‘Pan-green’ camp slams Ma for ‘dwarfing’ Taiwan

Legislator Chen Chin-chun, a whip of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, said Ma was dwarfing Taiwan when describing cross-strait relations as an “equal partnership” based on a “one China” framework.

Legislator Huang Shih-chuo, a whip of the Taiwan Solidarity Union, said Ma dismissed Taiwan’s sovereignty when he dismissed the possibility of “unilateral separatism” for the island.

Ma has made various remarks concerning cross-strait relations during his ongoing visit in Europe.

But his remarks have sparked controversies. The “pan green” camp — which promotes the island’s independence — and some other critics have pointed out some inconsistencies in his talks.

Ma at first said the goal of cross-strait relations was to work towards “ultimate unification,” the DPP whip pointed out.

And later Ma said the future of Taiwan had to be decided by the people on both sides of the strait, Chen added.

Chen asked whether it is the “Republic of China” that would take over the “People’s Republic of China,” or the opposite.

China has been constantly threatening Taiwan with its military forces and squeezing Taiwan’s space in the international community, Chen said.

He said Ma’s talk of an “equal partnership” under a “one China” framework was “self-humiliating and self-dwarfing,” and demonstrated that the KMT chairman was back-pedaling in cross-strait relations.

Former President Lee Teng-hui advocated that the ROC was a “political entity” and President Chen Shui-bian has stressed that Taiwan’s is a sovereign nation since taking office, the DPP whip said.

The whip said the “one China” framework does not exist, and the future of Taiwan has to be decided by the people of the island.

“Ma Ying-jeou does not recognize Taiwan’s sovereignty, he only embraces the China chauvinism from the other side of the strait,” said TSU whip Huang.

Ma was speaking from the position of China when he dismissed as “unilateral separatism” the pro-independence camp’s various attempts to promote the island’s identity and sovereignty.

“He was speaking from a China position. It is very improper. He is helping the Beijing regime to intimidate Taiwan’s people,” said Huang.

A Chinese-language newspaper in Hong Kong, the Ming Pao daily, yesterday said in an editorial that the inconsistencies in Ma’s recent remarks demonstrated his political immaturity and dampened his image, according to the Central News Agency.

Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng said now is not a time to talk either of “ultimate unification” or “ultimate independence.”

Wang, a KMT veteran lawmaker, said Taiwan’s future must be decided freely by its 23 million people.

But the KMT legislative caucus said it would promote revisions to the cross-strait relations law in line with Ma’s latest calls.

KMT whip Pan Wei-kang said cross-strait relations must be developed towards mutual peace and prosperity so as to create a “win-win” situation.

The KMT yesterday also ran an advertisement in the pro-independence Chinese-language Liberty Times newspaper to reiterate Ma and the party’s support of maintaining the cross-strait status quo.

It said maintaining the status quo is a “pragmatic choice.”

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