Mehmet Özay 22
January 2019
 |
| foto:atimes.com |
The speech of Xi
Jinping, the President of China, during the 40th anniversary of China-Taiwan
relations was probably the first significant statement of the New Year. It
includes two distinct tones such as accounting the peaceful unification of ‘two
Chinas’ and an option of using force to gain the sovereignty of Taiwan.
The separation of
China and Taiwan is based on the early political struggle and competition
between two ideologies in mainland China in the early decades of the 20th
century. The communists were considered to be the winners of the competition,
the losing side, say, the nationalists, known commonly as the Kuomintang (KMT).
After turbulent
decades following the separation in 1949, the U. S. government decided to have
a close political relationship with China in 1974. During this period, while
China gradually increased its political sovereignty rhetoric upon the Island,
the 1992 consensus established the understanding of a One China policy.
One China phenomenon
During the course
of this period, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China
(Taiwan) claim distinctively to be the rightful ruler and representative of
China.
Since the end of
the Cold War era, the unification issue of the two separated Chinas has been
one of the most crucial international issues in general. But the tension
between both ‘countries’ has been increasing in the last couple of years due to
the new dimensions emerging in the region.
This political
phenomenon can be comprehended by taking into consideration two different
perspectives. The first one is relevant to the PRC’s approach to proceed
unification, either in a peaceful manner or by using military force, which is
strongly emphasized as a possibility by Xi Jinping.
The second one is
the political stand of the Democratic People’s Party (DPP), the current
governing party in Taipei Island since 2016, known as being in favor of
independence and general public opinion of the Taiwanese as to whether they
should agree upon the issue of unification or maintain the status quo, say, the
peaceful separation from mainland China.
‘New China’ needs Taiwan
Though both sides
feel to liberate the other on the course of time, there is a gross dispute as
to how this will be realized. It can be argued that the Taiwan issue for the
PRC’s elite is an indispensable part of founding a ‘New China.’ No doubt that
China, under the leadership of Xi Jinping, yearns to fulfill political
advancement in the form of unification as a complement to the PRC’s economic
advancement in the last couple of decades. If this is not accomplished, then
mainland China cannot get rid of the feeling of humiliation in face of the
international community.
While Xi Jinping
has inferred a military option as a direct threat, which seems to be
strategically highlighted so as to force Taiwan to accept unification, it is
observed that this approach is a partial reiteration of Mao Zedong’s perspective.
In regards to
this, Jinping asserts that the Taiwan issue is a national matter and that no
third party is allowed to be involved. During Mao’s time, the political
propaganda was oriented to the phenomenon to “liberate Taiwan.” Hence, in the
current global era, it is not certain whether the same argument is still
relevant or not.
Taiwan Consensus
The current
president of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen, has built her political discourse upon the
idea of a “Taiwan Consensus.” By this concept, she explicitly emphasizes that
the decision-making process of unification should be based on democratic
principles, not ruled only by the leadership cadre of the CCP. This political
approach definitely alternates the early agreement upon the status quo or 1992
Consensus.
While Tsai’s
approach appears to be exacerbating the Chinese government’s sensitivity on the
issue, Xi Jinping has repeatedly sent threatening messages, including a strict
reaction of even using military force.
As concrete
action, Jinping has initiated certain policies against Taiwan since the
beginning of the DPP rule. Owing to this reason, there has been a tense
discursive exchange of threats observed in recent years.
In general,
Jinping decidedly remolds his policy towards Taiwan in two distinct ways. For instance,
Beijing is forcing some countries, in particular smaller nations, to cut their
relations with Taiwan; discouraging mainland Chinese citizens from visiting the
island; and decreasing its partial economic relationship by reducing orders for
agricultural products and initiating military drills in the Strait of Taiwan.
There’s no doubt that the final issue is the most significant for both the
Taiwanese and the international community.
The anniversary
speech of Jinping touched upon earlier came just after the local elections held
on 24 November, 2018. If the Chinese ruler perceives the local election victory
of the opposition, KMT, as a reaction of the Taiwanese electorate to the ruling
DPP’s pro-independence tendency, this will cause unintended consequences for
Beijing.
The Taiwanese
electorate turned to the opposition party due to internal and domestic
politics. This result cannot easily be interpreted as a switch of Taiwanese
society from democratic rule and freedom to mainland China policies.
A smarter policy needed
China does not
want to leave its grip upon the Taipei Island. And it is not deniable that the
Taiwan issue for China is an existential for the continuity of the national
union.
Hence, the Chinese
president should adopt a smarter policy on the unification issue. Though China
has been proving to be a global power in terms of economic modernization, say,
liberal capitalism, the country is definitely facing an incoherent condition in
terms of undemocratic values and human rights abuses, which do not go
hand-in-hand with the fundamental aspects of the global economic system.
The strongest
advantage of Taiwan is based on the fact that China is not the old China. It
possesses a political ideology that provisions itself with a causal alienation
in the eyes of the world community. The Taiwanese cannot be forced against
their wish to be in line with the idea of unification. As such, it can be
argued that the Taiwanese are committed to the established democratic
experience, a high degree of awareness of freedom, acquired material wealth and
is open to the world society.
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