All talk at the moment in Taiwan is about the upcoming Presidential election, which takes place on Saturday, 20 March. There are two candidates - the incumbent, Chen Shui-bian, and the leader of the opposition, Lian Chang. They represent two completely opposed political philosophies centred on Taiwan's relations with China.

Chen and his DPP (Democratic Progressive Party) insist that Taiwan is a separate country to China and want to do all they can to assert Taiwan's independence. Lian and his KMT (Koumingtang) Party, the founders of which fled from China and Moa Zedong to Taiwan in 1949, advocate a softer approach to some kind of reconciliation with China, while maintaining some form of Taiwanese independence. How either of these parties aims to achieve their goals is unclear, but that is not important. It is enough for the politicians to play on the respective fears that either of these options throws up.

Chen's independence plan plays on fears of Taiwan being subjected by China's communists should Lian's plan be successful. Lian's approach plays on fears of Taiwan being invaded by China should Chen's plan be put into effect. At the same time both protagonists know that the majority of Taiwanese are happy with the status quo, in which the two countries stick their tongues out at each other to save face, without any real change taking place.

The "China Problem" is a perennial election issue. It mobilizes voters and opinions, although everyone knows that nothing concrete will happen in the intervening four years between elections, nor do they want anything to happen. However, it is impossible to hold an election in which the office that is being contested has almost no international standing, and not raise the cause for that lack of international recognition. In an almost perverted, masochistic sort of way, Taiwan relies on China for international attention. Without China, Taiwan would simply be an over-populated, over-developed and over-polluted lump of land.

But with China growling just over the pond, Taiwan is also over-confident, and there is some international admiration for this stupidity.

16 March 2004

Dion Marc Delport

Comment on this article in my Guestbook

Back to Dion's Home Page