Taipei, March 31 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian said Monday that mainland China might have to wait a long time before it can choose its own leaders through the democratic process, as Beijing will never allow the burgeoning of such a mechanism.
He made the remarks when he received Gordon Chang, a Chinese American lawyer who is the author of "The Coming Collapse of China, " adding that since the publication of the book two years ago, it has induced widespread discussion.
The president said many might think that the mainland China has undergone a peaceful power transition with the fourth generation of leaders such as Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao. But in fact, Jiang Zemin, who handed over his posts as party secretary-general and president of the nation to Hu, has retained his post as chairman of the Central Military Commission.
The practice is "unthinkable" in Taiwan or other democratic countries, Chen said.
Chang said that he was honored to meet Chen, claiming that when Chen became president in 2000, he became "a hero to many young people in the mainland and in North America" and led others to think that if Taiwan can become democratic, why can't China.
According to Chang, the nature of the Chinese Communist Party has not changed. Although the mainland's economic performance over the past two years has been good and it has completed a power transfer, Jiang continues to hold sway in reality, which Chang said adds uncertainty to mainland politics. The odd "dual leadership" system has also increased the instability and contradiction within the mainland, he continued.
President Chen pointed out that the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) reveals the nature of the mainland regime.
He said the mainland allowed the potentially deadly pneumonia-like disease, believed to have originated in Guangdong Province, to spread to other countries and regions basically because it has no "respect for human rights and ignores public health, " as well as suppressing media reports, which he said could be interpreted as Beijing's reform being fake.
Chang said that the SARS outbreak gives a very bad impression of Beijing to Western countries, and he claimed that this might question Beijing's refusal to allow Taiwan to join international organizations.
Chen said that the campaign against SARS should be borderless and that the opposition to Taiwan's admission into World Health Organization is the utmost slight of the interests of 23 million people of Taiwan.
If Beijing regards the 23 million people as human beings, he said, it should "open its heart, and welcome the admission of Taiwan, " adding "that membership, even as an observer, is extremely important to Taiwan."
Taiwan has worked for 12 years to be admitted to the World Trade Organization, Chen said, adding that the road to the WHO will be as long and winding, but saying that "we will persist, and so long as we don't give up, we will fulfill our dreams."
On a prediction by Kenichi Ohmae, a Japanese political analyst, that a "Chinese federation" will be formed in 2005 with Taiwan businessmen continuing to flock to the mainland and growing investment leading to political integration, Chen claimed that "such a scenario will not happen, " as he is confident that his Democratic Progressive Party will win in next year's presidential election.
Chang also said that the exodus of Taiwan's manufacturing industry will upgrade its industry at home, just as was the case in the United States over the past 20 years, which will be beneficial to a knowledge-based economy and will make Taiwan a strong economic entity that will never be subjugated by the mainland.
Chang said that many harbor overly optimistic views about the mainland regime, believing that the new leadership will be better, but according to Chang, the nature of the mainland will not change and has not changed in any major way since the rule of Mao Zedong.
Chen said he agreed with Chang's view, saying that one should not harbor illusions or have wishful or overly naive thinking about the mainland.
On Kuomintang Chairman Lien Chan's remarks that he will visit the mainland if elected president in the 2004 presidential election, Chang said that his chances are slim and speculated that Lien might have a wrong perception of the nature of the Beijing regime, as Beijing will insist on the acceptance of the "one country, two systems" principle, especially with a new leadership.
The president also said that if the trip does take place, it will not be a "journey of peace, " but "a journey of capitulation, " as Beijing will not only ask Taiwan to change its name, it will not even recognize the existence of the Republic of China.