Lien Chan was intoxicated in mainland China not because he drank too much Maotai (a famous Chinese liquor), but because he was given too much "affection" by the Chinese Communist regime in Yingtai.
One year or so ago, when Lien Chan visited his former elementary school in China, he was welcomed by a group of the Xi'an Houzaimen Elementary School's students chanting "Grandpa Lien, finally you are back!" The funny communist-style welcoming ritual was the most popular joke on the two sides of the Taiwan Straits in 2005, and was once the hottest classic quotation in mainland China in the same year.
An outdated politician "Grandpa Lien" visited mainland China again with his five family members.
Lien's visit to China this time began with sumptuous banquets. In addition to the one hosted by Chinese president Hu Jintao, Lien attended three more dinner parties in Beijing. One was held in honor of Lien Chan and his wife in Beijing in the People's Great Hall. It was hosted by Jia Qinglin, Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. On the evening of April 14, a reception was held in honor of the delegation headed by Lien Chan, and it was hosted by the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese Communist Party at the Grand Ballroom in Building C of the Beijing Hotel. Finally, on the evening of April 15, another reception was held in Ting Li Hall in the Summer Palace after Lien visited there on April 16.
According to the news reported by the overseas mass media, all the expenses resulting from the economic forum between the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang, KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as well as other expenses incurred by Lien Chan's trip to China would be defrayed by the mainland side. The Chinese Communist regime is used to squandering taxpayers' money, therefore, it did not hesitate to arrange an extravagant reception for this outdated politician from Taiwan. Lien Chan even enjoyed the sumptuous reception without feeling shameful. Besides having lavish delicacies and accepting gifts, he also used the Chinese taxpayer's money to hold an ancestor worshiping ceremony for the Lien family in China. As a result, Lien's trip to China was like a Chinese government-funded trip by high-ranking Chinese officials.
As Hu Jintao once again treated Lien Maotai Liquor, the Taiwan Affairs Office of China's State Council announced fifteen favored initiatives toward Taiwan. Dr. Sun Yat-Sen is well revered by both the KMT and the CCP, so Hu Jintao specially sent Lien Chan a plate of pure gold with Dr. Sun Yat-Sen's inscription. On the other hand, Lien Chan also paid an exclusive visit to the Biyun Temple in Xiangshan to pay respects to Dr. Sun Yat-Sen's Mausoleum. There he wrote an inscription, "As we are honored to pay homage to Dr. Sun Yat-Sen in the lush mountains, there's no reason for us to forget Dr. Sun Yat-Sen's lofty goals."
Lien Chan was offered an opportunity to speak up by Jia Qinglin. There have been very few opportunities for Lien Chan to address a large audience on public occasions in Taiwan. This time China provided a chance for him to speak up, and the speech given by him can be described as "flattering and diminutive."
To flatter the Chinese Communist regime, throughout his speech, whenever mentioning mainland China, Lien Chan only referred to the good things about China and had never criticized it whatsoever. When talking about the economic cooperation between the two sides of the Taiwan straights, Lien Chan's tone was like the way a beggar would talk to a benefactor. He said that to revive Taiwan's economy, mainland China would be the only "savior" that Taiwan could rely on. For one thing, he attributed Taiwan's economic growth of 3.8 percent last year to mainland China.
I was very much surprised by Lien Chan's flattery skills. He simply only said pleasant things to the Chinese Communist regime. For one thing, when talking about the fact that the "China Threat Theory" is getting more and more popular, he advised European and American countries, "When facing China's rise, we should take a positive and optimistic attitude, so as to coexist and enjoy the prosperity together. We should not demonize or denigrate mainland China, or misunderstand it as a threat."
But Lien Chan said nothing about the "Anti-Secession Law," the increasing guided missiles targeting Taiwan set up by the CCP, chairman of the Kuomintang Ma Ying-jeou's "Democratic Card," or Taiwan's President Chen Shui-bian's statement about the possibility of unification with the precondition that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) abandons one-party dictatorship and authoritarian rule.
Lien Chan's being diminutive is only used against Taiwan. All his words of praise have been given to the years under the KMT administration, and he regards the ruling Democratic Progressive Party as a useless regime. Moreover, he excessively flatters the Chinese communist regime while he has enmity against the Taiwan government, making him similar to the democratic parties in mainland China and those very wealthy people in Hong Kong. As the "Honorary Chairman" of the Republic of China, Lien Chan's behavior of overwhelming president Taiwan Chen Shui-bian with Hu Jintao's power during his trip to China is rare among outside parties in all democratic nations in the modern world.
Lien Chan lashed out at Chen Shui-bian's government. Even if he didn't do it for the purpose of uniting the Chinese Communist Party to fight against the Taiwan government, his overstatements did have a practical effect. In such a sense, Lien's trip to China, far from eradicating the CCP's authoritarian rule, would bring the CCP out into Taiwan's political process.
When Lien Chan paid his first visit to China last year, he was given the most ceremonious reception all along the line during the eight days. His words and tone were nothing but absence of sorrow, brotherly affection, nostalgia and warm conversations. Before he departed from China and returned to Taiwan, what he naturally left to China were exaggerated praises and compliments. As such, his trip to China has become the manifestation of the CCP's policy of the Taiwan Straits: Substitute threats of force with a false sense of peace, conflicts of social systems with national sentiments, the divergence of political systems with trade and the so-called digging for roots and cultural acknowledgment. In short and in reality, nugatory nationalism takes the place of opposing systems and threats of force.
In my opinion, of the key reasons of tension between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits, Taiwan takes one account – Chen Shui-bian's Taiwan independence, whereas mainland China at least occupies two of them: One is the threats of force towards Taiwan—the "Anti-Secession Law" and hundreds of guided missiles; the second is the opposition in political institutions. Behind the threats of force is the Chinese regime's dictatorship. Without democracy in China, a hidden danger in the two sides of the Taiwan Straits cannot be removed.
The whole process and topic of Lien Chan's trip to China is solely dominated by Chinese authorities. Lien Chan is just like a pilgrim who sings his praises. The apparently harmonic "union of Hu Jintao and Lien Chan" is actually fictitious.
It can be said that such a handshake between the CCP and KMT, although Lien Chan himself can gain brilliant success in his old age, has no practical meaning or improvement of the relationship of the two sides of the Taiwan Straits nor for Taiwanese benefits.
If Lien Chan could come to mainland China every year and continue his performance, he, like Huo Yingdong and Dong Jianhua, may become a super vase held by the CCP. If he keeps on working hard, his promotion to Vice-chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference will be in the not too distant future. Even though the CCP does not let Lien join the Party for the better result of a united front, Lien Chan's behavior proves that he has joined the CCP ideologically and practically.
At home in Beijing on April 15, 2006
Originally published in Democratic China.
