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Taiwan must keep a
cool head in dispute
By Nat Bellocchi ¥Õ¼Ö±T
As a former US diplomat with a keen interest in Taiwan and its future, I am
concerned about the present row between Taipei and Manila over the sad and
unfortunate death of Taiwanese fisherman Hung Shih-cheng (¬x¥Û¦¨) after an
encounter between a Taiwanese fishing boat and the Philippine Coast Guard on May
9.
Emotions are running high and angry accusations are being leveled in both
directions. This is unfortunate and could have been avoided if everyone had
maintained a cool head and proceeded in a reasonable and rational manner.
First and foremost, it is important that a clear and objective assessment of
what actually happened be established. The Philippines is taking a lead in that,
but Taiwan can help by not jumping to conclusions or making fiery accusations.
Terms like ¡§cold-blooded murder¡¨ ¡X found on the front page of the Web site of
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ¡X are seen as premature by the international
community (certainly before an investigation) and unhelpful.
To come to a mutually agreeable settlement, the Philippines must go out of its
way to establish the truth, but Taiwan must go the extra mile not to be
confrontational. In diplomacy it is always better if both sides participate in a
give-and-take. Hard and fast ultimatums do not help and are counterproductive.
Instead, the two sides need to reduce the tension and tone down the rhetoric. As
the US Department of State recently said: Washington is concerned by the
increase in tensions between two neighboring democracies and close partners of
the US in the Asia-Pacific region, and urges the two countries to take all
appropriate measures to clarify disagreements and prevent the recurrence of
tragic events. The State Department also urged both parties to refrain from
actions that could further escalate tensions in the region and undermine the
prospects for a rapid and effective resolution of differences.
However, there is another aspect that worries me: the role of China. One of the
reasons why the Filipinos are edgy about their territorial waters is that China
has been aggressively encroaching into areas that have traditionally been under
control of the Philippines, such as the Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Island,
¶À©¥®q).
The incident thus plays into China¡¦s hands. Right after the altercation, Xinhua
news agency reported that China¡¦s Taiwan Affairs Office was condemning the event
as a ¡§barbaric act.¡¨
Quoting a Chinese academic, the Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece Beijing Times
said: ¡§China has reiterated over time that Taiwan is an integral part of China.
Now is a good opportunity to show that China will not tolerate the shooting of
our fishermen, whether they are from the mainland or Taiwan, and that our
government is determined to protect the life of its people.¡¨
Taiwan must make clear that it is rejecting such united front tactics and that
it is not aligning itself with China in an attempt to push Manila into a corner.
Taiwan and the Philippines are both democracies. This means that both have to be
sensitive to the voices of the people, but it also means that there must be
leadership and vision, and decisions and actions should not be guided by angry
emotions or vitriolic nationalism.
A way out is possible if both sides agree to examine the evidence in a rational
and objective fashion. The Philippines needs to be forthcoming with all
information pertaining to the chain of events that led to the shooting and
Taiwan needs to display patience and calm. It needs to avoid inflammatory
language that increases tensions -¡X cooler heads must prevail.
Nat Bellocchi is a former chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan and a
special adviser to the Liberty Times Group. The views expressed in this article
are his own.
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