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First Lady:
Support Taiwan's 'Impossible Dream'
(AP, Sep. 21, 2002) The world community should support Taiwan's
"impossible dream" of regaining membership in the United Nations,
the island's first lady said.
Economists
Decry Chen's China Talk
(Taipei Times, July 24, 2001) A seminar at a KMT think tank panned the president's
remarks about a cross-strait economic war but new economic statistics did not
give cause for optimism. Chen made the controversial comments at the opening
of the Economic Development Advisory Conference on Sunday, saying that even
if China has overtaken Taiwan "by a few stages" in economic
development, Taiwan "cannot evade fighting an economic war" with
China.
Lee, Chen
Appearances Hint at Political Alliance
(China Post, June 17, 2001) Former president Lee Teng-hui appeared at the
inauguration of a pro-independence academic group close to Lee's successor
Chen Shui-bian, calling for the formation of a "new Taiwan." Lee is
believed to favor Chen, for his 50-year-old successor has inherited his
approach to cross-strait relations and shares with him the passion for
Taiwanese nationalism.
No
Alliance with Lee Teng-hui: Chen
(United Daily News, June 15, 2001) President Chen Shui-bian asserted that
speculation he is forming an alliance with former President Lee Teng-hui is
untrue. No such thing as a "Chen-Lee alliance" or "Lee-Chen
alliance" exists, he said, describing these terms as media creations.
Chen also contended that speculation of a "two-way split" between
himself and Lee Teng-hui on the one hand, and. Lien Chan and James Soong on
the other, are an oversimplification, and are not good for the development of
Taiwan's society.
Taiwan's
Chen Says Latam Trip Raised Island's Profile
(Reuters, June 5, 2001) Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian said his
trip to Latin America raised international profile for his isolated island
in the face of rival China's ever-tightening diplomatic embargo.
"With Communist China repeatedly squeezing the Republic of China's
living space, the visit let the international community understand the
historical significance of Taiwan's rotation of political parties and its
democratic value," Chen said.
China
Denounces Chen
(Taipei Times, May 31, 2001) Beijing again blamed the president for a lack of
cross-strait progress, and warned Taipei not to be too complacent about
moving toward unification. "The goodwill gestures expressed by the
Taiwan leader are insincere and inadequate," Zhang Mingqing, spokesman
for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, told a news conference in Beijing yesterday.
"They are intended to gloss over his pro-independence stand."
Taiwan
President Goes to Latin America as China Woos Allies
(AFP, May 24, 2001) Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian on Wednesday flew to
Latin America after his two-night transit in the United States, amid China's intensified
efforts to woo Taiwanese allies in the region. Chen flew to El Salvador to
begin his five-leg Latin America tour, which will also to take him to
Guatemala, Panama, Honduras and Paraguay.
Taiwan
Leader Defies China in NY
(AP, May 23, 2001) Taiwan's president met with Mayor Rudolph Giuliani on
Tuesday during a stopover in New York City -- a visit cleared by the Bush
administration despite the opposition of mainland China.
China
Blasts U.S. for Hosting Taiwan's Chen, Dalai
(Reuters, May 22, 2001) China accused the United States on Tuesday of ``rude
interference'' in its domestic affairs by playing host to Beijing foes Taiwan
President Chen Shui-bian and Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
"China has always opposed all forms of official contacts with Taiwan by
countries with which we have diplomatic relations,'' Foreign Ministry
spokesman Zhu Bangzao said.
President,
First Lady Arrive in New York
(Taiwan Headlines, May 22, 2001) President Chen Shui-bian arrived in New York
Monday night, becoming the first ROC head of state to set foot in the
city. On his first evening in New
York, Chen dined with 22 members of the U.S. Congress. He told them that he
greatly appreciated being treated as a head of state, comparing the nature of
his current visit to last year's low-profile stopover in Los Angeles.
Taiwan
President Marks Year in Office
(Reuters, May 20, 2001) Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian avoided any
celebration of his first year in office on Sunday, instead marked the day by
picking up litter and helping out at a car-wash run by disabled people.
Chen
Assertive in Interview with Japanese Daily
(Central News Agency, May 10, 2001) On the eve of his first anniversary in
office, President Chen Shui-bian summarized the achievements of his first
year as "consolidating democracy, stabilizing cross-strait relations,
rooting out corruption and abuses, forging the future."
