The Victory of Ma Ying-jeou

This past weekend for which the Taiwanese has designated as the "Super Sunday" (03/23/08) has given the world a new president of the Republic of China (ROC) de jure, whose jurisdiction by all means lies within a paltry single province of the ROC de facto -- Taiwan. Nevertheless, it is a political momentum that all conscientious Chinese, (which there are 1.3 billion of them) should be proud of, in spite of the fact that only a mere 23 million of them (approx 2% of the whole) will enjoy such fortunate event in practice. By all accounts and statistics, the front man of KMT (the GOP of China, the Nationalists), Mr. Ma Ying-jeou has been consistently taking a steadfast lead over his rival from the Green Camp, Mr. Frank Hsieh of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), who now just stepped down as the DPP's party head, which by all observation, has been taking a populist approach and are more inclined toward a secessionist stance. ACL (Anti-Communist League) and the Federalists of China have always been staunch advocates in the Blue Camp and adherents to its fundamental principles, and has endorsed Mr. Ma in this presidential election. When the discombobulation and the turmoil revolving around this election for almost a year up until now will finally pass the public arena, after all cooler heads prevail, one has to pay a closer examination at "the Taiwan Question", of which I am offering here a general outlook as to the nature of such inquiry.

Advocates of a modus vivendi (a term Mr. Ma has coined during his election campaign which was to aver his agenda to his constituencies as to the method in dealing with red China across the Taiwan Strait with hundreds of ballistic missiles aiming at the Formosa Island) has by far retailed the largest adherents among the electorate and populace in Taiwan. With the victory of Mr. Ma Ying-jeou as the next incumbent president of ROC on Mar. 23^rd 2008, and the overall failure for an over 50% endorsement for a referendum regarding the official membership of Taiwan in the United Nations, which was an ad hoc political maneuver by the Green camp as an eleventh hour’s effort to mobilize populist solidarity among the Taiwanese, reality has manifested to us that most people want to maintain the current status and seek a modus vivendi for Taiwan’s co-existence as an independent sovereign entity, a.k.a. ROC (not state) besides the "other China" a.k.a. PRC (a state).

Now the dilemma for Mr. Ma comes down to this after his victory, if he is to ameliorate the Taiwan status in the arena of global affairs and international diplomacy (which he promised he would undertake at day one of his presidency), he has to first foster closer relationships with the U.S. (economical wise the US-Taiwan Free Trade Agreement would be a key issue but would nevertheless entails an abortive fate in the current political atmosphere) and Japan in many of the sensitive issues. However, this diplomatic gesture would sure to spur red China's ire as it sees any of such diplomatic maneuvers would constitute a deviation from One China Policy. On top of that, Mr. Ma also promised his constituencies that he will initiate bilateral dialogues with red China with the key emphasis on two major agenda: removal of missiles aiming at Taiwan as a premise of good will and normalization with regard to economic and civilian exchange. (Since Mr. Ma has received an impeccable postgraduate education in the United States, it is most advisable for him to bear in mind this query as he is to commence such precarious face-off, “are these worthy of gentlemen to be associating with? And if not, how should one act accordingly?”)

Anyone with a conscientious mind and a sober brain will reckon that to sense with the Reds is as if little red riding hood trying to curry favor with the wolf, the very fact that such fairytale proves to be surviving in such longevity means it constantly finds cogent analogy in reality. Mr. Ma has to be extra-attentive as he's trying to wave an olive branch across the Taiwan Strait. All of these weighty themes will demand a great deal of political might as well as a poignant insight as to the nature of such undertakings. It is sure to be time-consuming if it will come out to be effective at all. Mr. Ma will have a long and difficult presidency, and it is precisely this Ma Ying-jeou's epoch that will attest his worth in history as either a statesman or a politician.