APPLE DAILY:

China indeed does not understand Taiwan

In a seminar held in Taipei last week on the political, economic and cultural developments on both sides of the Taiwan Strait over the past 60 years, the Chinese delegates were taken off guard by the Taiwan contingent, which was comprised of scholars who favor the ruling pro-unification Kuomintang.

The visiting delegation found that even those elites do not share China's views.

The Chinese delegates knew very little about Taiwan. For example, Zheng Bijian, a prominent adviser to Chinese President Hu Jintao, said that "mainstream opinion in Taiwan does not support independence for the island." But in fact, various public opinion polls conducted over the past 10 years have shown that over half of the population is in favor of maintaining the status quo, rejecting either independence or unification. This was followed by the percentage that supported the idea of Taiwan independence, with the unification option being the least popular. If China lifts its threats against Taiwan, public support for the unification idea could rise to around 70 percent, the polls show. The reason the Taiwan people are against unification is not because they are against the Chinese, but because they don't want to give up their democratic lifestyle.

Such seminars are good, and they should be held more often to help educate Taiwan and Chinese officials and people, although we sincerely hope that China will not send any more ignorant and arrogant delegates.

CHINA TIMES:

From economic professionalism to economic populism

Former Finance Minister Shea Jia-dong said at a recent seminar that Taiwan could fall into the quagmire of economic populism.

He said that "Taiwan has regressed due to economic populism, " as he compared the development on both sides of the Taiwan Strait over the past years. He cited as examples of the ceiling on credit card and cash card interest rates, control of oil and electricity prices, reform to cut instead of raise taxes, and the recent "fat cat" controversy.

In fact, the examples of economic policies that reflect "populism" are not confined to those mentioned above. The numerous idle museums, Hakka cultural halls and even international airports are indications of the economic populism mentality.

From a broader perspective, restrictions on cross-strait trade and investment also smack of "populism." It is obvious that the restrictions on Taiwan businesses investing in China have resulted in the gradual loss of competitiveness on Taiwan's part.

If the government cannot stick to professionalism or is incapable of convincing the public of its professionalism, then our economic policies would really be dictated by populism.

UNITED DAILY NEWS:

Six decades of cross-strait ties: broader solution, higher goal

During last week's seminar on cross-Taiwan Strait political, economic and cultural developments over the past six decades, we found that although differences remain, visions and thoughts have greatly improved.

Three decades ago, China talked about committing to world revolution, liberating Taiwan and the internal class struggle, but last week, Zheng Bijiang, head of the Chinese delegation to the seminar, advocated peace toward the world, harmony within his country and cross-strait reconciliation, showing a broader vision and more open thinking.

Similarly, Liu Guosheng, director of Taiwan Research Institute at Xiamen University, said the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China are "two sides of one thing." Beijing has said all along that both sides of the Taiwan Strait can talk about anything. In fact, the things that both sides should talk most about is visions and solutions.

What exactly is "China? " is a vision issue, while the solution for both sides should not be limited to the "I swallow you" formula.

We are very positive about the seminar, which has shown broader vision and more open thinking. We harbor great hope that future cross-strait relations will move further in this direction.

LIBERTY TIMES:

Administration has quietly embarked on political talks with China

The administration of President Ma Ying-jeou has continued to pledge that "the economy will be put before politics" in cross-Taiwan Strait talks and that if Beijing does not remove its missiles targeting Taiwan, then it will not engage in political talks with China.

But just as Ma has bounced every check he has written, bilateral talks have actually begun under disguise.

Zheng Bijian, a major adviser to the Beijing leadership, recently led a delegation of heads of China's major Taiwan research institutes and retired military and diplomatic officials to attend a cross-strait seminar in Taiwan.

Zheng, a former vice president of the Central Party School of the Communist Party of China and the architect of China's "peaceful emergence" theory, said during the seminar last week that "the wane and fall of Taiwan independence is inevitable." We have found that the theorists in China have used the seminar to brainwash the Taiwanese people to pave the way for "unification" public opinion.

They have achieved little, though, because they are from an authoritarian country and they only know how to serve an authoritarian regime, and have no knowledge of Taiwan's people or their thoughts.

Zheng's remarks have shown his arrogance and his ignorance of Taiwan's history and mainstream views.

They do not know that Taiwan is a sovereign independent country, and that Taiwan consciousness has become mainstream, while only a small amount of people embrace unification.

Zheng's "wane and fall of Taiwan independence" is merely a highlight of his ignorant lie.

(By Lilian Wu)