. . . and an Affront to Democratic Values

Many who have watched quite carefully the proceedings of this summit are concerned about President Clinton’s neglect in mentioning the freedom and democratic achievements of the 21 million people on Taiwan. Much of the world is familiar with Taiwan’s economic achievements; the “Taiwan miracle” has become a model of economic development for many. Far more important, our recent movements toward full-fledged democracy have won kudos from around the world.

Why was it so important for Clinton to make mention of these achievements during his trip to China? Simply put, the Taiwan experience is a Chinese model of political change that achieves what many see as the Western liberal values so vital to the safety and prosperity of the world. Especially after Chinese President Jiang Zemin’s rejoinder that Western values do not fit into the Chinese context, Clinton had the perfect opportunity to remind the Chinese people and their leaders that there is an actual example of a Chinese society that has achieved economic growth and democratic governance without sacrificing stability. Stable democracy will not occur in the mainland until enough people believe in both its general value and its feasibility in the Chinese setting. The Clinton administration missed a clear opportunity to promote the value of the Taiwan experience.

Of course, to be a gracious guest Clinton should not offend his hosts by saying too much about Taiwan’s achievements, but if he did not shy away from mentioning the 1989 Tiananmen massacre, what serious harm could have occurred by talking about the Taiwan example? During his nine-day trip, Clinton at no point voiced the U.S. concern for the importance or preservation of Taiwan’s “life, liberty and pursuit of happiness” save for a brief mention that the Taiwan issue can only be resolved peacefully. This glaring neglect of Taiwan’s welfare hurt deeply those of us who have always admired America as an impartial fighter for such values everywhere around the world.