United, We Stand

Lung-chu Chen

During his recent visit to Taiwan, Wei Jingsheng, China's best known exiled dissident, warned politicians in Taiwan not to rely on external forces for domestic political infighting, and not to play the "mainland China" card for partisan political gains. United, Taiwan stands a chance to survive in the face of Chinese threats; divided, Taiwan will lose it all.

It is not easy, however, to achieve such unity under the current political configuration in Taiwan. Ever since May 20, 2000, many politicians just cannot reconcile themselves to the reality of party rotation in governance. Having lost the power to which they had long accustomed, those people have formed an alliance to oppose and obstruct the new government for the sake of opposition and obstruction, regardless of right or wrong.

Thus, despite Beijing's insistence on the "one China principle," politicians in Taiwan have not been able to cool down from their "China" or "mainland" fever. One after another has gone to Beijing to kowtow. China is only too happy to exploit Taiwan's internal contradictions and to intensify its tactics of divide-and-conquer.

With so many kowtowing politicians, Beijing has skillfully used them to divide Taiwan. Beijing has deliberately ignored the Chen Shui-bian government and refused to dialogue and negotiate with the Chen government. "Ally with your secondary enemy to attack the main enemy" is exactly what the Chinese Communist leadership has been up to.

National interests override partisan interests. The Taiwanese people must learn to distinguish good apples from rotten apples, and repudiate those politicians who do not really identify with Taiwan (ROC) as a sovereign State, independent of the People's Republic of China.