Report Criticizes Performance of New Government
(Taipei Times, Aug. 21,
2000) A DPP-allied group released a 25,000 Chinese character critique of the
new government yesterday, severely criticizing the inability of President
Chen Shui-bian's government to realize its campaign promises.
China Criticizes New Taiwan Leader
(AP, July 19, 2000)
China on Wednesday directly criticized Taiwan's new leader for the first time
since his election, saying it held him accountable for his party's continued
advocacy of independence for the island.
Taiwan's Ruling Democratic Progressive Party Elects
New Chairman
(AP, June 25, 2000)
Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party elected as chairman Sunday the
mayor of Taiwan's second-largest city and a former political rival of
President Chen Shui-bian.
Taiwan Calls for More High-Level Official Exchanges
with US
(AFP, June 15, 2000)
Taiwan's President Chen Shui-bian Thursday called for more high-level
official exchanges with the United States. Chen said he felt "encouraged
that President Bill Clinton sent his best friend and working partner --
Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater -- here after the new government of
the Republic of China was inauguated."
Chen 'Ddissatisfied' with Lu's Remarks
(Taipei Times, June 11,
2000) During a speech at Friday's national conference on women's issues, Vice
President Annette Lu said that President Chen Shui-bian was smart to choose
her as his running mate, and that "he wants me to act as the `bad cop'
in cross-strait issues."
Chen Says Taiwan and US Can Help Mainland
(Reuters, June 7, 2000)
Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian said on Wednesday that the island's
democratisation could help the mainland become a more responsible, rather
than menacing neighbour, and he called on the United States to assist.
China Readies For Artillery Drill
(AP, May 24, 2000)
Taiwan said Wednesday that China's military will hold live-fire artillery
exercises this week near outlying Taiwanese islands. The drills will be
routine and not threatening, officials said.
Beijing Softens Rhetoric On Taiwan
(Washington Post, May
23, 2000) After months of threats, China showed signs today of adopting a
softer and more flexible approach to dealing with the new president of Taiwan
in attempts to resolve a decades-old standoff over the island's status.
Taiwan Leader Suggests Direct Links to China
(Washington Post, May
22, 2000) Taiwan's new president, Chen Shui-bian, journeyed to this island
just 1.2 miles from China today and announced he is willing to consider
opening direct trade, transportation and postal links with the Communist government
in Beijing.
Taiwan's Change of Power Is Met by a Moderate
Response From Beijing
(New York Times, May
21, 2000) Only two hours after Taiwan's new president made his inaugural
address, authorities in Beijing released a surprisingly temperate response,
charging him with a lack of sincerity but not repeating the dire threats and
invective of recent weeks.
China Disappointed by Taiwan Head
(Associated Press, May
20, 2000) Taiwan's new leader disappointed Chinese leaders and jittery
investors Saturday with his first big speech - an inaugural address that
gently rebuffed Beijing's demands that he agree that this island is part of
China.
New Taiwan Leader Seeks 'Reconciliation' With China
(Washington Post, May 20, 2000) In a long-awaited inaugural speech, Chen
Shui-bian, the 49-year-old former political dissident who has become Taiwan's
10th president, today offered an olive branch to China, saying he was willing
to discuss the question of "one China" with Beijing.
Taiwan's New President Pledges Not to Push for
Independence
(CNN, May 20, 2000)
Chen Shui-bian, who was sworn in as Taiwan's president Saturday, continued to
walk a line between asserting his country's separate identity and its
historic ties with the Chinese mainland.
Elections Will Help
Chart Course for Taiwan and Its President By Erik Eckholm
(New York Times, Sep. 3, 2001) Taiwan's embattled president, Chen Shui-bian, scored
a rare coup last month when he supported relaxing certain restrictions on
investment and trade with the mainland. Still, Mr. Chen's prospects for
effectively governing this factionalized island or developing any consensus
over policy toward Beijing remain murky.
Lee Loves Chen?
By Tim McGirk
(TIME.com, July 16, 2001) Former Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui's political
reemergence and support for President Chen Shui-bian may force Taiwanese to
choose between independence and economic prosperity. It's a combination of
revenge and a profound sense of mission. As an old man's final testament, Lee
wants to make things right for his loyalists and punish those who defied him.
Age of Bian-Lee
Alliance Dawns By Lin Chieh-yu
(Taipei Times, June 17, 2001) The emerging partnership between former
president Lee and President Chen has already changed the political landscape.
