Monday 10 November 2008
Meeting of minds on the art of ambiguity
When Beijing’s top envoy, Chen Yunlin , kicked off his historic visit to Taiwan last Monday, he made it clear that politics was off the agenda. The purpose of the talks with his Taiwanese counterparts, he emphasised, was precise and simple: to bring advantages to people across the Taiwan Strait.
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Meeting of minds on the art of ambiguity
Chris Yeung
10 November 2008
When Beijing’s top envoy, Chen Yunlin , kicked off his historic visit to Taiwan last Monday, he made it clear that politics was off the agenda. The purpose of the talks with his Taiwanese counterparts, he emphasised, was precise and simple: to bring advantages to people across the Taiwan Strait.
The truth is far more complex, however.
True, the agreements signed by the two sides on Tuesday, to pave the way for full direct flights, postal exchanges and to improve food safety co-operation, have emerged as the most substantive achievements of the visit.
Given the decades-long separation that has bred hostilities and mistrust across the strait, the deal is no small accomplishment.
It is equally true that Mr. Chen, in his capacity as chairman of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait, has made a political breakthrough, if only a symbolic one.
This is because, contrary to what Mr. Chen said when he arrived, his five-day trip has been loaded with political messages. In his welcome remarks, Mr. Chen praised Wang Daohan , his late predecessor, and Wang’s Taiwanese counterpart, Koo Chen-fu, for their contribution to the thaw in relations in the early 1990s, while regretting that they were not able to see the breakthrough in ties following a long period of tense relations. Both died in 2005.
By reaffirming the success of the “Wang-Koo talks” in improving cross-strait relations, Beijing is hoping that the same spirit of pragmatism and mutual understanding will help achieve a breakthrough after a long period of tension.
Although Mr. Chen did not address Taiwan’s president, Ma Ying-jeou, either by his name or any official title during their brief session on Thursday, the political implications are profound.
Given that Mr. Chen represents the central government, his meeting could be interpreted as tacit acceptance of the reality that Mr. Ma is president of Taiwan. (The official mainland media addressed Mr. Ma as “Taiwan’s leader”.)
Faced with the deep concerns among Taiwanese over increased interaction across the strait, both sides know the importance of the art of ambiguity.
With his popularity plunging since March, a worsening economic crisis and increasingly hostile feelings about the mainland in the wake of the milk powder scandal, Mr. Ma can ill-afford accusations from the opposition of a “sell-out” of Taiwan’s interests to Beijing during Mr. Chen’s visit.
During the meeting with Mr. Chen, Mr. Ma renewed a plea he made in his post-victory speech for both sides to squarely face reality and not deny each other’s existence.
In view of Beijing’s uncompromising stance on sovereignty issues, it is unrealistic to expect it to formally recognise the legitimate status of the Kuomintang government.
But Mr. Chen and state leaders must realise that the violent pro-independent protests, led by the Democratic Progressive Party during the visit, are a stark reminder that fear about increased interaction, not to mention integration, with the mainland runs deep in Taiwan.
Rigidity in handling politically sensitive issues will therefore risk jeopardising the opportunity to boost economic, cultural and personal exchanges across the strait.
Maintaining the momentum of normalising cross-strait contacts in non-political spheres is vital to create an environment conducive to talks on a range of sensitive issues, including Taiwan’s presence in international bodies, and security.
When Taiwanese can see for themselves that interaction through, for example, direct links brings more good than harm, their change in attitude and mindset towards the mainland will create more opportunities for a peaceful Taiwan Strait.
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