China and Taiwan’s warming cross strait relations : Discussing Reshet Bet coverage

Israeli media, Reshet Bet this time, is discussing cross-strait relations.

Following is from Reshset Bet’s international hour on Dec. 15th on the opening of cross-strait flights, sea-travel and direct mail, interviewing one of the Hebrew University East-Asian department China-related experts Dr. Eli Yofe.

This is a capture of the chat, click to listen :

I’ll try and quickly translate (I – Interviewer Dr. Yitzchak Noy, E – Dr. Eli Yofe):

I : I read today in China Daily, and you don’t really need China Daily as you can read in Chinese, they report that cross-strait relations are renewing today after 60 years of Chinese embargo. Why was there an embargo? let’s start from there…

E: I read the English headline which reads – “a new dawn for cr0ss-strait flights”  and it’s very true, it is a new dawn. Though I’m not sure “renewing” is the right word, as I can’t recall China and Taiwan ever having such relations, even in 49, before the Communists rose to power. Ma Ying Jiu started to warm up relations with China,  trying to reduce the tension that accumulated during the time of the previous administration.

Commentary : Good point about the use of “renewing”. It still bothers me to read historically incorrect statements in Israeli media about China and Taiwan separating during 1949, as Taiwan was Japanese handed down to the KMT, and this is no different.

As far as I see it, I don’t think this was a Chinese embargo, the Chinese seemed more than willing to do what it takes to have Taiwan as close to China and as dependant on Chinese economy as possible. It was always the Taiwanese administration that put barriers for that to happen with the refusal to accept the Chinese interpretation of the one China policy. Both candidates, DPP and KMT, were willing to push forward for the cross-strait direct flights etc. the difference being that Ma Ying Jiu seemed much more committed to doing it as fast as possible while embracing something wrongly termed the 1992 consensus where China and Taiwan both agree to having one China but disagree on the interpretation of what that means.

I : I can see why Taiwan would want this, being a small country next to a neighboring giant, but why would China be interested?

E : Taiwan may be small, but the previous president, now standing trial for corruption, had a very provocative policy against China to push the independence red-line as far as possible without evoking war. The size didn’t count as they counted on the US if there was war.
Why for China? The Chinese understood that time is on their side, and they would like to push for the one China policy. [...] Now they’re talking about unification with no deadline, as time will pass the chance for Taiwan to separate decreases. Now they’re about economy, development and improving relations with the US, and so they also want to improve relations with Taiwan without giving up this principle.

To China,Taiwan symbolizes alot more than just a small island. After receiving Hong Kong and Macau, Taiwan has become the last step, somewhat of a symbol for the unity of China, suggesting that giving up the claim for Taiwan (originally put by Chiang Kai-Shek that China is part of Taiwan or the Republic of China) would be hazardous for the social stability of China. This involves a whole array of issues like national pride etc.

The big change in the Taiwanese society has been to select Ma Ying Jiu for his promise of stronger ties with mainland to help revive the Taiwanese economy. Nothing has changed on the China side, everything has changed on the Taiwan side. This has nothing to do with China, this has everything to do with the choice of the Taiwanese people for a new president and a new path.

Since then, BTW, things have become more complicated, as Taiwanese confidence in Ma’s actions has decreased, with many Taiwanese feeling that the price paid in Taiwanese sovereignty for China and increasing signs of KMT authoritarian practices isn’t worth the result of what seems like a much worse economic performance.

I : So, to conclude, the US should be pleased with this development.

E : Sure, it reduced tension across the strait and decreased the chance that the US would have to step in.

I : Ofcourse, ofcrouse. Eli Yofe, thank you very much.

Does it? I wouldn’t be too sure about that.

Conflicting feelings. Always interesting to hear about Taiwan and China on Israeli media, yet always a bit troubled by what is being said.