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US needs to help
protect free choice in Taiwan
By Nat Bellocchi 白樂崎
It has become commonplace for Western observers to applaud the current
rapprochement across the Taiwan Strait and praise the “relaxation of tension” it
has brought. One example is the statement by Peter Lavoy, the acting US
assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific security affairs, at the US
House of Representatives’ hearing entitled “Why Taiwan Matters” on Oct. 4.
“We welcome these initiatives [by President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) government] and
the relaxation of tension in the Taiwan Strait that has accompanied the
improvement of cross-strait relations,” Lavoy said.
However, a closer analysis shows a picture that is perhaps less rosy. Looking at
the broader picture, China has been more belligerent recently on issues such as
the South China Sea and the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台) and has hardly been
cooperative when it comes to reining in repressive regimes such as those in Iran
and Syria. So much for being a responsible stakeholder.
So, has China really been “reducing tension” when it comes to Taiwan? In my
view, this is a false perception: Reality shows that the leadership in Beijing,
and certainly the People’s Liberation Army, has become quite aggressive
vis-a-vis its much smaller neighbors
It is perhaps “softer” on Taiwan because it feels that the present course of
relations is conducive to its goals of nudging the country into its economic and
political orbit. In other words, it is not making waves about Taiwan because it
feels that the country is already moving toward “unification.”
However, is this what Taiwanese want? They have worked hard for their democracy
and are not about to give that up in favor of incorporation in, or association
with, a repressive China. They like good relations with Beijing, but at a safe
distance.
In the view of many in Taiwan, the present approach leads to something that is
“too close for comfort.”
Opinion polls in Taiwan have shown that people support the “status quo,” which
in practical terms means they are a free and democratic nation that elects its
own president and parliament. Taiwanese do lament the political isolation into
which they have been pushed and expect that their international space can be
increased over time.
However, what do they really want in the long term? An opinion poll by TVBS in
February was — inadvertently perhaps — very enlightening on this point. To the
question: “If the choice exists, would you want Taiwan to become an independent
nation or to be unified with China?” 68 percent of respondents chose Taiwanese
independence, while 18 percent preferred unification with China, with the
remainder having no opinion.
So the question becomes: Does the US want Taiwanese to have freedom of choice?
If the US remains faithful to its principles of democracy and adherence to the
concept of self-determination as enshrined in the UN Charter, then the answer is
“Yes.”
For that to happen, the US needs policies that are not based on a false sense of
short-term relaxation in tensions, but rather ones that lay the groundwork for
long-term stability based on mutual respect and recognition, respect for
Taiwan’s democracy as a basis for its decisionmaking and recognition of Taiwan’s
existence as a free and democratic nation.
A prime objective of US policy should be to establish the conditions for a fully
free and open choice for Taiwanese regarding their future. The US needs to do
more than the piecemeal, hesitant approach it has been following until now.
Nat Bellocchi is a former chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan. The
views expressed in this article are his own.
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