呂秀蓮的部落格

Taiwan Pursues Neutrality. Why and How?

Speech to be delivered at the workshop on Permanent Neutrality,

March 25, 2019, in Washington DC.

Lu Hsiu-lien Annette

Vice President of Taiwan, ROC, 2000-2008

Founder of the Democratic Pacific Union

Preface

It is a great pleasure to have this opportunity to discuss the issue of Taiwan’s pursuit of neutrality at this venue. Thank you for the auspices of the prestigious Catholic University of America. Thanks also for the kindness and hard-work of Professor Herbert Reginbogin and his colleagues to conduct this workshop at the U.S. Hart Senate Building Office.

2019 marks the 40^th anniversary of the termination of U.S. diplomatic relations with ROC. It is also the 40^th anniversary of the Kaohsiung Incident after which 152 democracy activists were imprisoned, including myself. Eight leaders were court-martialed and sentenced to 12 years and more. Thirty-eight years of martial law was a brutal experience. However, years later the flowers of democracy have begun to bloom.

To commemorate 2019, we recently submitted a petition with 10 thousand signatures for a referendum that will demand Taiwan’s peace and neutrality. The second phase will need 282 thousand signatures collected within six months. If everything goes well, the referendum will be voted on along with the presidential election in January 2020. Moreover, it will become valid if 5 million people vote for it.

The text of the referendum question reads: “Do you agree whether Taiwan shall declare peace and neutrality to the world?”

Historical Destiny Distorted

Historically, Taiwan did not suffer much from local violence, but always became the victim of outside wars.

In 1894, after the first Sino-Japanese War, Taiwan became a Japanese colony until 1945. After World War II, the Allied Forces commanded Chiang Kai-shek to send troops to take over Taiwan temporarily. His troops never left but slaughtered thousands of native people. Two years later, Chiang fled permanently to Taiwan after losing the battle against Mao Tse-tung in China.

According to the UN Charter, the Allied Forces should have assisted Taiwan to conduct a plebiscite to decide their own future. However, that never happened.

On the contrary, shortly after the outburst of the Korean War in June 1950, President Truman declared that Taiwan’s status was undetermined, and in 1971, the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 2758 to recognize the PRC as the sole representative of China, making Taiwan an international orphan.

It is worth noting that Resolution 2758 does not say a single word about the ROC, or Taiwan. However, the PRC has taken advantage of that Resolution to mislead the world into believing that Taiwan is a part of China. This is utterly untrue.

As a matter of fact, during the 1971 UN debate, it was proposed that the UN should conduct a plebiscite to allow the Taiwanese to choose whether they want to declare and maintain neutrality, become a federal state with the PRC, or join the PRC.

Chiang Kai-shek reluctantly accepted this proposal, but it was abruptly rejected by U.S. National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger who had promised Beijing to accept the One China Policy. Once more, the door to open a future for Taiwan was shut in front of us.

The troubled history of Taiwan made us believe that it is when Taiwan becomes a neutral state only then that its people can be the masters of their own destiny.

The Strategic Interests of Taiwan’s Neutrality

Taiwan is located between the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait, and the South China Sea. It is also the pivot of the first island chain, making it a leverage in the race for hegemony between China and the U.S. That is why Taiwan is so attractive to China.

Since 2005 the PRC has set up an agenda to annex Taiwan. President Xi Jinping in his latest public statements made it clear that “One China, Two Systems” is the formula to annex Taiwan. Regretfully, many Taiwanese businesspeople and retired governmental officers and even elected politicians have either defected or cooperated. With the operation of their Fifth Column residing in Taiwan, the country’s national security is seriously challenged by their infiltration. Moreover, PRC cyberattacks have tremendously impacted our elections. It is no secret that some elected mayors and politicians give the impression as if they are hand-picked by Beijing, especially the candidates for the next President, not to mention their drastically escalating military threat and globally diplomatic bullying of Taiwan.

The pursuit of neutrality through a referendum, in strategic concern, is a form of preventive diplomacy and preventive defense to counter China’s invasion. The outcome of the neutrality referendum will be the best answer to China.

This campaign deserves the world’s attention and support, especially the U.S., which has been the principal ally of Taiwan for over a century. The spirit and principles of the Taiwan Relations Act can become more effective when Taiwan becomes an armed neutral country. Taiwan absolutely needs friendship and cooperation with the U.S. and Japan as well, including arms sales.

Would China agree with Taiwan’s neutrality?

It is no surprise to say no. However, China has always said no to Taiwanese democracy and referendums. Taiwan does not live to please China. We did the right things before and will do so also in the future.

We would try our best to convince China that Taiwan’s neutrality would free China from the burden to liberate Taiwan, or from the fear that Taiwan might conspire with other countries against it.

We believe that our neighboring countries including Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines would also welcome Taiwan as a neutral. As a matter of fact, the Japanese Constitution serves the purpose of Japan’s pacifism. Leaders from both North and South Koreas also have indicated their intention to seek neutrality in the future. Moreover, the Philippines has been a member of the Non-Aligned Movement within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Neutrality is not a naïve joke. It is a new philosophy for Taiwan coupled with a new strategy based on soft and smart power for international peace, security, and justice.

May God bless Taiwan to become neutral in the very near future.

Thank you.