The mainland’s economic appeal is strong, but it may have peaked, and recent events in Tibet have reinforced Taiwan’s determination not to become another ‘autonomous’ region.
Otherwise, Taipei’s relations with the mainland are unlikely to change fundamentally. “Direct transport links, access for mainland tourists and fewer restrictions on two-way capital flows are now likely to go forward. Philip Bowring predicts in the International Herald Tribune, So what will Ma do? Several analysts note that he will certainly focus on those important internal issues as he works to increase interaction with Beijing. However, more than eight years of treading water politically, the DPP has been devoted to such ideological issues as removing the Chinese inscription on the gate to the National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall square and removing Chinese symbolism from Taiwan, while muddling important public policies on the economy, social security, education, natural resources and employment …. Political scientist Liao Kun-jung observed in the Taipei Times, “In the past, the public made a ‘social choice’ to let the DPP rule the country to pull itself out of the KMT’s dominance, resulting in divided government for the first time. His election, which followed his party’s wins in January parliamentary elections, had been predicted for several years there were layers of reasons for people’s desire to turn away from Chen’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) despite its leadership role in breaking the KMT’s long (and undemocratic) hold on power. He studied at New York University and Harvard Law School before rising in the Nationalist Party (KMT) and serving as Teipei’s mayor. Ma - unlike Chen, who is not fluent in English and has been a cipher to Americans - is an urbane man of international presence and background. He also repeated a campaign pledge to maintain defense spending above 3 percent of Taiwanese gross domestic product.” Speaking during a noisy victory celebration Saturday at his campaign headquarters, Ma told reporters that any future peace treaty between the two countries must remove Chinese missiles pointed at Taiwan, currently estimated at 1,000.
Simon Montlake wrote in the Christian Science Monitor, “Ma’s supporters say that his conciliatory approach to Beijing isn’t a sellout of Taiwanese sovereignty, as opponents have claimed, and won’t prevent Ma from criticizing China’s human-rights abuses such as the crackdown in Tibet. He will, however, brook no talk of unification with the mainland. Restoring mutual trust means he will avoid the aggressive talk of independence aspirations that was Chen’s specialty. and expand economic and tourism ties with Beijing. This reality, however, cannot be acknowledged - although as Omestad pointed out, it can be referred to subtly: “… reflecting an unstated contrast with China, Bush commended the election as showing the island of 23 million people to be ‘a beacon of democracy to Asia and the world.’ “įor his part, Ma said he wanted to restore “mutual trust” with the U.S. Taiwan is in a perpetual sort of political no-man’s land: It dare not declare independence from China, but it acts in practical, day-to-day terms as a separate entity that has become, beginning in this decade, a democracy. The situation he referred to is one of the strangest political realities on the planet. President Bush said the result offers ‘a fresh opportunity for both sides to reach out and engage one another in peacefully resolving their differences.’ Bush’s remarks essentially endorsed the approach advocated by Ma, calling on both sides to pursue dialogue ‘and refraining from unilateral steps that would alter the cross-strait situation.'”
But even in the world of muted diplomatic rhetoric, the collective sigh of relief in Washington was fairly clear - and immediate. … The Bush administration took no position in the race, as is customary. officials implying on background that Chen was acting recklessly. News and World Report, “As Chen’s tenure went on, the Washington-Taipei relationship grew seriously strained, with some U.S. has been Taiwan’s strongest ally, to the point of pretty well guaranteeing the island’s defense should China ever invade, Washington had become exasperated with President Chen Shui-bian’s constant pushing of status-quo boundaries. The former Taipei mayor, a Harvard Law grad and a pragmatic politician, will work to quiet the waters in the never-ending China cross-straits debate. Its wish came true with the Saturday election of Ma Ying-jeou as president. It is fair to say that the United States did not want to see big news coming out of Taiwan last weekend. President-elect Ma Ying-jeou won in a landslide in Taiwan.
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