Facing History, Healing Wounds, Creating the Future
This year marks the 26th anniversary of the June 4th Incident and the 70th anniversary of the Republic of China’s victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan, two momentous events that teach us one thing: those who hold the reins of political power, domestically or elsewhere, cannot simply hide from pain. They must be brave enough to face history, reflect on history, and learn the lessons it has to teach. Only then can they step out from the shadows of history, and into the sunshine of the future.
This is the last chance I will have to share my thoughts about the June 4th Incident with you in my capacity as president, so today I’m making a special appeal. I’m urging the mainland China authorities to squarely face history, heal old wounds, and create a common future with a more firm foundation of dialogue.
Thirty years ago, Taiwan left authoritarianism behind and embarked on the path of democracy. So our experience has proven that while political reform may be painful, it can also stave off potential disaster, and become an opportunity for national rebirth. Economic reform and political reform complement and complete each other, like the two wings of a bird. And if one of the wings is missing, it’s impossible to fly.
Mainland China’s economic reforms of the past 30 years have been tremendously successful. But if we look back at the reformers of that era, it was impossible for them to predict the results we see today. The opening and reform policy did not cause any disasters, and also turned mainland China into the second-largest economic entity in the world, where people now clearly enjoy a higher standard of living. But political reforms have lagged far behind. Like a cloud, the June 4th Incident still hangs over the international community’s impression of human rights in mainland China. Over time, numerous other incidents have also come to light, which is very disappointing to those who would like to see deeper, more extensive cross-strait relations.
After I took office in 2008, under the framework of the ROC Constitution and based on the 1992 Consensus of “one China, respective interpretations,” we have remained committed to a policy of “no unification, no independence, and no use of force.” That approach has allowed us to successfully create the peace and prosperity that characterize the cross-strait status quo.
Nevertheless, major systemic differences have still created a psychological distance between the people living on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. As mainland Chinese leader Xi Jinping has said, people on both sides need to come to a “meeting of the minds.” We think that, as a way to reduce the psychological distance that separates us, peace and prosperity are certainly prerequisites. But any true meeting of the minds depends on mainland China vigorously pushing for democratic reforms.
In my Double Tenth National Day speech last year, I made a special appeal to mainland China. As they promote political reforms, I urged them to adopt democratic values like tolerating dissidents, and gradually implement democratic processes with Chinese characteristics. And speaking of Chinese characteristics, tolerating opposing views is hardly a foreign concept. During the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), the noted reformer Zichan (子產) was lauded by his contemporaries for refusing to stifle public discussion—and even criticism—of the government.
Our efforts over the past seven years have established the 1992 Consensus as our common foundation for the future development of cross-strait relations. And if mainland China actually strengthens its democratic processes, that will give us a common foundation for more intensive dialogue in the future.
In my inaugural address seven years ago, I said that, “We care about the welfare of the 1.3 billion people of mainland China, and hope that mainland China will continue to move toward freedom, democracy and prosperity for all the people. This would pave the way for the long-term peaceful development of cross-strait relations.” Another important historical condition required to create a win-win situation for both sides is to redress the wrongs of the June 4th Incident. So we think that facing history squarely, especially the June 4th Incident, will give us a more stable common foundation.
Any government that faces its painful past, just like Taiwan commemorates and reflects on the 228 Incident from 1947 and the White Terror era of the 1950s, has to acknowledge the facts and make amends to aggrieved families. Even more, that government has to empathize with them. So we sincerely hope that the mainland authorities can face up to the June 4th Incident. On one hand, that means ensuring that kind of tragedy never happens again. But it also means doing whatever it takes to redress the wrongs of the June 4th Incident, and healing the wounds of the victims and families. Concrete efforts to do that would have a powerfully positive impact on Taiwan, and draw the two sides of the Taiwan Strait closer together. It would also give both sides a more stable and diversified common foundation while breaking new ground for future generations.