Political observers also say that whether or not a Bian-Lee alliance can
defeat the opposition alliance -- presently in a stronger position -- will
only be known after the year-end legislative elections. But it is obviously
Lee's powerful influence on Taiwanese politics that is leading toward such a
confrontation.
Taiwan's Perilous
Transition By Shelley Rigger
(Foreign Policy Research Institute, June 6, 2001) It seems little enough to
boast of -- a transfer of power that was chaotic, although not violent; a
relationship with China that has seen neither progress nor regress. The
limited nature of Chen's achievements underscores the difficulty of his first
year in office, but also serves as a reminder of something we ought to know
by now: transitions from authoritarianism to democracy are often protracted,
and are nearly always fraught with uncertainty and peril.
Chen's US Trip
Proves Welcome Escape By Mure Dickie
(Financial Times, May 24, 2001) This week's whirlwind visit to New York by
Chen Shui-bian, Taiwan's president, has been hailed as a breakthrough for the
diplomatically isolated island. But for the novice head of state, it is also
a welcome chance to escape the gloomy headlines that have dominated a hard,
first year in office. A warm welcome from US politicians and the first New
York stopover for a Taiwanese president in more than two decades has made Mr
Chen's US trip an unqualified success - and a sharp contrast to his domestic
difficulties.
One Year
On: Just Getting Started
One Year
On: Cross-Stairt Relations are as Chilly as Ever
One Year
On: Military Quietly Putting Offshore Engagement Policy into Practice
(Taipei Times, May 20, 2001) Few expected the first transition of power in
the nation's history to go easily, but the obstacles that have beset the Chen
Shui-bian government have gone far beyond the worst nightmares of almost
anyone in the ruling party. The coming elections offer a way out. President
Chen's overtures have failed to move Beijing as it continues to refuse to
engage in talks unless the DPP government accepts the 'one China' principle.
Chen's First Year
Tarnished by 'Mediocrity' By Mike Chinoy
(CNN.com, May 19, 2001) A year later, for many in Taiwan, the promise of
Chen's victory has turned to disillusionment. An economic slump, continuing
tension with mainland China, and a series of policy flip-flops have led to a
sharp drop in Chen's popularity. Trapped between hard-liners in his own party
and an opposition determined to thwart his every move, Chen has also been
powerless to halt a sharp decline in Taiwan's economy. The stock market has
lost nearly fifty per cent of its value since Chen took office. Unemployment
is at a twenty-year high.
Taiwan's Chen
Shui-Bian: A President's Progress By Harvey Sicherman
(Foreign Policy Research Institute, May 11, 2001) After a very difficult first year,
President Chen Shui-bian is poised to go beyond domestic paralysis and the
international status quo. His immediate relations with Washington are good;
he has accepted and understood that he needs a coalition with his political
adversaries; and he has positioned himself on cross-strait policy to take the
new middle course, reflecting an underlying consensus on the island. No one
can say whether this is enough for Beijing to make Chen a negotiating
partner. But surely the ball is now firmly lodged in the PRC court.
Taiwan Chief Fails
to Loosen Old Guard's Grip on Power By Mark Landler
(New York Times, Mar. 5, 2001) A year ago this month, voters here made
history by sweeping the Nationalist Party out of power for the first time in
55 years — or, at least, so they thought. After the most fleeting of
honeymoons, President Chen Shui-bian and his supporters are finding how hard
it is to govern a country that was run for decades as the wholly-owned
subsidiary of a once-impregnable party. "I was very naïve," said
Lee Yuen- tseh, a Nobel Prize-winning chemist and friend of Mr. Chen. "I
thought that if you rotated power, you could solve the problem. But the new
party has a lot to learn in running the country."
The Honeymoon Has Been Short for Taiwan's New
President By Philip Bowring
(International Herald
Tribune, Aug. 3, 2000) It has been a brief honeymoon for Taiwan's new president,
Chen Shui-bian, now in his third month in office. He has handled Beijing
adroitly but his administration remains bogged down at home - unable to push
through promised domestic changes, hemmed in internationally and facing
negative sentiment about the economy. The president's standing in the polls
remains high, and the public will give him and his Democratic Progressive
Party time to find their feet.
Trend Emerging on Chen's Statements
(Straits Times, June 21, 2000) Taiwanese leader seems to soft-pedal
cross-strait ties in public, but pushes privately for changes needed to
consolidate de facto independence. China has been quick to dismiss any
thoughts Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian might have had that his proposal for
a cross-strait summit and reaffirmation of the 1992 consensus on
""one China'' would appease Beijing. Speaking at a press conference
held to mark his first month in office, Mr Chen said he was willing to
discuss the issue of a ""future one China'' on the basis of all
past agreements reached, including the 1992 consensus.
