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Vice President Lien Chan Addresses the Taipei Foreign Correspondents Club
1997-11-06

Vice President Lien Chan today made a speech during a luncheon hosted by the Taipei Foreign Correspondents Club.The full text of Vice President Lien's speech, on the subject of "Meeting the Criteria: The Implications of Democratic Development on Taiwan for Cross-strait Relations," is as follow:

 

Members of the Taipei Foreign Correspondents Club:

 

It is a pleasure to be with you today to share some thoughts on the process of democratization here in Taiwan and its importance for the development of cross-strait relations. Before I start, I would like to congratulate you on forming this organization. Its recent inception is one indication of the growing importance of Taiwan on the world stage.

I am sure also that a periodic get-together like this allows each of you to get to know your fellow media professionals better and boosts professional morale. I am delighted at the opportunity to get to know each of you better and facilitate a greater understanding of my country.

 

I want to speak to you today about the importance and value of democratic development on Taiwan, and the significance it presents for normalizing cross-strait relations. As the approaching election here in Taiwan reminds us, the political system in the Republic of China has evolved dramatically over the past decade or so. Candidates from at least several political parties will soon be vying for public office, as did President Lee and myself last year, and as did members of the current Legislative Yuan and National Assembly during the past few years. From the grass roots to the head of state, political leaders in the territory under the jurisdiction of the Republic of China are now beholden to the electorate on a regular basis. Sovereignty does indeed rest with the people here in Taiwan.

 

The importance of this cannot be overstated. Democratic nations respect the human rights of their citizens, because it is the citizenry that ultimately runs the country. Democratic states rarely go to war with other democratic states. True democracies provide pluralistic environments that allow citizens to develop their country to its full potential, hence the association of prosperity with democracy. They educate their people, because an informed public is necessary to choose those who will govern. A highly educated electorate is also a highly skilled workforce that can compete in the global economy. A highly educated public will, by definition, have a wide range of views on many issues, hence the need for political pluralism. These are all internationally recognized criteria for a full and healthy democracy, and ones that the Republic of China has fully met.

 

In this respect, to reverse a phrase used by President Clinton of the US in a recent press conference, I believe that the Republic of China is "on the right side of history." As the collapse of the Soviet Union and the subsequent abandonment of Communism by most nations attests, Communism has proven politically, morally and economically bankrupt. Half-hearted efforts to implement free-market economic reform without being willing to address the fundamental need for comprehensive economic, political and social change, result in nagging questions about human rights. This is something that the Chinese mainland leader, Mr. Jiang Zemin, discovered recently on his trip to the United States.

 

It is bewildering that members of the international community, including the United States, are seeking ways to help integrate the Chinese mainland into the international order while a full democracy like the Republic of China still encounters obstacles to its participation in the same order as a result of pressure from Peking. There is no more powerful way to encourage democratization and economic development than to affirm the achievements of countries like the ROC who clearly and fully meet the requisite international criteria. While in the US, Mr. Jiang tried to claim that the concept of "human rights" is culturally relative, but Taiwan is undeniable proof that democracy and respect for human rights can be fully compatible with Chinese culture warmly and embraced by Chinese people if they are only given the chance. In contrast to case after case--human rights, accession to the WTO, protection of intellectual property rights--where Peking demands special consideration in how it should be judged by the international community, the ROC has simply gone and met the criteria. Actions speak louder than words.

 

This fundamental contrast in how the two sides of the Taiwan Strait approach the need for change and reform has implications for the future development of cross-strait relations. Democratic development on Taiwan has provided a particular context for how the issue of Chinese reunification will have to be approached by both sides if it is to be successful and lasting. In essence, the ROC wishes to normalize relations with the mainland. This means an initial reduction and an eventual elimination of hostility.

 

Those less familiar with the Taiwan Strait situation than you might simply conclude that a state with less territory than another would have to be flexible and ccommodating when faced with a giant neighbor. However, this misses the point that democratic countries are inherently disposed to seek peaceful and constructive solutions, because their leaders are accountable to their people. The ROC renounced the use of force to seek the reunification of China because we have come to realize that only reunification achieved through a voluntary and peaceful process can last. Coercion or an attempt at military conquest can only sow the seeds of further hatred.

