Alarm over Chen's Independence Moves
February 05, 2004
Alarm over Chen's Independence Moves
Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian's decision to hold a referendum on March 20
is a serious incident, in that it overtly provokes the Chinese mainland
by spelling out an issue that has hitherto been unspecific and
murky.
It is an indication of Chen's determination to set the chariots rolling
on the dangerous path of "Taiwan independence." This has
exerted a severe negative effect on the cross-Straits relationship, and
will bring about graver consequences as the situation evolves.
Chen Shui-bian is calculating when it comes to picking referendum issues.
The first one is a threat to the mainland: If the missiles targeting
Taiwan are not withdrawn, Taiwan will buy more weapons. The second one is
a mutual framework for peace and stability.
A stick and a carrot, so to speak, which the wise can easily see through.
There will be a thud on your head while you eat your carrot.
Once the mainland acquiesces to Chen's so-called "peace
referendum," that would be equal to accepting the referendum as
legally binding, which will trigger a series of other referenda and
unequivocally lead to one on "independence."
But Chen has miscalculated. He has mistaken restraint and patience on the
part of the mainland as weakness and helplessness. He is pushing the
mainland into a corner, where we will have to safeguard our nation's
sovereignty and territorial integrity at all costs if all efforts for
peace fail.
From the perspective of international law, Chen Shui-bian does not have
the right to use a referendum to determine the island's territorial
status. The United Nations stipulates that "the principle of
self-determination" applies only to colonized nations when they
break off from colonial rule, or regions that are historically unclear on
the issue of sovereignty. Taiwan obviously does not fit either
case.
Even judged from the "referendum law" passed by Taiwan's
"legislative yuan," Chen still does not have the right to
initiate a "defensive referendum" because it is not under a
direct threat from the outside. Therefore, the key is not what he decides
to vote on in the referendum, but the reality that he simply does not
have the right to hold a referendum in the first place.
Chen Shui-bian is behaving even more oddly by asking the mainland to
withdraw missiles. As we all know, military deployment is part of a
sovereign nation's internal affairs, which only the central government
has the right to determine, and it is a decision that the highest
authority of a nation will make depending on the threat it faces. If the
Taiwan authorities give up on their independence agenda, the mainland
will no longer have the threat of Taiwan being torn away from the
motherland and the central government will certainly readjust its
military deployment based on the needs of national defence.
Within the framework of one China, a common system of national defence
will be economical and therefore a boon to both sides of the Straits.
However, if the danger of Taiwan being separated from the motherland does
not disappear, the People's Liberation Army will not abandon its military
position.
Moreover, there is no peace treaty in place between the two sides of the
Taiwan Straits, so the state of military hostility will continue. Why
should the mainland unilaterally withdraw its missiles?
Of course, our missiles are not aimed at Taiwan compatriots, but rather
towards "Taiwan independence" forces. We will never go to war
lightly.
The fuse of war or peace is in Chen's hands. It's not that the mainland
does not want peace, but Chen is pushing us towards war. He is playing
with fire again. Taiwan compatriots should be on the alert.
(China Daily February 3, 2004)
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