The Cross Strait Times

Letters: The Chiang link in democracy

Letter to the Taipei Times

May 22, 2007

Comment: This letter hits the importance of Chiang Kai-shek to the Taiwanese right on the head. I acknowledge CKS and CCK had bloody regimes, but had CKS and his KMT army (and the entire Chinese treasury) fled anywhere but Taiwan, Taiwan would be Communist today, a sleepy farming province of the People’s Republic of China. In short, the democracy — complete with elected president! — and economic prosperity that we enjoy today, and ANY talk of Taiwanese self-determination would definitely not be possible without Chiang setting foot in Taiwan in the first place.

Letters: The Chiang link in democracy

Letter to the Taipei Times

Tuesday, May 22, 2007, Page 8

As a strong supporter of Taiwan’s self-determination and democracy, I nevertheless feel that the current Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) campaign against Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) ignores an ironic but simple fact: namely, that had Chiang and the Nationalists not taken refuge in Taiwan, it is a near certainty that the island would now be a province of China. Of course one can discuss UN mandates, referenda, and so forth. All were talked about at the time. But the island then was desperately poor and little known to the outside world — probably unrealistic goals.

Chiang arrived in Taiwan and brought with him international political clout — in the form of the old “China Lobby” in Washington — that the established population could not supply. Precisely because of Chiang’s international political strength, many Americans wanted to get rid of him from the moment his plane touched down at Sungshan Airport in 1949 — not in order to foster a Taiwanese democracy, but to remove an “obstacle” to relations with China. That sentiment only gained strength as time passed. Declassified papers clearly demonstrate that by 1971 Nixon and Kissinger were secretly determined to make Taiwan unity with China. In their planning they drew on work done within the US government long before. At the time, few people cared about Taiwan being Taiwan.

Chiang, however, was able to draw on his broad US connections to maintain a military alliance crucial to the island. His son was the last man who had the power to hand Taiwan over to China, no questions asked. But he did not respond to Deng Xiaoping’s (鄧小平)blandishments or to US pressure. He could have made a deal and traveled to China. Can you imagine the welcome he would have received? Instead he opened the way to democratization. Surely the people of Taiwan have been fortunate with their despots.

As for the Chinese who fled with Chiang, they deserve some credit too. Not many soldiers were killed in the Cold War over the Taiwan Strait, but I would venture to guess that of the dead, many were Mainlanders. I well recall flying to Kinmen in the early 1970s. Nearly all the soldiers on the small plane spoke with strong mainland accents. Such Mainlanders were the core of the conscripted army that, often with great bravery, protected the Taiwanese from the horrors of Communist rule — even as it enforced martial law at home.

History is complicated and rarely is it morally unambiguous. Thus I believe that every scrap of evidence about the 228 Incident and the White Terror must be dug out of party and government archives, brought to light, and properly dealt with. But I also believe that the contribution made by Chiang and his government — which was no less than to keep Taiwan separate from China at a time when, arguably, no other group could have done so — must not be ignored. Maintaining the separation in turn made it possible for Taiwan eventually to become a free and democratic state and determine its own future. Chiang Kai-shek had a lot to do with that.

Had Chiang not fled to Taiwan with his army, no memorial hall to him would stand in what would be today the dreary capital of Taiwan — Province of the People’s Republic of China, known chiefly for its pineapple and timber exports — nor would any democratically elected president of Taiwan exist, able to change the name of that memorial, or lock its doors.

Arthur Waldron

Lauder Professor of

International Relations

University of Pennsylvania

 In recent days, the KMT and Ma has been walking ever closer to the green side.  From my careful logging of the Taiwan news channels, Ma has made concrete steps to make the chinese KMT a Taiwan centric, Taiwanese KMT.   Note: Taiwan KMT is already a registered party in Taiwan not affiliated with the China KMT.  

Four important major events have happened recently,

1.  KMT party constitution has been changed. The words of reunification as an eventual goal has been removed, and KMT as a Taiwan centric party is added to the constitution.

2. KMT is adding a referendum on joining the UN under Taiwan or R.O.C.

3. Ma has said numerous times on TV that Taiwan is R.O.C.

4. KMT and Ma has been slow to criticize former President Lee, afraid to alineate the moderate voter.

 All of these things have greatly discouraged the Deep Blue voters.   Like I have said in my pervious post, Deep Green voters have a voice in President Chen.   Their voice is being heard.   As long as Deep Green voice is being heard, they will be energized to come out and vote.   Come election time President Chen will hop on the Hsieh campaign truck and yell “To save Taiwan, we have to vote for Hsieh, Hsieh for President, Hsieh for President”.  I can see it happening already.   But who will be the voice for the Deep Blue?   Ma’s decision to select Vincent Siew as Vice President initially seems a wise choice.  It emphasizes his desire to put economics as priority, and politics as second.   Also it will help him with older moderate voters.    But in choosing Vincent Siew, he alineates the Deep Blue voters and in some degree farmers.  

The Chinese KMT must soon find a voice for the Deep Blue and energize them.   They need a President Chen, or a Yu Shih Kun that will mobilize their Deep Blue base.   In a sense Ma has always been light green and a follower of President Lee.   That is ok for aircow, I can accept that.  But to win the 2008 election the Deep Blue vote must be turned out in record numbers in order for Ma to have a chance in winning.

The 2008 election will come down to two things for Ma.   One, did the Deep Blue voters turn out to vote. Two, who will the peasant farmers vote for?  Aircow predicts these two questions will determine the 2008 election.   Ma and Siew constantly talks about free trade, opening up links with China.   But Taiwan joining WTO destroyed the lives of many farmers.   Talking about more free trade will not help win any farmer voters.   Ma, and Siew needs to focus less on “free” trade, and more on “fair” trade.   They need to emphasize the current situation of taiwan farmers, and how through their policy of “free” trade would it make it better for the lives of farmers.