Taiwan watches Hong Kong reunification closely
June 29, 1997
Web posted at: 4:05 p.m. EDT (2005 GMT)From Correspondent Sohn Jie-Ae
TAIPEI, Taiwan (CNN) -- Thousands of Taiwanese gathered at a "Say No to China" protest in Taipei this weekend, waving flags and shouting slogans as they asserted their independence from Beijing.
The crowd, put by police at well over 70,000 -- one of the biggest in Taiwan history -- denounced China's long-time claim to the island, home to the defeated Chinese Nationalist government since the end of the civil war in 1949.
Just across the street, another group was celebrating Hong Kong's handover to China at midnight Monday and asserting their wish for eventual reunification with China.
China has, in fact, extended an offer to Taiwan of reunion under the "one country, two systems" model that brings Hong Kong back to China after 156 years of British rule.
Yet despite the differing stands, neither group wants Taiwan to become another Hong Kong.
"Hong Kong is a colony. Its problem is how to get rid of colonialism," said Chang King-yuh, chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council.
"But Taiwan has been a sovereign state since 1912. We are entitled to international activities, we have our central government, we have our defense, we have our constitutional democracy. We are not Hong Kong. So regardless of how the one-country, two-system approach is implemented in Hong Kong, it cannot be applied to the Republic of China."
China says Taiwan will return to mainland
China has vowed to keep Taiwan from going too far down the road toward independence. Beijing has clearly stated that after reclaiming Hong Kong, then Macau in 1999, Taiwan will be next.
Taiwan is not taking China's threats lightly. This past week, it went ahead with regular military exercises, a move that many interpreted as a thinly veiled warning to Beijing.
Taipei will be watching closely to see how Hong Kong changes under a system that Beijing hopes will reassure Taiwan and ease the way toward reunification.
"If the democratic institutions developed in the past couple of years in Hong Kong remain intact and even make more advances, sure, that will make the so-called 'one country, two systems' rather attractive," said Ma Ying-jeou, a former justice minister.
"But I doubt very much that (Beijing) will allow Hong Kong to develop democratic institutions as the people of Hong Kong will like to have."
Taiwan, China linked economically
Economically, Taiwan and China are already closely linked. Despite the Taiwan government's cautious approach, approximately 30,000 Taiwanese companies account for some U.S. $30 billion worth of investments in China, mostly routed through Hong Kong.
"China is the biggest dominating country in the world. Hong Kong is the fastest growing city market, and Taiwan is skillful in high-tech production," Chiao Yu-chi, the president of Walsin Lihwa Corp. said, drawing a sports analogy: "Just like you put Michael Jordan, Carl Malone, and Scottie Pippen on one team, I don't think anyone can beat that kind of collaboration."
And, say many in Taiwan, it is a union that works just fine the way it is. While Taiwan voices strong political differences with China, most here would follow their pocketbooks and choose to stick with the status quo.
- Message Board: Hong Kong transfer
- Newsmaker Profile: Jiang Zemin - Chinese President
- Newsmaker Profile: Tung Chee-hwa - Hong Kong Chief Executive Appointee
- Video Almanac1984 - Hong Kong transfer agreement
Related stories:
- British flag lowered for last time at Hong Kong Government House - June 28, 1997
- China to send 4,000 troops to Hong Kong at handover - June 26, 1997
- U.S., Britain weaken Hong Kong protest - June 26, 1997
- Hong Kong's voices of democracy worry about future - June 26, 1997
Sound off on our message boards
Tell us what you think!
You said it...
© 1997 Cable News Network, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.