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A Bet on China’s Democracy
Critics say that Ma has made a bad bet in relying on mainland China to provide Taiwan the “stable and sustainable environment” he seeks to provide Taiwan.
“The KMT has had a misconception that mainland China has developed stably under communist rule,” said Wang Dan in a seminar held in Taipei on Jan. 15.
According to Wang, China is at the beginning of a turbulent period in all respects, including the economic situation, the dissatisfaction of people at the bottom of the society, the power struggles among high-level officials, and so forth.
Uncertainty exists and unrest could take place any time, Wang said.
In the same seminar Su Xiaokang, a former China National Radio reporter and author of the television series “River Elegy” (1988) that helped galvanize the democracy movement, said the CCP’s China Model of economic development has caused serious environmental pollution, moral disintegration, and grave economic problems. According to Su, the general public also thinks that the China Model is facing collapse and that chaos in China is not far off.
‘Beijing Won!’
John Lim, a special columnist for Phoenix Television said in a blog post titled “Ma is not the largest winner of the election,” “My first response while hearing the news was that Beijing Won!”
“Beijing has used the ‘economic card,’ and mobilized almost all Taiwan industrial and business leaders who have economic interests with Beijing to support the 1992 Consensus, including the richest Taiwanese, Cher Wang, who returned to Taiwan the night before the final day and openly supported Ma,” said Lim. “This is the fundamental reason why Ma won.”
The 1992 Consensus was an unofficial agreement between Taiwan and mainland China in which both parties agree there is only one China, with both parties asserting it is the only legitimate representative of China.
The Chinese regime has agreed only to negotiate with parties from Taiwan who accept the consensus. A Jan. 12, 2011, Xinhua article said the consensus stipulates there is only one China whose sole representative is the People’s Republic of China.
Lim said as a result of Beijing’s use of the economic card, the Taiwanese people fear that if they select a candidate not acceptable to Beijing, Taiwan’s economy will be negatively affected.
Wan Dan also noted that businessmen were supportive of the 1992 political consensus, which he said is the effect of the CCP’s influence on the election.
“When the Taiwan election is tight, China on the one hand warned Taiwan not to seek independence, and at the same time, consecutively released good economic news, making a nonstop effort to win Taiwanese hearts,” said a Jan. 12 article titled “The power of China’s formless hand over Taiwan is increasing” in the Singapore Chinese-language newspaper Zao Bao.Several media reported that some 200,000 Taiwanese who work in mainland China returned to Taiwan in time for the election.
A Taiwanese businessmen in Fujian, Wang Xichong, a victim of shady investments, said in an NTD report, “Taiwanese businessmen buying tickets to Taiwan can get a ‘buy one get one free’ deal. If it were not for the election, would you normally see something so advantageous?”
Read the original Chinese article.
ChinaReports@epochtimes.com
