dpp newsletter aug2012

7/31/2019 DPP Newsletter Aug2012

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AUGUST 2012

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DEMOCRACY & PROGRESS

Chair Su Tseng -chang issues Three Expec - tations for Chinas 18th National Congressin Wa l Street Journal interview

DPP Chair Su Tseng-chang sat for an interviewwith journalists from the Wall Street Journal onJuly 31st, discussing international trends, crossstrait relations and the DPPs future direction. Healso expressed his viewpoints regarding the re-form changes that China will face this year.

Chair Su Tseng-chang raised three expectationstowards Xi Jinping, the next general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party. Firstly, he hopedfor a smooth transition of power. Secondly, hehoped that Mr. Xi will be able to lead political,economic and social reform in China. Thirdly, hehoped that Mr. Xi will further understand Taiwan,taking a more extensive and progressive approachtowards improving relations between both sides.

Answering questions regarding the re-establishment of the Department of ChinaAffairs at the DPP as well as the future es-tablishment of the China Affairs Commit-

tee, Chair Su Tseng-chang said that thedepartments most important task is toconduct research on China that is bothcomprehensive and sustainable. The pur-

pose of establishing the China AffairsCommittee, he said, is to gather importantmembers of the party, academics and ex-

perts to hold discussions and be able toachieve consensus, and afterwards, gothrough the party mechanism to adopt

resolutions that will become the DPP

standpoints, and in which everyone will be able toidentify and recognize.

Chair Su emphasized that the DPP is taking a positive and active approach in dealing withChina, and not making exclusions towards anyinteractions with China.

Of course, we welcome Chinese people tocome and visit us, he said. At the moment,China only has contact with the KMT, and their understanding of Taiwan is only one-sided. Sincethe DPP represents a part of Taiwans mainstream

public opinion, in order for China to understandTaiwan fully, they must be in contact with theDPP. At the same time, the DPP must also com-


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prehend China fully and be able to interact withthem.

Chair Su was the first one to issue the idea of aTaiwan Consensus in April of 2011, and thecontents of the proposal included three major is-sues: the use of dialogue to understand, gain trustand replace hostility; the use peaceful means toconsolidate democracy; and the use democracy todetermine Taiwans future.

If both sides understand each other, damagescan be prevented, he said. The interaction andmutual understanding we speak about is in realityhere.

Chair Su, however, emphasized that there areseveral aspects in the DPPs approach towardsChina policy. He cited the example of PresidentMa Ying-jeous approval rating at 15% because of his inability to confront Chinas bullying interna-tionally. The public in Taiwan has questionedwhether our government is determined to protectour sovereignty, and this adds more expectationstowards the DPP, he said. He foresees the DPPwill become increasingly important and the peoplewill have higher expectations of the DPP.

Internationally, Chair Su said, President Ma isseen as more China-inclined, and China has evenmade statements internationally that the Ma Ad-ministration stands on the same side as China inthe issue of the Diaoyutai dispute.

In regards to the Diaoyutai dispute, Chair Suhighlighted that the DPPs standpoint is com-

pletely against conflict. He said that in regards tosovereignty disputes in the South China Sea, theDPP is different from the China-inclined Ma Ad-ministration. The DPP advocates sovereignty, butwithout provocation, and supports the freedom of navigation in the region as well as a multilateralcode of conduct in the South China Seas.

DPP not ironclad

Chair Su noted in the interview that even thoughthe DPP has persistence over certain issues regard-ing China policy, they are not ironclad. He said,This year, we are facing the changing of leader-ship in China and the presidential election in theUnited States. The rebalancing of the U.S. towardsAsia represents their value in Asias regional secu-rity. The DPP must not remain outside in the re-gional and international responsibility to do our utmost for Taiwan and for the Taiwanese peoplesinterests.

However, Chair Su said that the DPP has theright to be suspicious when there is a saying of two sides, one country, which was issued by JiaQinglin (Chairman of Chinas National Commit-tee of the Peoples Political Consultative Confer-ence).

He explained, the KMT has said one China,different interpretations, but China has taken it astep further by taking out different interpreta-tions and not only using one China but alsoone country. The opportunity for President MaYing-jeou to always say China is the Republicof China has disappeared.

Taiwan is a sovereign and independent coun-try that persists in a democratic system, wants to

preserve freedom and respect for human rights,he emphasized. This is a consensus and the high-est values placed by the 23 million people in Tai-wan. The people of Taiwan highly cherishes our democratic achievements, and these are valuesthat will never be abandoned.

