A Dissident’s View of Taiwan

Some people suggest that the handling of the return of Hong Kong is an example that can be applied to Taiwan. That is most inappropriate.

If the return of Hong Kong is handled smoothly and effectively, it will undoubtedly improve the political credibility of our country. It will contribute to the political conditions that influence how the Taiwan issue is settled, as well as other domestic and international problems.

But [Hong Kong] absolutely cannot be applied as a model for Taiwan. The Hong Kong problem involves land that was invaded and occupied by foreigners; Taiwan involves two competing, uncooperative political forces operating within China.

The two problems simply cannot be viewed in the same light. The slogan “Taiwan must return to the motherland” is mistaken. This statement presupposes that Taiwan is already an independent country that has broken away from China. That is not acceptable to the Communist Party, the Nationalist Party and the Chinese people, nor does it accord with the facts of the case. Taiwan was reunited with China 40 years ago. Taiwan is ruled by Chinese who object to the communist rule of China. It’s a case of one country being ruled by competing factions, not two countries; there’s a fundamental difference between the two.

The main responsibility of the ruling authorities of a nation-state is to promote cooperation and unity in domestic politics, not simply hang on to power. At present, the various policies of political and diplomatic isolation directed at Taiwan are not compatible with a conciliatory policy and could have a negative effect on conciliation. Using diplomatic isolation and political pressure on the KMT will not solve the problem in this century and will not even solve it in the next. Military bullying and political isolation can only make the situation worse and would be disadvantageous to both sides. The ones who lose out would be the Chinese people.