The positive increase in economic links between Taiwan and China has sparked an uninformed debate in Denmark. Danish pundits imagine a future federation between Taiwan and China. These writers display a great ignorance about Taiwanese public opinion that unfortunately is unhelpful for promoting an understanding of Taiwan.
By Michael Danielsen, Chairman of Taiwan Corner
Published in Taipei Times on 10. July 2008.
The positive increase in economic links between Taiwan and China has sparked an uninformed debate in Denmark. Danish pundits imagine a future federation between Taiwan and China. These writers display a great ignorance about Taiwanese public opinion that unfortunately is unhelpful for promoting an understanding of Taiwan.
The federation that commentators describe, based on the one country, two systems formula, disregards the wishes of the Taiwanese public. The fact that 70 percent to 80 percent of Taiwanese reject this formula — regardless of the details — is not mentioned in these articles. Danish observers also ignore research that has documented the emergence of a Taiwanese identity distinct from China’s. Young Taiwanese think of China as a foreign country.
Some analysts also suggest that former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) was to blame for China’s threats of military force against Taiwan. Typically, the writers forget to mention China’s more than 1,000 missiles aimed at Taiwan and Beijing’s “Anti-Secession” Law.
In order to avoid such misunderstandings about the situation, commentators outside Taiwan must gain insight into the country’s domestic political scene. The reason the public elected President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) was the economy and stagnating incomes.
Ma is now under enormous pressure to deliver economic improvements. Up to now, he has not delivered and his popularity has dropped to 48 percent from 70 percent.
In order to realize short-sighted economic goals, Ma’s government is relying entirely on the so-called “1992 consensus” and thereby turning the clock back 16 years.
Taiwan needs more elbow room as a normal country without China blocking its free trade agreements and membership bids at international organizations. But China will probably not allow a significant change in Taiwan’s international status because Ma could lose the next election and a different president might declare formal independence.
Taiwan is a well-run and wealthy democracy and its population is uninterested in unification.
Pundits abroad seem to imply that the best option for everyone would be for the two countries to unify. The question they fail to answer is why.
Michael Danielsen
Copenhagen, Denmark
