Following Formosa

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Taiwanese News
Summary and Analysis, November 17 2004

A. Developments in Cross-Strait Relations

B. Textbook Controversy

C. Taiwanese President Claims He Discovered Coup Attempt


-Developments in Cross-Strait Relations
The Chinese and Taiwanese have recently sent each other a series of mixed signals regarding their intent towards cross-strait relations, and analysts are unclear about their significance. On the Chinese side, Wang Zaixi, the Vice Minister of the Taiwan Affairs Office, said in a rare interview that armed conflict may become inevitable. He accused Taiwanese president Chen Shui-bian of exploiting the mainland’s current focus on the economy and 2008 Olympics. He also personally attacked Chen, saying that he was insincere and double-dealing, and described the Taiwanese government’s decision to change textbooks to focus on Taiwan rather than China (see below) as, “ridiculous and laughable.” Yet he also held out hope for negotiations by saying that the one China principle was the sole condition for talks. He claimed that, “The one China principle is the most fundamental, most basic, and necessary consensus.” Also in the last week, Chinese President Hu Jintao said rather conciliatory words about Taiwan to a group of Chinese in Brazil. He said that the China’s priority was on economic development rather than cross-strait reunification, and that Chinese on both sides of the strait were “one family.”
Chen said Hu’s words showed, “some goodwill toward the expectation of a gradual thaw in the lingering cross-strait stalemate.” He also called Wang’s interview “a sign of goodwill,” surprising many analysts because of Wang’s decidedly threatening and uncompromising words toward Taiwan and Chen personally. Chen also has been trying especially hard to establish direct flights with the mainland. While Chen has recently repeatedly called for talks with the mainland, he has taken two serious steps sure to anger the PRC. He has said that Taiwan would apply as a member of the United Nations under the name Taiwan rather than the Republic of China (it’s current name), and he is trying to change Taiwanese textbooks to marginalize Chinese history.
Some analysts have attributed Chen’s seemingly erratic behavior to the upcoming legislative elections in December. The decision to apply to the UN as “Taiwan” and to change the high school textbooks shows that Chen is playing to his base to help his party win. At the same time, by showing an attempt to engage China he is soothing voter fears about whether or not he is a loose cannon that could provoke retaliation. If those overtures are sincere is unclear. On the other hand, it is certain that the PRC neither likes nor trusts Chen, but is not certain whether or not recent Chinese statements indicate more willingness to engage Taiwan, or if that interpretation reads too much into the statements.

-Textbook Controversy
The Taiwanese government will change high school history classes by separating Chinese history from Taiwanese history in an attempt to create a stronger Taiwanese identity. Taiwanese history is currently part of Chinese history courses, but after the change one third of the classes will be about Taiwanese history, one third about Chinese history, and another third about world history. In 2005, teachers will be forced to make the change, and they are not pleased with the decision. The Chairman of the Taipei High School Principals Association said it would become impossible to grade exams because of students graduating at different times and that students would become “schizophrenics” because of the confusing nature of the change. Radical teacher unions also disagreed with the decision, saying that the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s decision to change the textbooks according to their own views was just as bad as the KMT’s decision to do so when they were in control of the country. The Kuomintang also denounced the education reforms, claiming that it would provoke China and was just politics being played out in the education system.
The most controversial part of the decision was to include the founding of the Republic of China by Sun Yat-Sen as part of ancient Chinese history, not Taiwanese history. Taiwan is the truncated version of the Republic of China, which fleed to Taiwan in 1949, so this decision has been criticized by many people. According to the China Post, the new text will focus, “on Taiwanese heroes, human rights abuses in the days of martial law under the KMT and the 2-28 massacre of local Taiwanese by KMT forces in 1947.”
Of course, the Chinese are not pleased. Xinhua wrote, “"Behind the move is simply a separatist ambition to gradually dilute the Taiwan people's sense of being Chinese." State Council Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Zhang Mingqing called it a trick to promote separation.
Clearly, this decision to change the textbooks in such a way is important. The decision was obviously very political and the new class schedule has a distinct political agenda. The new textbooks will deliberately ignore or neglect important connections between China and Taiwan, and will certainly anger the mainland. It also could possibly make it harder years in the future should a final status agreement ever be discussed.

-Taiwanese President Claims He Discovers Coup Attempt
Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian has recently claimed that the opposition attempted a coup in the seven days after his re-election, causing a firestorm in Taiwanese politics. Chen said that a number of former generals talked to top brass in the Taiwanese army in an attempt to get them to retire in mass to destabilize the government and throw its credibility into question. The Kuomintang have accused Chen of being illogical and unfairly casting aspersions on the armed forces. Chen has yet to provide evidence of the coup. Most analysts attribute Chen’s words to the upcoming election and a desire to draw sympathy votes, and many say that Chen’s words are potentially destabilizing for a country whose democracy is not yet fully mature.

posted by Joseph @ 5:26 AM