President Ma will ensure that Taiwan can never be independent. This will be his legacy if Taiwan signs an agreement with China accepting the one China policy as a precondition for a CECA agreement or any other agreement. Such an agreement will be a major historical event since Taiwan and China have never accepted the one China policy in a signed agreement. The so-called 1992 consensus, which is often referred to, consists of verbal statements from a press conference but has never been written down.
Translation of the article “從丹麥看ＥＣＦＡ—馬英九的歷史遺印：無法獨立的台灣” published in Liberty Times March 18. 2009.
By Michael Danielsen, chairman, Taiwan Corner.
President Ma will ensure that Taiwan can never be independent. This will be his legacy if Taiwan signs an agreement with China accepting the one China policy as a precondition for a CECA agreement or any other agreement. Such an agreement will be a major historical event since Taiwan and China have never accepted the one China policy in a signed agreement. The so-called 1992 consensus, which is often referred to, consists of verbal statements from a press conference but has never been written down.
With such a written agreement, Taiwan loses its ability to declare independence in the future because of the combination of the one China policy and the constitution of the Republic of China (ROC). Ma has repeatedly accepted that the Republic of China (ROC) consists of the area controlled by People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Taiwan. In conclusion, if the agreement is signed, China and Taiwan has made a union. This union is called ROC in Taiwan and PRC in China. But both have accepted that they are one common family living on the same piece of land.
It is ironic that if this is going to be the case, President Ma will have given up Taiwan’s independence without breaking any election promises. The CECA agreement will secure that there will be no independence in the future which president Ma has promised several times. President Ma has also promised that he will not seek unification. One can argue that the CECA is not legally the same as unification since Taiwan still can elect its president and act as today. But only lawyers can argue like this because a quick reality check shows another result.
Seen from abroad, Taiwan will with such an agreement have entered a Hong-Kong model, and Taiwan will be a part of China. The reason is that if both Taiwan and China agree that the one China consists of the area that belongs to China and the area that belongs to Taiwan, the conclusion cannot be different. Any other wrapping up will be the same as stating that the earth is flat.
Is this really a legacy that President Ma will like to be remembered for when he reads the history books? And will he be proud that he is the president of a free people who secured that Taiwan can never be independent? Why not embrace the historical freedom of the Taiwanese people and make an agreement that will ensure that the Taiwanese people can make their own choice and live as a free independent people, as other nations, on the area that is controlled by ROC today?
