The farce of Chen's 'transit diplomacy'
Sun Dangen  Updated: 2004-09-09 08:32

Although cross-Straits relations have now reached a deadlock and Taiwan's economy is going from bad to worse, the Taiwan authorities never stop attempts to attract international attention by keeping launching "transit diplomacy" in America.

Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian visited Panama and Paraguay earlier this month, stopping over in Hawaii and Seattle during the trip.

It was the latest move of the island's separatists to "expand living space on the globe," stepping up attempts to separate Taiwan from its motherland.

As a matter of fact, all the transit activities the island's politicians have carried out in the past few years are aimed at seeking "Taiwan independence," improving Taiwan-US relations, winning population among voters for pro-independence forces in its "presidential election" and acquiring more arms from the United States.

The way they wheedle their way in is to travel around America and visit the United States under the guise of a "passer-by."

In August 2000, Chen Shui-bian, who had been in office for just three months, travelled to some countries in South America and Africa via Los Angeles. The underlying purpose of this "transit diplomacy" was to probe America's latest policy towards Taiwan.

In May 2001, Chen found another pretext for an utterly pointless stop-over in the US - meeting six Latin American presidents at a summit in Central America. For some reason he found it necessary to stop over at New York and Houston. This "transit stop" was "an epoch-making achievement" in Taiwan's history: Chen became the first Taiwan leader to visit New York in almost half a century; the number of his interviews and visits was second to none compared with the former Taiwan leaders'; and he became the first-ever local leader to be visited by a host of 20 congressmen. "Transit stops in America" thus became a new way to promote Taiwan-US relations.

In November 2003, Chen Shui-bian made transit stops in the United States during his "visit" to and from Panama. Taiwan-US relations were promoted again.

It's not just him. Annette Lu, Yu Shyi-kun and other political figures have tried many times to visit America in the name of "visiting friendly nations."

Since Chen Shui-bian took office in 2000, his administration has won full exposure in the political arena. But these moves were not aiming at getting Taiwan out of its predicament, nor seeking friendly co-operation, but simply cultivating voters for the next election.

During Chen's fourth outbound official visit in 2003, he made a stop-over in America with the obvious intention of advertising his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) at home and around the world. His second transit stop in the States in 2003 played an effective role in reversing an unpromising direction for the DPP and winning it new heights of popularity.

Chen went all out to meet American Secretary of State Colin Powell at Panama's 100 Years of Independence Celebration. Here he made a political breakthrough, and suggestions were made that the US treat Taiwan as a fully-grown sovereign state.

Chen Shui-bian persistently pledged his loyalty to the United States, saying America was Taiwan's best friend and vice versa. The Taiwanese authorities and media filled every space with coverage of the meetings held with the US. Simple facts were coloured and exaggerated in Taiwan. The United States, in Taiwanese people's minds, became a committed supporter of the DPP.

US President George W. Bush has ratified five arms sales to Taiwan, two of which are going through. And now, just before this year's US elections, the Bush administration has expressed its intention to speed up three more sales. Bush wants to please the big-shot arms dealers, while Chen is intent on pleasing the Bush administration. Each side is scratching the other's back. .

"Transit diplomacy" is a new political exchange model between Taiwan and the States. It is an extension of the dialogue mechanism originated by Lee Teng-hui, with improvements. Chen has been generous with his offers of profitable business to the US Government, and his generosity has been approved of. Two-way co-operation has as such been firmly established. Similar "transit stop" activities that aim to improve Taiwan-US relations need to be looked at more carefully.

The author is an expert in the warfare theory research department at the Chinese Academy of Military Science.

(China Daily)

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