Taiwan's New President: One If and Five Nos
By Harvey Sicherman
(Foreign Policy
Research Institute, June 2, 2000) Invoking his responsibility for the
"sovereignty, dignity, and security" of the Republic of China, Chen
then clarifies the future through the "one if" and the "five
nos." The one if: "the CCP regime has no intention to use military
force against Taiwan." ...These "nos" comprise a repudiation
of Lee Teng-hui's two- state approach and a promise to retain the status quo,
which, in the Unification Guidelines, still declare Taiwan's objective to be
unification, that is, One China. Yet, One China has now become a
"question."
Chen's Quiet Plan Could Anger China
By Richard Halloran
(Washington Times, June
2, 2000) President Chen Shui-bian is speaking softly toward China, but has
embarked on a strategy to maintain his island's separation from the mainland
that, if successful, still could provoke a Chinese attack. The main element
of this strategy is a vigorous effort to enhance a sense of identity among
the people of Taiwan, especially in revising education to emphasize Taiwan's
history and culture.
Cautious Beijing Is Biding Its Time
By Douglas H. Paal
(International Herald
Tribune, May 24, 2000) Mistrust runs deep in China about the newly
inaugurated president of Taiwan, Chen Shui-bian, because of his and his
Democratic Progressive Party's long association with advocating independence
for Taiwan. But Chinese leaders are acting cautiously while the issue of
China's permanent normal trade relations with the United States remains
unresolved in Congress. China's need to avoid provoking Congress into
rejecting the trade bill has combined with a wait and see approach to Mr.
Chen's settling in period to create a few months' breathing space in
cross-Strait relations as the two sides test each other out.
Lee and the DPP: No Longer a Secret Love
By Julian Kuo
(Taipei Times, May 24,
2000) Up until Lee Teng-hui stepped down, he often made straightforward
remarks that generated a lot of surprises. Since the KMT's unprecedented
election defeat, he has yet to carry out a critical self-examination, at
least in public. On the other hand, he has reiterated that "the alien
regime from the mainland can no longer be allowed to rule," and said
that he had tried his best to pave the way for a "peaceful power
transfer."
In Praise of Advancing the Cause of Peace
By Tom Plate
(LA Times, May 24,
2000) It's a most improbable trio for peace, to be sure. Yet in the last
week, three world leaders have responded in hopeful ways to their grave
responsibilities to make the world, especially Asia, a safer place. The first
two leaders represent democracies, but the third does not. Yet President
Jiang Zemin appears to be trying to work with Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian
and President Clinton for greater peace and stability. If this admittedly
optimistic reading of their three diplomacies is correct, then world politics
may be nearing a historic turning point.
Reality Check: Chen Shui-bian's Bottom Line
By Greg May
(Nixon Center, May 23, 2000) In his inaugural speech Saturday, Taiwan's
new president, Chen Shui-bian, showed that there is a limit to how far he
will go to placate Beijing. For all his pragmatism, President Chen is still a
bona fide Taiwanese nationalist. In subtle and not-so-subtle ways, he clearly
established the fact that Taiwan is an independent, sovereign country and
that Beijing's idea of "one China" is a non-starter for his
government.
Taiwan's New Leader and Beijing Testing Each Other
By Erik Eckholm
(New York Times, May
22, 2000) A day after Beijing hinted at new flexibility in dealing with
Taiwan and its new president, it hastened to restate that its "one
China" principle was an absolute precondition of strengthening ties.
"Acceptance or rejection of the one-China principle is the touchstone to
test whether one sincerely wants to improve cross-straits relations,"
said a commentary by the official New China News Agency, issued in response
to the inaugural speech on Saturday by President Chen Shui-bian of Taiwan.
Five No's Puts Ball in PRC Court
(Taipei Times, May 22,
2000) With President Chen Shui-bian's declaration of the conditional
"five no's" policy toward mainland China during this inaugural
address, Taiwan has freed itself from any possible blame for causing
cross-strait tension, passing it instead to mainland China, local scholars
said yesterday. "With the five no's manifesto, Chen has passed the ball
to [mainland] China. [Mainland] China will have to take all the blame and
consequences if it uses force against Taiwan."
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