Under the circumstance of not abandoningthis principle of faith, in the interaction betweenTaiwan and China, we can carry out commerceand trade, but in everything that we sell or buy,there are only certain items that we do not sell,and that is freedom, democracy and sovereignty.

Lastly, Chair Su expressed his viewpointsabout the current changes in China. He said that

he believes China is constantly changing, citingthe example of the past inability of Chinese people


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to travel abroad, but now this has changed withmore Chinese people getting richer. He mentionedthat even Chinese tourists visiting Taiwan haveasked him to take pictures with them when in the

past, they did not dare to, and this reflects thatChina is becoming more open, he said. From hisexperience in seeing the social changes in Taiwanin the past, he said that he can see that in thehearts and minds of people, home and reform is

unstoppable. Upon seeing China becoming better economically, he said the DPP also hopes that

both sides will have better relations in the future,hoping that China will be open democratically and

have respect for human rights.

DPP critiques Chiang -Chen meeting on investment protection agreementIn mid-August of this year, Chiang Pin-kung(Chairman, Straits Exchange Foundation, SEF)and Chen Yunlin (Chairman, Association for Rela-tions Across the Taiwan Straits, ARATS) met for the 8th time since the KMT has taken administra-tive power in 2008. This times discussion is fo-cused on reaching an agreement concerning crossstrait investment protection.

DPP Chair Su Tseng-chang has called twomeetings to discuss with DPP legislators and aca-demic experts in order to issue the DPPs stand-

points concerning this investment protectionagreement.

There are two demands from the DPP to Presi-dent Ma Ying-jeous Administration in regards tosigning the recent investment protection agree-

ment:

1. Legislative Yuan supervision - this agreementmust be turned over to the Legislative Yuan for supervision according to Cross Strait RelationsLaw, Article 5.

2. Each case must be settled - many damages havealready been inflicted on Taiwanese business-men and the government must pressure Chinato resolve these disputes. The purpose of sign-

ing this agreement is to be able to resolve thesecases, and if these cannot be achieved, then thisagreement shouldnt be called investment pro-tection for Taiwanese businesses. The govern-ment must list all the cases involved and pursuesettlements for each of them. The DPP will en-sure that it monitors each development throughits supervisory role in the Legislative Yuan.

Chair Su said that investors from China mustabide by the legal system in Taiwan, which con-tains human rights protection, however, Taiwan-ese businessmen going to China do not receiveany guarantees regarding human rights, he said.

Chair Su said that the DPP strongly advocatesthat this times agreement includes clauses thatrespect the universal value of human rights, ensur-

ing, for example, that Taiwanese businessmen inChina have the right to inform their familieswithin 24 hours if arrested and for China to allowfamily visitors as well as the rights to have legalrepresentation present when interrogated.

It has been concerning that many Taiwanese businessmen have received personal threats or their financial assets been taken away in China,Chair Su said. The DPP strongly supports crossstrait investment protection agreements that are in


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line with the principles of international arbitrationwhen occurrences of conflict arises between Tai-wanese business investments in China.

Nevertheless, the agreement signed failed toinclude any human rights clauses. Joseph Wu, ex-ecutive director of the DPPs Policy ResearchCommittee held a press conference expressingregret that the agreements signed at the Chiang-Chen meeting still remained under the One ChinaFramework.

Commenting on the agreement, Joseph Wusaid:

Taiwan was hoping to use a third-party inter-national arbitration system and receive human

rights guarantees from China, but we didntachieve any of these goals. Adding protection toTaiwanese businessmen as an addendum in theform of consensus and using vague text showsthat there is a lack of legal validity to the agree-ment. Taiwans basic demands are not to receive

preferential treatment in China. What we wantedwas that, just like Chinese people coming to Tai-wan and receiving the guarantees under Taiwan-ese law, the same treatment is given in China,which is following the international standards inhuman rights. We are only requesting equality,and unfortunately, we did not see it in the consen-sus addendum.

DPP sends delegation to observe U.S.Republican, Democratic Convention DPP Spokesperson Lin Chun-hsian announced ata press conference in mid-August that the DPPwill send representatives to attend the U.S. Re-

publican and Democratic Convention, which will be held in Tampa, Florida and Charlotte, NorthCarolina respectively. The delegation will becomprised of DPP legislators and party executivesand will head out the last week of August andearly September.

Liu Shih-chung, director of the Department of International Affairs, told the press that the DPPhighly values U.S.-Taiwan relations, and attend-ing both conventions will give an opportunity for the DPP to exchange views in foreign policy with

both camps.

