Updated Wednesday, November 12, 2008 10:14 am TWN, By Frank Ching, Special to The China Post

No grounds for opposing accords

That is why Ma has said that the Republic of China’s territory includes the mainland, even though it currently does not control it. He is simply returning to the position adopted by the Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang, in the past-a “one China” position where the Republic of China, Taiwan’s formal name, is China and not the People’s Republic on the mainland.

Both the Chinese leader Hu Jintao and Ma have talked about a peace agreement. Clearly, such an agreement would need to be very carefully negotiated and its implications studied. Beijing may well want to use such an accord to bind Taiwan to unification. But Taiwan’s negotiators can use their skills to formulate the peace accord to the island’s advantage. Nothing is set in stone, certainly not yet.

But DPP supporters are already loudly proclaiming a sellout of Taiwan, making irresponsible and inflammatory charges unsupported by any evidence.

Fortunately, most people in Taiwan don’t appear to have been taken in by such wild propaganda. According to a survey by the Cabinet-level Mainland Affairs Council, close to 80 percent of respondents said they were happy with the four agreements reached while over 75 percent supported continuation of such negotiations.

Fear of a secret deal is behind DPP demands that all agreements reached should be ratified by the parliament, or Legislative Yuan. The Ma administration should consider this proposal. Since the KMT controls 75 percent of the seats there is little likelihood that the legislature would reject the accords.

Democracy in Taiwan has reached a stage where no government can cut a deal with the Communists and impose it on the 23 million people on the island. That is a reality. However, it is still important for the Ma administration to make its actions and policies as transparent as possible.

This is especially important because in addition to the ARATS-SEF talks, there is another channel that may be even more important: party-to-party talks between the Kuomintang and the Communists.

A session is scheduled for Beijing next month. The talks reportedly will pave the way for the signing of a memorandum of understanding on banking cooperation during the next ARATS-SEF talks in the first half of 2009.

While it is understandable that the mainland may feel more comfortable with party-to-party talks, Taiwan’s democracy means that the party cannot replace the government. The SEF cannot be reduced to a rubber stamp to approve whatever agreements are reached by the two political parties.

Columnist Ching can be reached at Frank.ching@gmail.com

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