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Updated Tuesday, November 24, 2009 11:05 am TWN, The China Post news staff

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Open up to change, or wither on the vine

Strangely enough, the ECFA has become a political controversy in Taiwan's domestic politics. Opposition politicians have accused Ma Ying-jeou of betraying Taiwan. They argue that the agreement would throw Taiwan's door wide open to mainland goods and services and capital, resulting in the mainland's de facto “annexing” of Taiwan without firing a bullet.

This kind of fear-mongering is pure politics and won't fool anyone with a bit of common sense. Taiwan's survival depends on a strong and viable economy (and a vibrant democracy to boot), which in turn depends on its trade with the mainland — by far the single largest source of Taiwan's trade surplus. When the island's economy loses competitiveness and vitality, its very survival will be in question.

Opening up is nothing to be afraid of when it creates a win-win situation. Fear of opening, for ideological reasons, is fearful. For Taiwan, the choice is obvious if what has transpired in the past 20 years is an indication. Just comparing Taiwan's GDP per capita from 1988 to 2008 makes it clear how poorly Taiwan fared in those two decades. It virtually stagnated.

By the same token, if you compare mainland China's per capita GDP during the same period, you'll see an astonishing increase, from under US$300 to over US$3,000.

Political leaders should have the courage and vision to make difficult and controversial decisions. Without Deng Xiaoping's vision and courage, mainland China today might look much like North Korea or Cuba. The mainland would not have become the world's largest automobile maker and market, and the world's third largest economy. Deng did not care about what his political foes were accusing him of being — a revisionist, a capitalist-roader, or an apostate who betrayed Maoism. He did what he believed was right and good for his people.

President Ma has a formidable mandate under his belt, something Deng lacked. Ma was elected to do what the voters hired him to do, not those who voted against him. The president should stick to his guns and stop pussyfooting. Set your eye on Taiwan's tomorrow, not today. We must keep in mind what FDR said in 1933 when America was teetering in the Great Depression: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

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