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Ma's cross-strait strategy strengthens Taiwan sovereignty: ex-AIT head

ROC Central News Agency

2011/06/25 18:25:56

Taipei, June 25 (CNA) Former American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Chairman Richard Bush said in Taipei Saturday that the various cross-Taiwan Strait agreements made since President Ma Ying-jeou took office have been helpful in consolidating Taiwan's sovereignty.

The former AIT head, who now serves as the director of the Center for Northeast Asia Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution, made the remarks during the conclusion of a roundtable discussion at an international conference.

The two-day conference, titled "A Spectacular Century: The Republic of China Centennial Democracy Forums," invited scholars from home and abroad to present their views on Taiwan's development regarding politics, history and economics over the past 100 years.

In his 12-minute speech, he offered his insights on cross-strait relations from different angles, including Taiwan's independence, economic asymmetry between the two sides, the will of the Taiwan people and China's views on cross-strait relations.

In terms of economic issues, he rebutted an assertion that Ma's government has undermined Taiwan's sovereignty in carrying out negotiations that led to 15 cross-strait cooperative agreements.

"The principle of `mutual non-denial' is operating in these agreements and in the negotiations and that more significantly, cross-strait relations have become increasing intergovernmental and that in a way strengthens Taiwan's sovereignty," he said.

"Mutual non-denial" means that both sides do not recognize each other's sovereignty, but also do not deny the other's existence.

He noted that the chances of Beijing imposing economic sanctions against Taiwan are small.

He said that "interdependence works both ways, vulnerability is mutual and that sanctions, if ever tried, would hurt the People's Republic of China too." Economic coercion is far less likely if China's leaders think that time is on their side, he said.

Although positive about Taiwan's economic exchanges with China, Bush was more circumspect on whether the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) will lead to an expansion of Taiwan's international space.

"It's an open question how far that will go," he said.

With respect to politics and the 2012 presidential election, he said it will be interesting to see how residents in southern Taiwan cast their ballots in the wake of the ECFA.

Voters in the traditionally pro-opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) area could shift to the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) or not vote at all, he forecast. "Green camp farmers, on the other hand, could be very happy to take their agricultural sales to the PRC and still vote for the DPP," he added.

He nevertheless urged politicians from both camps to work together in defending Taiwan's national interests when dealing with China.

"Political leaders will need to work together to foster a better consensus on Taiwan's core interests and how to protect them. As long as the political system remains polarized and divided, that consensus cannot be built and Taiwan cannot face the challenges of cross-strait relations in an appropriate way," he said. (By Nancy Liu) ENDITEM/J