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KMT fails to extend
Taiwan¡¦s global reach
By Michael Danielsen
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has given up the idea of making Taiwan
unique and attractive. As globalization forces governments to enter political
unions or emphasize their attractiveness in order to increase their global
influence, the KMT government has done neither. Instead, it prefers to diminish
Taiwan¡¦s global reach by saying it is part of China, with the ¡§one country, two
areas (¤@°ê)¡¨ formula proposed by former KMT chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (§d§B¶¯) during
his visit to Beijing last month.
This formulation comes as nation states can no longer provide the same
assurances to their citizens as before, because numerous economic decisions are
taken elsewhere by companies, world unions or other international actors. They
operate above governments and for this reason, governments need to create or
enter political unions, such as the EU, in which countries can obtain greater
control.
Others try to utilize their uniqueness like Bavaria in Germany, Scotland in the
UK and Catalonia in Spain, which circumvent the nation state and rely on their
regional uniqueness and industrial background. Taiwan¡¦s strategy of joining a
larger Chinese family will on the contrary diminish its international influence
and control over its own future.
It is getting increasingly impossible for the KMT to explain what the difference
is between the ambitions of the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The
KMT¡¦s answer will be that the ¡§one country¡¨ in the ¡§one country, two areas¡¨
refers to the Republic of China (ROC). However, no one outside a tiny and fast
diminishing minority in the world is able to understand that the KMT seriously
suggests that the ROC rules all of China, Mongolia and Taiwan. Rather than
creating an atmosphere of peace and jubilation in China and in the world
community, such an agenda could be seen as a direct threat to China and peace in
the Taiwan Strait.
A stronger influence in global organizations requires that Taiwan be positively
present in the hearts and minds of the world community. Potential supporters can
be found among politicians, non-governmental organizations and others, and they
may be able to provide new or the extra momentum to international policy
initiatives from Taiwan. To do this, there has to be clear and positive
political agenda from Taiwan that can attract international attention. Taking
over China is not one of them.
To put it mildly, the ¡§one country, two areas¡¨ formula is a clumsy attempt to
further accommodate China as the KMT has done over the past four years. The
KMT¡¦s policy of refraining from provocations has already reduced the pressure on
the EU and the US to assist Taiwan in organizations where its influence may be
felt, thus reducing Taiwan¡¦s participation as a sovereign state.
As an example, the KMT government has touted its ¡§observer status¡¨ at the World
Health Assembly ¡X a position that is subject to a Chinese veto. One would think
this should have led to a greater participation by Taiwan at the WHO, but a
reality check shows that its participation in the world health body as a whole
has deteriorated. Indeed, Taiwan participates in far fewer important committees
compared with the period under the Democratic Progressive Party government, with
its focus on creating a strong Taiwanese identity.
By saying Taiwan is Chinese, it links itself to China in the eyes of
international politicians and further reduces its chances of being a member of
regional trade unions that will have a significant say in the future. The
consequence is an even more isolated Taiwan that hurts Taiwanese participation
as a sovereign state and its people. Instead of making Taiwan unique, the KMT
keeps repeating a bad habit of being on the wrong side of history.
Michael Danielsen is the chairman of Taiwan Corner.
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