NEWSWEEK: In your Inaugural Address you reassured voters by vowing not to declare independence, not to hold a referendum on the issue and not to amend the Constitution in a way that would make it more oriented toward Taiwanese independence. Were you disappointed that the Chinese leadership didn’t respond positively afterward? CHEN: I felt regret instead of disappointment; I understand the traditional political culture on mainland China. Feudalistic things cannot be changed easily. But we can wait. There is an old saying: “Even an obstinate stone can nod in assent.”
You’ve often offered to talk with Chinese leaders. Is it more likely that such discussions will take place between you and [the presumed next president] Hu Jintao, rather than with the current Chinese President Jiang Zemin, who is expected to step down in the next year? Mainland China is facing the issue of succession. The leadership there is not willing to face an unstable situation [right now]. So, it is not possible for me to talk to the president of mainland China face to face during the tenure of Jiang Zemin… If the future leader is going to be Hu Jintao, I will not give up on seeking a chance to talk to him face to face. However, Mr. Hu is reserved, untested. He’s around the same age as me, but our thoughts are not similar… I don’t have overly high expectations of him. For example, when Mr. Hu was party secretary of the Tibet Autonomous Region, he asked the People’s Liberation Army publicly to suppress Tibetan protesters. He even asked to have his picture taken with soldiers in front of a battle tank. Mr. Hu is a loyal supporter of communist authority and despotism.
It is assumed you’ll seek re-election in 2004. Will you have a better chance to initiate a breakthrough in cross-Straits relations in your second term? It’s not necessary to wait. It’s our goal to improve the relationship between Taiwan and mainland China, and to normalize relations–the sooner the better. I hoped to reach that goal in my first year of presidency instead of the fourth year or in my second term. It’s unnecessary to surmise what I will do in my second term.
Gradually the economic and commercial links between Taiwan and the mainland are growing, with a relaxation on Taiwanese investment in the mainland and so forth. Do you fear Taiwan will become overly dependent on the mainland economy? Mainland China is one of the economic markets of Taiwan. It will not be the only one. The economic system in Taiwan is going to be liberalized and globalized. We will not turn our backs on the mainland market. However, this doesn’t mean that Taiwan cannot survive without the mainland market.
What about those who fear this will give Beijing more leverage over Taiwanese businessmen, and over your government itself? The progress of every country comes from pressure. The long-term pressure that Taiwan faces is the crucial reason for our progress. Taiwan competes not only with mainland China but also with the whole world–and with ourselves. It’s not anything less than the pressure from the mainland.
There are signs that the Taiwanese economy may be picking up. If conditions improve, do you think some of the allure of China–the so-called Shanghai Fever–will start to abate? No matter how hot the fever, there will come a time when it has to cool down. Naturally the mainland, with the size of its population and cheap cost of labor, will exert a magnetic effect. And of course, the mainland is trying everything it can to attract foreign investment, saying some very nice words to court the favor of foreign investors. This kind of thing makes people believe that the mainland is a heaven for making money. But I think that time will prove differently.
Do you agree that the current administration in Washington is more sympathetic to Taiwan, and what kind of opportunity does that present to you? The key point is that the current military balance must be maintained, or else U.S. strategic interests in the Asia-Pacific region will be undermined. The democracy of Taiwan must be safeguarded… The support of the U.S. government and the American people will make the people of Taiwan more confident in exchanges with mainland China when we enter into dialogue and negotiations. But we will not abuse the support of the U.S. We will not miscalculate the situation.
Do you want to make a U.S. trip this year, perhaps in transit? I hope that I can enter the United States, and not just in transit. I want to be able to be interviewed by the media and to make a public speech.
Over the past three days you’ve often referred to Taiwan as a country, but in the world not everyone recognizes Taiwan as a sovereign and independent country. Is it your intention to make it one? Taiwan is fit to be an independent country, that’s the truth. And no matter if you agree or not, whether you accept it or not, Taiwan is [already] an independent country… Recently President Bush mentioned that Taiwan is a country–when he welcomed two “countries” to join the WTO, one being the People’s Republic of China and the other being the Republic of Taiwan… As to how Taiwan is acknowledged [formally], that’s not important anymore.
