Ma Ying-jeou who took over as Taiwan’s president in March this year has been working hard to improve relations between his country and the mainland China. A former mayor of Taipei and a graduate of the Harvard School of Law, President Ma has had to delicately balance aspirations of his people with the demands of the mainland making the best use of his diplomatic skills.
In his words, “After 80 years of struggle between the Kuomintang (Chinese Nationalist Party) and the Communist Party of China, we are finally finding the wisdom to engage each other in peace.” And brushing off reports that some in Taiwan see him too conciliatory toward mainland China, he stated, “As long as the leaders have the confidence and sincerity to improve relations I think we can really change the course of history.”
But he is also pragmatic to realize that peace between the two neighbors could be a long way off. “We can’t be so naive as to assume that all differences will disappear. After all there are more than 1,000 missiles targeted against Taiwan.”
In a rambling discourse on improving relations, President Ma said: “Since May of this year, relations between Taiwan and mainland China have manifested a marked détente in step with our initiatives to improve interaction across the Taiwan Strait. After coming to office, I immediately moved to reactivate the institutionalized cross-strait consultations between Taiwan’s semiofficial Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) and its mainland Chinese counterpart, the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS), which had been in hiatus for over a decade.”
“This effort has so far produced two rounds of talks between negotiation teams led by SEF Chairman Chiang Pin-kung and ARATS Chairman Chen Yunlin — the first in Beijing in June, the second in Taipei in November — and half a dozen formal agreements on issues of practical importance. These accomplishments constitute not only a significant breakthrough in the development of cross-strait relations, but a major step in fulfilling this administration’s promise to promote regional peace.”
“Complex historical factors have given rise to a number of challenging disagreements between Taiwan and mainland China. In my May 20 inaugural address, I enunciated the imperative of maintaining the status quo under the framework of the Constitution of the Republic of China, meaning no unification talks with the mainland, no creation of an independent Taiwan republic, and no use of force to settle sovereignty issues — the stance that most genuinely reflects Taiwan’s mainstream public opinion. In the address, I also called upon the two sides to ‘face reality, create a new future, shelve disputes, and pursue win-win solutions,’ thus enabling us to strike a mutually beneficial balance as we pursue our respective interests.”
He believes that “Taiwan needs to respond to the opportunities and challenges posed by the rise of mainland China and globalization by continuing to bolster its democracy, laying a firm foundation for sustainable economic development, advancing social equity, and fully integrating Taiwan into global frameworks for progressive interaction.”
Although the Beijing’s leadership has long insisted that independence was not on the cards for the tiny island, President Ma is optimistic that his diplomacy would help ease tension between the two Asian neighbors. “Concerning our international space, we will persist in upholding our principles of ‘flexible diplomacy’ and observing a ‘diplomatic truce’ with regard to antagonistic rivalry that undercuts opportunities for constructive participation in the global community. We hope in this way to encourage cross-strait cooperation in international organizations and contexts with a focus on contributing to global well-being.”
“At the recent APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Lima, former ROC Vice President Lien Chan, who attended in my stead, engaged in constructive exchanges with members of the mainland Chinese delegation to explore possibilities for cooperation within the APEC framework. This is a significant step forward toward improving cross-strait interaction in international affairs, which, together with other examples of our flexible diplomacy policy, have won the affirmation of the global community.”
“I, therefore, urge mainland China to realize the wisdom of dispensing with zero-sum diplomatic tactics to squeeze Taiwan’s international space, and take to heart the aspirations of our people to play their rightful role in the international community. It is my belief that taking such an enlightened path offers the best hope for the two sides of the Taiwan Strait to join hands in advancing the welfare of humanity and future prospects for lasting regional peace.”
Perhaps this Harvard law graduate can indeed turn the tide in the frosty relations with its giant neighbor by saying and doing the right thing. Beijing hasn’t objected to his recent overtures — at least in public.
