The upsurge foreign policy of Xi Jinping has fallen short of
real politic with pro-China lobby suffering the worst defeat in the local
elections of Taiwan. Ever since the successful organisation of the APEC summit,
flagrant attention at the G-20, bilateral visit to Fiji and sealing of the
historical climate change pact with the US, China has been upbeat. It was
trying to consolidate its position as a major power house in the World both in
the terms of financial strength and muscle power.
The ruling party of Taiwan, Kuomintang (KMT) was drubbed in
the local elections by the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). With
presidential elections due for 2016, China is majorly worried about the
prospects of the opposition clinching power. Current President Ma Ying-jeou, a
pioneer of the “Sunshine policy” vociferously advocated that Taiwan can scale
peaks of economic prosperity by intertwining with the main land China. But his
contentious advocacy suffered a major glitch by the protests of the “Sun Flower
Student Movement” who vehemently opposed all the attempts engineered by the KMT
to merge Taiwan with the mainland economy. Ma, had been propounding that the enormous
gains of the Chinese economy might trickle down to Taiwan if it merges with the
economic giant.
KMT’s rout in local election is partially due to the poor
handling of economic affairs by Ma. Taiwanese were desperate and wanted viable
solutions. Middle class are agonised by shrinking salaries and sky rocketing of
housing prices. In sharp contrast the compradors and Taiwanese business elite,
who were wooed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), hugely gained from their
close business associations with China. Surfacing of several food scandals has
been the reason for major discontent. Ma assumed office in 2008 was friendly
with China and seriously contemplated the plans of setting up representative
offices in each other’s territories to facilitate greater liberalisation across
the Taiwanese straits. But investigative
journalists have unearthed the shadowy work of the “United Front Work
Department” which has been grooming the Taiwan businessmen to create the
environment for reunification of Taiwan with China. Even the intelligence wing
of CCP is placating academicians, authors, war veterans, students of Taiwan in
a bid to soften their opposition towards the CCP and mobilise the re absorption
of Taiwan into China. Despite the untiring ground work of China, people in
Taiwan are stiffened by the fact that their dreams of a just society and
democratic process will be stifled by the authoritarian regime of the China.
Further as China is making desperate attempts to increase its clout in Asia,
nations are becoming warier of its undemocratic shadow.
Moreover the pro-democratic protests of the Umbrella
revolution in Hong Kong and the failed Chinese promise of “One Country two
systems” had made people of Taiwan more suspicious of Dragon’s motives. China’s
fervent denial of democracy to Hong Kong and its tightening grip over the
autonomous special administrative region exposed the dubious intentions of
China. Currently, mainland China is stymied by growing economic disparities and
disenchantments with vast accumulation of wealth by the vested interests. With fading economic equality and authoritarian
polity in store, voters of Taiwan are unwilling to stake their freedom. The restive
regions of Tibet and Xinjiang provinces are illustrative of the undemocratic
highhandedness of China.
Even as three month old protests in Hong Kong show no signs
of resignation, Beijing has to seriously contemplate its intransigence to
pro-democracy as eventually pro-democracy calls can reignite such protests back
home. Xi has continued to push the policy of one country, two systems towards
Taiwan despite the strong opposition from island’s 23 million people. Similar
negotiations with Hong Kong after its return in 1997 had resulted in some
autonomy with separate economic and judicial system but Beijing imposed its
ultimate authority. Xi’s unwavering stand towards Hong Kong and his insistence
of vetting of candidates and approving their candidature before inaugural
elections, 2017 in Hong Kong speaks volumes of the double standards of China.
While Xi is relentlessly working to portray China as a strong
and confident nation, intent on integration with international community, with
no compromise on its territorial claims he is having harder time convincing
people of Hong Kong and Taiwan who are threatened of China’s rise. Taiwan, a
former Japanese colony split from China during the civil war of 1949 was
considered as renegade province. China signed 21 trade transit and investment
agreements with Taiwan since 2008 but protestors in March occupied Taipei to
stop the ratification of trade liberalisation treaty with China. The business
men and elite in both the countries are favouring closer ties with China for
greater economic gains. But the young people are more threatened by the main
land. There are fears that civil rights, free press and independent political
organisations will be eroded.
Though Chinese media plunged into
action to perform damage control by attributing the election thrashing of the
KMT to its inability to connect with aspiration of young Taiwan people, victory
for the DDP signalled the spiralling effect of anti-mainland protests. As the
slogans of “today Hong Kong tomorrow Taiwan” resonated with Taiwan voters,
China’s desideratum of triumphantly walking down the Taiwan straits is watered.
@ Copyrights reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment