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"Defensive referendum" aims at changing the status quo across the Taiwan Strait

PLA Daily 2003-12-12

Chen Shui-bian, by nature, is the kind of man who doesn't care about belying his words with his acts, either will he care about keeping his words or about being totally unreasonable. That is him, a chameleon who constantly changes his mind, doesn't mind cheating the Taiwanese people and is only interested in such tricks as doing one thing under the cover of another. He promised that he will not declare Taiwan independence, will not change Taiwan's official name, will not rewrite Taiwan's "constitution" to make it an independent state, will not launch a referendum on Taiwan's independence from or unification with China Mainland, and will not try to abolish its "Guildelines for National Unification" and its "National Unification Council". However, what he cares most is political power and what he dreams about is "Taiwan independence".

Chen Shui-bian argues that his "defensive referendum" is "not intended to change the status quo of Taiwan". On the contrary, he says, he is just trying to "keep Taiwan peaceful and stablize Taiwan's status quo". Sounds wonderful. But, what on earth is the status quo of Taiwan or the across-strait relation? Clearly, the fact is that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan and the Mainland of China belong to one China. Though the reunification between the two sides has not been achieved yet because of historical reasons, this has not changed and will never change the fact that both sides are parts of China. Obviously, Chen Shui-bian is not defending the status quo and on the contrary he is determined to press forward with his foolhardy "defensive referendum" in defiance of strong opposition by people in both Taiwan and the rest of China as well as by the international community. Chen Shui-bian, disguised as a defender of the status quo and a pursuer of democracy, is just trying to feather the nests of his DPP (Democratic Progressive Party) and his own political career and to split Taiwan from the rest of China. That is what his "defensive referendum" is all about: sever Taiwan from China and rewrite the status quo.

After Chen Shui-bian took office, he repeatedly said that his rule of Taiwan will ensure a stable and peaceful relationship across the Strait. But, deep down in his mind, his promise is no more than a stage prop which can be painted any way he wants to so long as it can fool the people in Taiwan into giving him their support. The vicious part of his tricks is that he is doing this at the cost of the happiness of the people of Taiwan and the development of Taiwan. What he has done allows no misunderstanding: he challenges the One China policy and sets up all kinds of barriers to curb the contacts of the people across the Strait. His poisonous incremental independence of Taiwan freezes the across-Strait relation in a persistent deadlock. Out of political needs, Chen Shui-bian ignores the hard reality and wants to make people believe that his splitist efforts have not undermined the island's ties with China Mainland. Along the same line, he now tries to work up the atmosphere of tension across the Strait and of the "threat of the Mainland". People in Taiwan also have questioned the logic of his "defensive referendum": if the relationship between the two sides is indeed stable and peaceful, as he argues, how can his "defensive referendum" be regarded as reasonable? In fact, the Mainland's policy of peaceful unification towards Taiwan has been well-known around the world. Chen Shui-bian is clearly provocative in kicking up a fuss about the policy. He, as a politician, shows definitely no streak of honesty in dealing with such a crucial and major issue as the across-Strait relationship.

In order to stir up populism within the island and find reasons for his provocative actions, he singles out, as his new target, the missiles deployed by the Mainland, wishing to whip up the hostilities of the Taiwanese people against the Mainland and make it an excuse for his efforts to achieve the independence of Taiwan. The long-standing policy of the Mainland in this respect cannot be clearer: the Mainland will try to achieve peaceful reunification of China without committing itself not to use force against a small number of separatists in Taiwan who want to cut the umbilical cord to the Mainland and against foreign forces that potentially threaten Chinese sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Mainland has made it clear as ever that its force is not targeted at the people of Taiwan who are our brothers and sisters. If Chen Shui-bian and his DPP accept the One China policy and abandon their party guidelines for independence, why he and his party be afraid of the so-called "the threat of Mainland's missiles"? The logic here is easy to understand: "Taiwan independence" is the root of the across-Strait tension as well as the cause of crises and conflicts. Chen Shui-bian has no justifiable reasons to worry about the so-called "missile threat" from the Mainland because if he does not pursue independence there will be no missiles targeted at him and his colleagues as well as potential foreign forces. In short, Chen Shui-bian causes the "missile threat".

By Xiao Li

(December 12, PLA Daily)