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Dissidents warn ‘Beijing Model’ could
harm Taiwan
BY RICH CHANG AND SU YUNG-YAO
Sunday, Jan 31, 2010, Page 3
Chinese dissidents yesterday expressed concern that a “Beijing Model” is being
duplicated in Taiwan in which economic advance is being promoted at all costs.
“There is this new term, the ‘China model’ or ‘Beijing model,’ which is to
promote economics regardless of the cost, and such a view is gradually being
voiced in Taiwan,” Chinese democracy activist Wang Dan (王丹) told a forum in
Taipei hosted by the Taiwan Society yesterday.
Among the “costs” are a growing gap between rich and poor, pollution and “even
crackdowns on people with military force” like the Tiananmen Square Massacre.
Wang expressed concern that Taiwan’s democracy and human rights might be
threatened by an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA).
Chinese-democracy-activist turned-economist Chen Pokong (陳破空) told the forum
that China entered the WTO in 2005 with US support. Before this, the US levied
an average 42 percent tariff on Chinese goods, but after the US cut tariffs to
2.5 percent. Since then cheap Chinse products have been dumped on the US market
causing an annual US$200 billion trade deficit.
Chen warned Taiwan of a similar situation after the signing of an ECFA.
“Needless to say there is political purpose behind the economic pact, which is
to use the economy to trap Taiwan before a political annexation,” he said.
Taiwan Society secretary-general Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政) told Taiwanese to stay
vigilant for a possible regression of democracy as “democracy and human rights
are usually sought with loud bangs, but often ebb away silently.”
Contemporary Monthly magazine editor-in-chief Chin Heng-wei (金恆煒) was more
optimistic.
Chin said although President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) is China-friendly, several
surveys showed most of the public regard themselves as Taiwanese, not Chinese,
and support Taiwanese independence. The numbers are higher than during the
former Democratic Progressive Party government, he said.
In his weekly online journal posted yesterday, Ma said an ECFA “will help Taiwan
businesses become stronger to compete globally.”
Ma said signing an ECFA would be like putting on spikes allowing Taiwan to run
like the wind amid fierce competition in the world market.
Critics warn the agreement would jeopardize Taiwan’s sovereignty, making it
economically dependent on China and leading to an influx of Chinese capital and
goods.
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