President Bush also publicly praised Taiwan’s freedom and democracy, describing it as a model for China and other nations. Therefore, the more democratic Taiwan becomes, the more strongly it can exert a “lighthouse effect” for China’s democratization, and the more it can contribute to safeguarding security and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. This evolutionary process, moreover, is in line with the common interests of the United States, Japan, and neighboring nations.

With China’s rapid rise and relentless military build-up, the “China threat” is no longer confined to confrontation across the Taiwan Strait. In fact, it has already seriously impacted world peace. Members of the international community not only should refuse to join forces with China in suppressing Taiwan’s democracy, but should strongly demand that China immediately withdraw missiles deployed along its southeastern coast and targeted at Taiwan, stop military exercises simulating attacks on Taiwan, abolish its so-called anti-secession law, and accelerate political and democratic reforms. We believe that only through China’s democratic awakening can there be lasting peace in the world.

Faced with China’s ever-more belligerent rhetoric and military intimidation since I took office, I have extended numerous olive branches expressing our desire for peace and conciliation. In return, we have been subjected to Beijing’s five-pronged policy of suppression, aimed at denigrating our nation, marginalizing it in the world, cultivating the perception that Taiwan is a local region of China, de-legitimizing its government, and undermining its sovereignty. To safeguard cross-strait and regional security and stability, however, we have never diverged from our fundamental policy of maintaining a firm stance and moving forward pragmatically as the basis for pursuing normalization of Taiwan-China relations.

Between 2000 and 2006, the annual number of visits by Taiwan’s people to China increased from 3.11 million to 4.41 million, or an average of more than 12,000 visits per day.

Regarding direct transportation between Taiwan and China, whereas during the 2003 Lunar New Year holidays, Taiwan’s air carriers first provided one-way, indirect passenger charter flights, during the 2005 Lunar New Year holidays, air carriers of both sides provided nonstop charter flights. Furthermore, in June 2006, four categories of charter flights were launched [passenger flights during major holidays, special cargo flights, medical emergency flights, and other humanitarian flights].

At present, passenger charter flight services are provided for more than ten weeks a year around the times of major festivals, carrying some 100,000 travelers. Moreover, our people make some 600,000 visits to China every year as part of the “mini-three-links” [direct mail and commercial links are already in place, while direct transportation is only provided between Taiwan’s Kinmen, Matsu and Penghu islands and ports in China’s Fujian Province]. I believe these transportation arrangements have succeeded in satisfying the demands of Taiwan’s citizens who wish to visit China.

These figures are an indication that the importance of political considerations in discussions concerning the “three links” [the aforementioned direct links, but between Taiwan proper and other destinations in China] far exceeds that of satisfying transportation demands. Unless one is willing to totally disregard national security imperatives and abjectly surrender, the three links must evolve in an orderly, gradual manner. Certainly, it is impossible to reach the final goal of opening up free and direct links in one huge leap, or to impose any timeline.

Continued here

1|2|3|4

SharePrintEmail

Write a Comment

Enter your comments - 1000 characters max

Type in image code

Submit

 Receive China Post promos Respond to this email