I am writing to refute Mr. Jonathan de La Cruz’s article titled “One country, two systems” published in your newspaper on Jan. 9.
In Mr. De La Cruz’s article, it is obvious that he favors and supports Beijing’s “one country, two systems” and believes that it can be unilaterally imposed on Taiwan.
I have to point out that Mr. De La Cruz neglects and misses the major and essential difference between Taiwan and China. The key words are democracy, human rights, and freedom.
When US Vice President Mike Pence delivered remarks on US policy towards China at the Hudson Institute on Oct. 4, 2018, he pointed out that “America will always believe that Taiwan’s embrace of democracy shows a better path for all the Chinese people.”
It is clear that Vice President Pence urged that China should follow Taiwan’s lead in establishing a democratic system of government.
China refuses to acknowledge the strong opposition of the people of Taiwan to “one country, two systems.” President Xi Jinping’s speech will negatively impact the peace and stability of the Asia-Pacific region. The international community is paying close attention to its effects.
The government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) urges other countries to maintain active relations with Taiwan and to call for the peaceful resolution of issues across the Taiwan Strait whenever the opportunity arises. Taiwan is willing to cooperate closely with like-minded countries so as to better ensure the peace, stability, and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region.
The Republic of China is a sovereign and independent country which has 17 diplomatic allies and has developed substantive relations with most other countries around the world. The claim that “the ‘One China Principle’ is the consensus in international society” is absolutely not true. Of China’s 178 diplomatic allies, only 51, or less than one-third, completely and explicitly recognized the so-called “One China Principle” in their respective diplomatic communiqués or other documents establishing relations with China. The US, Japan, EU members and other major advanced democracies around the world have their own “One China Policy,” and do not accept the “One China Principle” proclaimed by the PRC.
In testimony before the US Congress, then US Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly explicitly stated that “the US ‘One China Policy’ is emphatically not the same thing as the PRC’s ‘One China Principle.’’’ Having undergone its own process of democratization, Taiwan has its own democratically elected president and legislature, as well as a rich and diverse press that enjoys full freedom. Taiwan has its own military, independently conducts its own foreign affairs, and issues its own currency, passports and visas, exercising absolute and exclusive jurisdiction over its own territory. Taiwan is definitely not a part of China.
Michael Peiyung Hsu
Representative
Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines