters and their pursuit of charmingly coiffured Chicom negotiator-in-chief Chen Yunlin (陳雲林), then you’re wrong (more on that later).

For now, the focus of my attention is the battle between Lao K (老K, the Chinese Nationalist Party, KMT) and its former suckling and new (and possibly very temporary) Hualien County Commissioner Fu Kun-chi (傅崑萁).

Yes, love him or hate him, you’ve got to admire the balls of Fu. Not only did he ditch the party after realizing it would rather nominate a corpse for the Hualien race, but then he went on to absolutely trounce the party’s (second choice) candidate Du Li-hua (杜麗華) by 85,532 votes to 38,603.

While you can’t argue with that result, you have to take into account the years of brainwashing residents of the eastern county have undergone thanks to a free propaganda rag-cum-newspaper that Fu bankrolls in the Hualien area called the Eastern Express (東方快報), a subject I’ve covered before.

But then, we in Taiwan are all too aware of the power of brainwashing. I’m sure there are a few veterans out there who still believe that it won’t be too long before we retake the mainland.

Fu probably won on the strength of all the promises he has made down the years about the construction of the Suhua Freeway, and how it will be a panacea for all Hualien’s problems. Once the freeway is built, Hualien will be battling it out with California in the economic stakes, or so Fu would have them believe.

Problem is, he might not be around long enough to deliver on his promises. You see, Fu has a couple of legal cases pending that will almost certainly result in him doing porridge in the very near future, which is why he raised a few eyebrows this week when he named his newly divorced wife as deputy commissioner.

A canny idea, and a decision that demonstrated some forward thinking on Fu’s part following the Wu Chun-li (吳俊立) debacle in Taitung four years ago. It was also a step up from the usual tactic of having your missus stand for election once you’ve been locked up.

Fu probably decided upon his plan when, despite losing the election, Premier and former KMT enforcer Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) insisted a few days later that the party had “chosen the right candidate.”

Was Wu privy to special information about Fu’s legal situation, perhaps?

Mind you, it’s about time there was a final verdict in Fu’s cases — he was first found guilty in one of them in May 2003. In the meantime, his fellow indictees, who included former Taiwan Pineapple chairman Huang Tsung-hung (黃宗宏), have either served or are serving their sentences.

What that means is that either Fu has an extremely good legal team that has been able to delay proceedings to this day, or those stories we hear about the pan-blue camp’s relationship with the judiciary are true.

Should the Supreme Court rule on Fu’s case anytime soon, there will be even more reason to believe such tales.

Fu must have thought he had it all covered. Even if he got sent down, the missus would help him keep the county “in the family,” so to speak.

But Fu didn’t bank on the full force of the central government being used to thwart him, including an instant riposte from the Ministry of the Interior, which declared his divorce invalid because he had forgotten to change his wife’s household registration until reminded of it.

A deflated Fu finally admitted defeat. Battle against local political circle won by the KMT, for once.

Now all Fu has to do is convince his better half to remarry him. The thing is, Mrs Fu doesn’t seem too keen, which is only to be expected, as her hubby will probably be behind bars before you can say “stir crazy.”

Hey, it’s no fun being a single parent. Believe me, I found that out when my beloved Cathy was off on her eastern exile.

Talking about trips into the unknown, I was thinking the other day — given recent events in Italy and the Taiwanese habit of latching on to trends from other countries — how lucky Chen Yunlin is that this week’s negotiations are being held in Taichung, the city of nothingness.

Remember how shortly after Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi became famous for lobbing his footwear at then-US president George W. Bush, it also became popular here for protesters to throw shoes or flip-flops?

Well, after aging Italian stallion Silvio Berlusconi’s recent close encounter with a plaster model of the Milan Cathedral, I couldn’t help thinking that if the talks had been held in Taipei or Kaohsiung, then some Democratic Progressive Party city councilor or pro-independence wig might have lobbed a model of Taipei 101 or the former British consulate at Takao (打狗) in Chen’s direction.

Luckily for Chen, Taichung is devoid of memorable landmarks, so the worst he could have expected was a soggy suncake in his mush. Either that, or a bucket of water representing Sun Moon Lake.

While we’re on the subject of food fights, the US beef brouhaha just keeps refusing to go away.

Not content with clogging up our legislature for the best part of a month with their plans to sell us intestines, eyeballs and every other ingredient from a recipe for a witch’s potion, the Aberdeen Angus Institute in Taiwan (AIT) is now holding “media advisory” video-conferences to try to convince us that it’s safe to eat parts of a cow you can’t even pronounce.

I wouldn’t mind it if these ten-gallon hat wearing cowboys, who spend every waking minute trying to push their bovine baloney down our throats, were prepared to put their T-bone where their mouth is.

But it turns out that a little bird whose friend attended AIT’s Christmas bash this week told me that said friend asked the carving technician standing over a big beef joint whether the steaming hunk of dead cow in question was in fact all the way from the US of A.

“No,” he replied. “It’s from either Australia or New Zealand.”

Ha! Let’s see those highfalutin hypocrites over at AIT worm their way out of that one.

Got something to tell Johnny? Get it off your chest: Write to dearjohnny@taipeitimes.com, but put “Dear Johnny” in the subject line or he’ll mark your bouquets and brickbats as spam.