Despite every attempt to bluff and pretend that its not the end goal, political talks are coming as surely as rain in a British summer. Taiwan Today carried a piece today with some insightful comments:
“There are a great many issues outside of the economic sphere that can be addressed,” Ma said in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language United Daily Evening News. “These will keep Taiwan and mainland China occupied for many years to come.”
On the subject of political talks with Beijing, the president is open to the idea but said “there is no timetable for such discussions.”This is not new. Ma has consistently said there is no timetable for such talks but how long he can stall under pressure from the CCP and Hard Blues within his party is anyone's guess. My suspicion is that they have tentatively already begun between cabals in the CCP and KMT in anticipation of his reelection in 2012, the electoral campaign for which will begin in about 6 months time. Its just when they do come they won't be called political talks but rather dressed in the Emperor's clothes as a 'peace treaty'. One positive ... Ma seems not interested in a cross-strait cultural pact yet:
The possibility of signing a cross-strait cultural pact as suggested by Cai Wu—mainland China’s top culture official—during a September visit to Taiwan, similarly elicited a low-key response from Ma.
“The ROC government has no stance on this issue,” he said. “If there is a need, we will look at it, but this would have to be demonstrated first.”
What such a pact would facilitate is beyond me. Can anyone out there think of a similar pact between two countries and what purpose it served?
Ma said in contrast, areas Taiwan and mainland China need to make further progress on the economic cooperation committee and the proposed investment protection pact.
“Now that we are in the era of the cross-strait economic cooperation framework agreement (the non-reversible 'ECFA Era'), it is important for both sides to make headway on dispute resolution ('Internal' resolution and not through international arbitration bodies) and investment safeguards in the goods and services industry.”
The president also reaffirmed that the (imaginary) “1992 consensus” is the foundation for progress made in cross-strait relations since he took office in May 2008.
“Three out of the four sides involved in cross-strait relations, the ROC, mainland China and the U.S., have acknowledged this consensus, Ma said. “It plays an important role in maintaining the right direction.”
“But if the fourth side, the opposition Democratic Progressive Party, does not accept the consensus, uncertainty may arise,” he said. “Without the consensus, peaceful development across the strait could be called into question.”First, the US has never acknowledged the so-called '1992 Consensus'. To my knowledge it has never made comment on it directly so here Ma is again being disingenuous and making stuff up on the fly.
Second, Ma interestingly posits the DPP as one of four sides of cross-strait relations, separate to the ROC. Perhaps Ma would like to explain how the DPP is outside the ROC. This comment seeks to alienate the DPP as not belonging to the same nation that will 'celebrate' its 100th anniversary. It is an unbelievably cynical and divisive comment to make. If the DPP is not a party of the ROC then what is it? How is it possible that the DPP is an integral component of Taiwanese politics but is not included in the ROC framework under which those politics are played out? True, many in the DPP would like to eventually replace the ROC with an indigenous Taiwanese national polity but the party itself has long acknowledged that it works within the existing ROC framework pending the completion of Taiwan's transition from ROC colonial outpost to full self-determining country under its own name. Nevertheless, Ma's comment is both absurd and deliberatively provocative.
Finally, I wonder if Ma could elaborate on 'the right direction' ... towards eventual annexation perchance as per his late father and mentor CCK's wishes? Finally, he openly infers that if the DPP rejects the 1992 consensus it will eventually lead to war - this seems to be his opening salvo in his reelection campaign. It is a non too cleverly veiled threat to Taiwanese. Expect more of this over the next 12 months.
For those Taiwanese who regard themselves as Taiwanese and not 'ethnic Chinese', the next year of 'celebrations' are going to be a very painful reminder that the KMT has not changed its core goals of a) sinosizing Taiwan to be 'China' and b) eventually annexing the country and its faltering democracy and independence into a fictional Greater China. Taiwan voted for this President in 2008 but little did they suspect they weren't voting for the future but actually a 'reboot' of the colonisation of Taiwan aka 1950's.
I wonder if they will wake up in time for the 2012 elections.
I wonder if they will be too cowed and / or bribed to stand up for their identity and independence.
I wonder if they will adopt the 'ostrich position' of heads in the fatalism / mei ban fa resignation.
I hope not, for the sake of their freedoms and their environment.