 

Democratic governments usually work for peace and stability because they must ultimately heed the popular will. We are sure that the people of the mainland would choose democracy, freedom and prosperity, if allowed to vote in a fair election. Once the leaders in Peking are ready to recognize the need for democratic reform on the mainland, there is no question that democracy will sprout and grow. To be sure, democratic development there will take some time, perhaps considerable length of time. We feel, however, that the people of Taiwan should not be denied representation by their elected government in international bodies and activities during such an extended period of change on the mainland. Peking tries to portray this stance as some sort of secret agenda in Taipei to avoid reunification, but it is in fact just the opposite. We are willing to give our counterparts across the Strait the time to narrow the economic, political and social differences that stand in the way of popular support for immediate reunification with the mainland. That is the very nature of a democracy.

 

In the meantime, there are other avenues to normalizing cross-strait relations that can be taken now. The most immediate one is continued exchanges between Taiwan and the mainland. They represent a way to play to each other's strengths while furthering mutual understanding and appreciation. They represent a barometer of how healthy or not the state of cross-strait relations is at any given time.

 

And certainly, another crucial aspect of normalizing bilateral relations with the mainland is achieving equality between Taipei and Peking. The mainland leaders have refused to meet this criterion, claiming that Taiwan is too small. This is an absurd excuse, given that territorial size is hardly the sole determining factor of status in most government-to-government relationships. If the Republic of China is measured in terms of its economic might, our two governments represent far more equal entities than our differences in territorial size would indicate.

 

Going one step further, if one appraises each side of the Strait in terms of how much political progress has been made, it is Taiwan that dwarfs the mainland. The prosperity and freedom we enjoy today here in Taiwan is the result of the democracy, free-market system and social pluralism that the ROC government has worked to achieve over past decades.

 

This sense of equality that Taipei and Peking must share applies beyond cross-strait relations. The two sides are truly equal only when they are equal participants in the international community. Until Peking accords Taipei the respect it is due on the world stage, it will be difficult for the ROC government to convince its electorate that it can negotiate the issue of reunifying China with its counterparts on the mainland in a way that can genuinely assure the welfare and security of the Taiwan people.

 

There is another need for Taipei and Peking to demonstrate equal respect for each other internationally. I am sure that those of you who covered the election last year in Taiwan for president and vice president of the ROC recall how absurd it was for voters to be heading to the ballot box while Peking played war games off our coast. No other electorate has had to face the larger context of cross-strait relations when making internal political choices at the ballot box. Despite Peking's attempt at military intimidation and its claims that leaders here held a secret agenda for Taiwan independence, voters on Taiwan acted in accord with what poll after poll has found to be the popular will: maintaining the status quo in relations with the mainland while awaiting future developments. However, elections should take place in an atmosphere of spirited public debate, not in spite of external military threats. If the international community would make efforts to further integrate both Taipei and Peking into the international order, both sides of the Taiwan Strait could pursue democratic development and economic growth in a healthy and stable climate. This is ultimately the key to a sound and peaceful reunification of the Chinese nation that can add to the stability of the New World Order.

 

In closing, I think the value of democratic development is worth remembering when considering the future of cross-strait relations and the destiny of the Chinese people. As the recent economic instability in some Southeast Asian nations underscores, the education of the citizenry of a nation is key to its future. A highly trained workforce in this modern age is also a group of well-educated citizens, and well-educated citizens are potentially well-informed voters. While experts may disagree on how serious the short-term economic problems of Asia may be, no one seriously doubts the long-term potential of this region, or the key role that the Chinese people will play and can play in its growth. The leaders in Peking are going to find that as the nations of the Asia-Pacific region continue to compete for economic growth and development, educating their workforce will be a crucial factor in achieving the greatest competitiveness.

 

As the ROC government here in Taiwan long-ago realized, educated citizens can develop their full potential and make enormous contributions to national prosperity. At the same time, they demand a great deal of their government as they gain a stake in their country's future. Respect for human rights is nothing more than a natural affirmation of the value each person places on making a difference in their society and country. The world has already been impressed by the Taiwan "economic miracle" and the recent economic growth on the mainland. These hint at the talents and energies of the Chinese people. In our experience here in Taiwan, if the Chinese people are to play a leading role in the 21st century, democratic development will be essential to unleashing their full potential. So, when you seek to analyze the policies and actions of the ROC government, please do not forget this context of democracy, for it says the most about who we are and what we believe. Actions really do speak louder than words.

 

 

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