EDITORIAL: Knowingly
walking right into a trap
How far are Taiwan and China from each other? On a map, the distance is only
about 125km from Hsinchu to Pingtan Island in China¡¦s Fujian Province, but the
controversy between the two sides over the Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental
Zone makes it obvious that the psychological gap is far greater than the
physical gap.
The Pingtan zone was established by China to experiment with its ¡§Taiwanese
compatriots¡¨ on the ¡§five commons¡¨ ¡X common planning, common development, common
operation, common management and common benefits. China¡¦s Fujian Governor Su
Shulin (Ĭ¾ðªL) says that some areas in Pingtan have been designated for shared
development with Taiwanese cities, counties and institutions, that ¡§Taiwanese
compatriots¡¨ will handle management in those areas and that ¡§Taiwanese
compatriots¡¨ will also be invited to participate in the management of other
areas. Essentially, the zone will experiment with a management model in which
China calls the shots and Taiwan is the deputy.
In addition to economic experimentation, there will also be political
experiments in the zone. Taiwanese officials suspect that the Chinese Communist
Party (CCP) will want to carry out ¡§one country, two systems¡¨ experiments in the
zone. This has been flatly denied by Beijing¡¦s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO),
which ¡X in a rare example of conflict between it and the Mainland Affairs
Council (MAC) ¡X criticized the MAC by saying the council¡¦s attitudes toward
cross-strait development were much too negative.
China officially defines the development of the zone as a pilot model for
cross-strait exchanges and cooperation. Beijing says it is a cooperative
mechanism aimed at exploring peaceful development, mutual benefits and shared
gains and that it is of strategic significance in the promotion of ¡§the great
undertaking that is the unification of the motherland.¡¨
In addition, Fujian officials repeatedly say almost a half-million Pingtan
residents ¡§are looking forward, with great expectations, to the Pingtan
Comprehensive Experimental Zone playing an important role in the promotion of
the great undertaking that is the peaceful unification of the motherland.¡¨ The
strategic thinking of Chinese officials concerning the zone clearly includes the
political goal of promoting peaceful unification. The council¡¦s suspicion that
the zone is part of Beijing¡¦s ¡§one country, two systems¡¨ strategy is thus in
line with what Chinese officials are saying themselves.
However, some Taiwanese are echoing the TAO and a few political parties are
fervently marketing the zone. These people think that even if China is trying to
promote its ¡§one country, two systems¡¨ strategy, ¡§it is doing it in China, not
in Taiwan, so what is there to be afraid of?¡¨ They also say the opportunity to
bring the Taiwanese experience to Pingtan and oppose China¡¦s united front
strategy should not be passed up.
China is trying to use the minuscule zone to ¡§release¡¨ land, power and benefits
to Taiwanese as a political and economic experiment. If it is a failure, it
would not affect the overall situation, but if it is a success, it could
eventually be expanded. If Taiwanese capital and talent were lured away, it
would have a devastating effect on the long-term dynamics of the Taiwanese
economy.
There is no such thing as a free lunch. When buying Taiwanese agricultural
products, signing the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement and launching the
experimental zone, Beijing has always had thinly veiled political motives.
Chinese officials have made the motives behind the experimental zone loud and
clear, and now that their plot has been exposed, they are complaining that
Taiwan is ¡§too negative.¡¨ There is no other word than ¡§shortsighted¡¨ to describe
the fact that although Taiwanese clearly understand that the whole situation is
a setup, they are wilfully falling for it anyway.
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