Taiwan leader's intention in raising a hubbub again for "Taiwan independence"

Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian, a trouble maker generally acknowledged by the international community, espoused "Taiwan Independence" and imposed restrictions on economic and trade exchanges and cooperation across the Taiwan strait in his new year address on January 1, to cast a grim, dark shadow in the cross-strait ties for the new year.

The core of Chen's New Year address is to preach "Taiwan independence" and foster "the recognition of Taiwan State". He alleged that Taiwan is part of the world and absolutely not part of China" and the "'narrow' framework for one China and both sides of the Taiwan Strait should be skipped in mapping out Taiwan's "policies of fundamental importance." Moreover, he said, a "greater China" idea left over by the Kuomintang or the Nationalist Party during its ruling era has to "be treated appropriately" and "the common consciousness of a new state should be cohered and intensified.' Obviously, such a fallacy for "Taiwan independence" is essentially "to negate the fact that "both the Chinese mainland and Taiwan belong to one China' with "each state on either side of the strait" and "Taiwan independence acknowledgment" preached in an attempt to "weaken the recognition of China by Taiwan compatriots."

Meanwhile, Chen Shui-bian tried hard to embellish his cross-strait trade policy of "active management and effective opening" he had proposed on January 1, 2006 and lauded it as "completely compliant with the expectations of the majority of people" with "the performance of Taiwan economy not bad on the whole."

In fact, the real expectations of people on the Taiwan Island, particularly of those from its industrial and commercial circles are to expand across-strait economic and trade exchanges and cooperation, open "three direct links in mail, transport and trade across the strait" and realize the peaceful and stable development of the cross-strait relations. About 80 percent of Taiwan's economic growth last year was owed to the value added in excess of Taiwan's mainland trade quotas. The deepening of the cross-economic and trade exchanges and cooperation constitutes one of the crucial factors for the growth of Taiwan economy.

Chen Shui-bian resorted to sophistry merely for the sole purpose of finding an excuse for restricting the cross-strait trade. The new theses for "Taiwan Independence" represents a major new policy measure of Chen's to reinforce his power as he has been caught by his own fraudulence case or cheating cases of his family members, and a surging "Anti-corruption and ousting Chen Shui-bian drive" has foiled his power base. Chen dished up new theses on Taiwan Independence to indicate the keynote and direction of "Taiwan Independence" in the new year. His sinister intention is to provoke hostility and conflicts across of the Taiwan Strait, step up antagonism among ethnicities and rip up Taiwan society, so as to extricate himself from the cheating cases. On the other hand, he will turn to "Taiwan independence" to lull and rope in "Taiwan independence" factions and maintain the "terror equilibrium" for his possible successors.

What worth pondering is that Chen has not repeated such "Taiwan independence" notions as "a new constitutional government" and the "Second Republic." This is only his expediency resultant from punitive measures imposed upon him from various parties, but it does not mean that he will cast off his "constitutional system" and make a fresh start.

As a matter of fact, Chen has long taken the "delivery of Taiwan new constitution" and "joining the United Nations in the name of Taiwan" as two of his major policies during the duration of his presidency. And the "legislative Yuan" election in 2007 and the "presidential election" in 2008 will be two vital "nodes" for him to spur "Taiwan independence" schemes. The adventuring nature of the Taiwan secessionist forces to seek a legal basis for "Taiwan independence" through the constitutional reform and to engineer major incidents in this regard cannot be overlooked. So the peaceful and stable development of the cross-strait ties is still facing stark challenges.

By the People's Daily Online; and its author Peng Weixue, director of the Comprehensive Research Department of the Institute of Taiwan Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences