Introduction to International Politics
Foreign Event Analysis
| Locale | ![[]](http://www.kvasaheim.com/flags/flag15-tw.png "Flag of Taiwan") | Taiwan |
|---|---|---|
| Title |
Taiwan President Meets With Chinese Envoy
| |
| Summary |
President Ma of Taiwan met briefly with Chen Yunlin, a representative from The People’s Republic of China. Gifts and formalities were exchanged and trade agreements were dicussed. President Ma was not referred to as a “President” by Yunlin, so as to not show the recognition of Taiwan as anything but a de facto country. President Ma was also once a member of Chiang Kai-shek’s Kuomintang party which lost to the communists in China in 1949. The Taiwanese government feels strongly that there will be no unification and no war with China, but feels the Taiwanese people should chose about their independence. China still will not allow this, and has a strong hold over Taiwan in various ways, militarily, economically, and just out of sheer numbers.
Specific issues were discussed in the very brief meeting, however it was one step towards diplomacy rather than conflict for power.
| |
| Analysis |
It was a first good step for inter-relations with China and Taiwan, even if the meeting only lasted five to seven minutes. President Ma is quoted in saying, “Inasmuch as our security and international Lebensraum are concerned, the two sides of the strait should face the reality, shouldn’t negate each other, should promote the well-being of the people, should proactively deal with disputes by peaceful means, and should expand bilateral cooperation” (Young 2). He believes thoroughly in the involvement of China in interdependence with Taiwan. This is a very liberal theory of the two nations working together in order to create the best future together with one another.
Chen Yunlin and President Ma discussed agreements for quicker mail delivery in between Taiwan and mainland China, in addition to economic agreements to help ease the pain of the global economic crisis. Also, there was emphasis on the regulation of food exports due to the tainted baby formula crisis in China. These agreements are helpful in order to avoid further conflict.
The meeting of both China and Taiwan is a perfect example of liberalism. Two countries, or one country and one de facto country, who have not previously got along, are trying to make ends meet with simple diplomacy. The new foreign relations that could stem from this meeting could only be working together in order to make both the Chinese and the Taiwanese happy.
| |
| Perspective |  | Liberal |
| In-Region URL | ||
| Out-of-Region URL | ||
| Submitted | November 6, 2008 at 7:02 pm | |
![[Go Cowboys!]](images/osulogo.png "Go Cowboys!")