Taiwan names new head of top China body
Updated
Taiwan's incoming premier has made a suprise announcement by naming a pro-independence politician to head its top China policy-making body.
Presenter: Girish Sawlani
Speaker: Professor Chen Wen-Hsien, Graduate Institute of Taiwan History at the National Chengchi University (Taiwan); Professor Joesph Cheng, chair of political science, City University of Hong Kong.
SAWLANI: Described as an outspoken ultranationalist, Lai Shin Yuan was a former lawmaker with the Taiwan Solidarity Union, an ally of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party during a time when war against China seemed imminent.
It came as a surprise then that a newly elected Kuomintang government that has pledged to expand trade and development and seek a peace treaty with China would appoint Lai to chair the Mainland Affairs Council, the body responsible for relations with Beijing.
And this begs the question of why she was chosen in the first place.
Joseph Cheng is a professor of political science at the City University of Hong Kong.
CHENG: I believe that the Ma Ying-jeou administration wants to demonstrate that its policy towards mainland China is a bipartisan one and the appointment of Lai to some extent serves as kind of evidence that the Ma administration is not eager to please Beijing, that the Ma administration certainly understands the concerns of moving too close, of trying to accelerate negotiations for the Chinese authorities.
SAWLANI: Professor Chen Wen Hsien from Taipei's National Chengchi University sees the appointment of Lai Shin Yuan as a way for the Koumintang to expand its support base, particularly among those from the pro-independent green camp.
CHEN: There are still more than five million voters who didn't vote for Ma. That means Ma has noticed his pro-China policy has not necessarily got the endorsement of the greater majority of the Taiwanese voters. So if that's the case then I think he was trying to reduce some of the suspicion which he may have generated in the green camp even before the presidential election.
SAWLANI: But her appointment has not been welcomed by all sectors of the Koumintang. KMT lawmaker Chiu Yi criticised the choice of a pro independence figure and said he did not receive prior notification of the premier's decision
Professor Chen says this is indicative of internal conflicts inherent within the Kuomintang.
CHEN: It's the case of the power struggle within the party because as far as I'm concerned I think there are many who would compete for that post. KMT legislators or KMT supporters might consider themselves qualified to be head of the Chinese mainland council. If that's the case they would ask why President Ma has appointed a so-called pro-Taiwan independence supporter as the head of the Chinese mainland council. So they are not satisfied with the appointment of Lai Shin Yuan.
SAWLANI: Meanwhile the new chairwoman of the mainland affairs council says she would abide by the new President's policy to of no reunification, no independence and no use of force while working to improve trade ties with Beijing. Professor Joseph Cheng from the City University of Hong Kong says any opposition to that policy would cost Lai Shin Yuan her job.
CHENG: Of course she has to accept the principle of collective responsibility on behalf of the cabinet. So she must tow the Kuomintang line, she has yet to win the confidence of many people within the Kuomintang. At the same time one may of course observe that ministers within government in Taiwan do change fairly rapidly. So if she doesn't get along with the Ma Ying-jeou administration she may be replaced within a short period of time.
SAWLANI: And when it comes to China's perspective on the new appointment, he expects Beijing to take a patient and understanding approach.
CHENG: The Chinese leadership understands that the Ma administration doesn't want to move ahead too fast. There is a certain moderate deal within the Chinese leadership, and this has been factored by the official think tanks on Taiwan policy, that China's approach towards Taiwan must be bipartisan. That China has to try to win the hearts of the entire Taiwanese community and it should not show preference towards the KMT also the Democratic Progressive Party.
