Re: [Marxism] U.S. House Speaker proves herself as Hypocritical as the Beijin...

[Walter Lippmann <walterlx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Considering the terrible reputation China has today
among so many on the left and elsewhere, it's quite
something to see the people of Taiwan now, if what
we're hearing in the polls and pundits' writings
is accurate, choosing VOLUNTARILY to move closer
to the terrible Commumist-run, People's allegedly
capitalist Republic of China. For those of us who
were raised in the United States and heard only of
armies of red ants, this is quite the turnaround.

Really, what we're seeing is the national question
writ large, in the Chinese context.


Walter Lippmann
New York City
====================================================

from the March 21, 2008 edition - 
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0321/p06s01-woap.html
Taiwan poised to warm ties with China
Both presidential hopefuls in Saturday's election want to boost economic 
relations.
By Jonathan Adams | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor
 
KINMEN, TAIWAN

For a glimpse of Taiwan's warming relations with China, come to this
forested island just off the mainland coast.

Direct cross-strait travel is largely prohibited because of the
decades-old standoff between Taiwan and China. But here in Kinmen,
Chinese tourists visit freely and Taiwanese businessmen can ferry
across the strait to the mainland.

The Kinmen model will be expanded to all of Taiwan if either of the
two candidates in the Taiwan's presidential election Saturday has his
way. Their only argument is over the speed and scale at which that
should happen.

For behind all the boisterous rallies and China-bashing rhetoric
across Taiwan in recent days, this election is not about the usual
hot-button issue of unification with, or independence from, China â
neither of which is in the cards anytime soon. Rather, it's about how
economically close Taiwan should be with its giant neighbor. Will it
be an uneasy handshake or a passionate embrace?

Either way, the candidates' willingness to engage rather than
confront Beijing signals a pause in Taiwan's independence push and
the likely cooling of a long-simmering Asian flash point.

"No matter who wins, we'll move closer to China," says Lin Wen-cheng,
a China expert at National Sun Yat-sen University in Kaohsiung and a
former adviser to two Taiwan presidents. "Cross-strait relations are
going to improve."

From battlefront to tourist stop

Kinmen was a dangerous front line in the mid-20th century, with some
100,000 Kuomintang soldiers engaged in fierce artillery battles with
the Communists just a few miles across the water.

Now, only about 5,000 Taiwanese soldiers remain at coastal gun
emplacements and other sites. Ferry terminals have replaced
minefields; in 2001, daily runs were established with two cities on
the mainland. These give Chinese tourists a chance to visit Taiwan
and some Taiwanese businessmen a shortcut to their mainland
factories. Most cross-strait travel, by contrast, must pass through a
third location such as Hong Kong.

China-Kinmen transits have soared from 21,000 in 2001 to 725,000 last
year; homeward-bound mainlanders crowd the ferry terminal with huge
hauls of the island's famous goods.

Boosting cross-strait ties

The Kuomintang's (KMT) Ma Ying-jeou, who led in the latest available
polls, has made the more ambitious pledges of the two candidates. He
promises direct cross-strait flights, more Chinese tourists and
investment allowed into Taiwan, and, possibly, a cross-strait common
market. He also wants to engage Beijing in peace talks and is willing
to accept the "one China" principle in order to do so.

His rival, Frank Hsieh, makes similar promises, but is more cautious.
And his party refuses to accept any version of the "one China"
principle, which would make cross-strait political talks more
difficult, if not impossible.

Mr. Ma has an edge in the economic debate, which is why most analysts
suggest that he'll win this weekend. Many islanders blame Mr. Hsieh's
Democratic Progressive Party for Taiwan's poor economic performance.
Real incomes are flat and Taiwan has lagged behind its fellow Asian
"tigers" on indicators such as per capita gross domestic product.

Many voters, disillusioned with the party's corruption scandals and
bumbling eight-year rule, want a change. And Ma is seen as an upright
politician with an appealing economic plan.

Still, observers say Hsieh is mounting an 11th-hour comeback. "He's
catching up," says analyst George Tsai. Hsieh has done that in part
by running a relentlessly negative campaign. He has attacked Ma's
patriotism and tried to scare voters with the prospect of a "one
China market" under Ma that would see Chinese laborers, low-quality
Chinese products, and Chinese agricultural imports flood into Taiwan.
(Ma insists he would not allow in Chinese laborers and would limit
Chinese imports.)

The unrest in Tibet gave Hsieh an opportunity to turn voters' focus
to Taiwan's sovereignty, an issue where his party has an edge. Hsieh
has said that if the more China-friendly Ma is elected, Taiwan could
become another Tibet. Ma rejected this and lashed out at Chinese
Prime Minister Wen Jiabao for saying Tuesday that Chinese on both
sides of the Taiwan Strait should decide Taiwan's fate.

He called Mr. Wen "ruthless, irrational, arrogant, foolish, and
self-righteous" â a clear attempt to avoid being seen as soft on
China.

In fact, the two candidates agree that Taiwan is a sovereign state
whose future can only be determined by the Taiwanese. Ma has been
sharply critical of China in the past, saying, for example, that
Beijing should apologize for the 1989 Tiananmen massacre and that it
must remove the 1,000 missiles pointed at Taiwan before peace talks
can begin.

That record has convinced many Taiwanese that he can protect the
island's democracy. Chen Kai-lun, a flower-shop owner in Taichung,
says he doesn't buy Hsieh's scare tactics. "Ma won't sell us out. 
I trust him."

Beijing prefers Ma

For its part, Beijing would prefer Ma as president, because his party
has traditionally opposed Taiwan independence. Observers expect a
President Ma would make quick progress on tourists, investment, and
direct flights, while Beijing would be more wary of Hsieh. "If Hsieh
gets elected, Beijing will wait and see what Hsieh does after he
takes power," says Jin Canrong of Renmin University of China in
Beijing.

In Kinmen, people are focused on livelihood issues. "The economy's
not good; it's hard to bear," says KMT supporter Chen Zan-sheng.

Outside a nearby restaurant popular with Chinese tour groups, Kinmen
government official Fu Yang-tu says this view is common. "People in
Kinmen support whoever has better policies for the economy," says Fu.
"Most think Ma's are better."

That's not surprising â 90 percent or more on this outlying island
support the KMT. But in this election, many Taiwanese are joining
Kinmen's residents by voting with their wallets, not their hearts.


=========================================
     WALTER LIPPMANN
     Los Angeles, California
     Editor-in-Chief, CubaNews
     http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CubaNews/
     "Cuba - Un ParaÃso bajo el bloqueo"
=========================================

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