Liu explained that U.S. party conventions areheld every four years to rally for the presidential

election, which will be held this year in November 6. Since Taiwans Ministry of Foreign Affairs

have extended an invitation to opposition partiesto attend the conventions, Chair Su Tseng-changhas highly prioritized the nomination of DPP par-ticipates for this U.S. delegation, Liu said.

The first delegation will depart Aug. 27 for theRepublican Convention. The delegations for thisgroup are: legislators Mark Chen, Lin Chia-lungand Yeh Yi-jin and Liu Shih-chung, director of theDepartment of International Affairs. The seconddelegation to the Democratic Convention will de-

part on Sept. 3 and include legislators Lee Chun-yi, Lee Ying-yuan and Wu Hsiang-jung, deputydirector of the DPPs think tank.


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DPP re -organizes think tank in prepara - tion for governance

Chair Su Tseng-chang finalized personnel ap- pointments for the New Frontier Foundation,which is the DPPs policy think tank, calling ameeting with policy experts on Aug. 15 to discussadministrative issues regarding the think tanksorganization.

It was agreed that the think tank would be or-ganized in twenty-two policy subcommittees thatinclude: economics and industry, finance, agricul-ture, transportation, land and urban planning, en-vironment, technology, judiciary, social welfare,labor, health insurance, education, culture, mediaand communications, ethnic and gender relations,local governance, democracy, administrative effi-ciency, China policy, defense and foreign policy.

Chair Su Tseng-chang said that the think tank was founded on Feb. 23rd by Former Chair TsaiIng-wen in order to create the 10 Year Policy Plat-form. He said the 10 Year Policy Platform willserve as the future guideline for the think tank todevelop policy.

However, the purpose of the think tank hasalso changed after the presidential election. hesaid. Being the largest opposition party with ex-

perience in government, the DPP must addressmajor policy failures that are right now driven by

the KMT.

He cited examples of KMT inefficiency thatTaiwan is currently facing. These included: youthunemployment, growing income gap, low eco-nomic growth lagging behind the Asian tigers, aneconomic strategy with excessive tilt to China,shortage of planning in construction and housing

policy, among others.

Lin Wan-yi, professor at the Department of So-cial Work of National Taiwan University, will

serve as the think tanks executive director. In aDPP press statement, he said the first phase of thethink tank will be to explore issues that the currentgovernment has failed to resolve. He emphasizedthat the think tank will also focus on policies thatwill help Taiwans sustainable future.

The second phase of the think tank will involveidentifying important issues to be addressed for the next seven-in-one local elections in 2014, Linsaid.

Lin said that major news and policy issues will be discussed openly, and they will be posted onthe website for comments and suggestions fromthe public.


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Chair Su Tseng -chang meets with U.S. think tank delegation

DPP Chair Su Tseng-chang met with a delegationof think tank experts from the U.S. on Aug. 17 atthe DPP Headquarters to exchange views onAsian regional security and cross strait relations.

In regards to security in the Asian region, Chair Su Tseng-chang said that today marked the 30thanniversary of the U.S.-China August 17 Com-munique and while the U.S. and China signed this

agreement, President Ronal Reagan also gave sixassurances to Taiwan, which included providingdefensive weapons to Taiwan without prior coun-seling from Beijing.

Chair Su said he was grateful to the UnitedStates for creating the Taiwan Relations Act alongwith the six assurances, providing Taiwan withdefense capabilities in order to maintain regionalstability and security in the Asian region, but at

the same time, protecting Taiwans democracy.

He also noted that Taiwan wishes to becomeself-reliant and to show its determination for self-defense with an adequate defense budget. He fur-ther said he welcomed the renewed interest of theU.S. towards Asia, saying that he hoped the U.S.,

just like 30 years ago, continues to adhere and en-sure Taiwans security and regional stability.

In order to avoid unnecessary conflicts the

trend of world peace and stability in Asia Pacificare also in line with U.S. interests, he said.

Guests of the meeting included U.S. NavyAdmiral Gary Roughead, distinguished visitingfellow at Stanford Universitys Hoover Institution;Ms. Bonnie Glaser, senior fellow with the Free-man Chair in China Studies from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS); andMr. Alan Romberg, director of the East Asia pro-

gram at the Stimson Center, among others.


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DEMOCRACY & PROGRESS

PUBLISHED BY:

Department of International Aff airs DemocraticProgressive Party

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Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.dpp.org.tw
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dpp newsletter aug2012

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