Taiwan's future: Trend unstoppable

• Source: Global Times
• [00:56 December 22 2009]
• Comments

Taiwan badly needs the new growth momentum for repositioning itself as it should. The re-election of KMT to office may be seen as the Taiwan people’s endorsement of the main-land-Taiwan rapprochement and deepening business exchanges. Their economic prospects cannot go forward without depending on the mainland.

Predictably, in the course of these developments, the opposition party has been staging periodic massive protests. The DPP chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen claimed to have brought 100,000 people out on the streets to protest against Chen’s current visit. Almost all DPP heavyweights put in an appearance at the rally Monday.

Responding to the public expectation of better economic conditions is a realistic approach that any ruling party would adopt. Sabotaging normal business exchanges for fear of warming cross-Straits relations reveals the political narrow-mindedness of the DPP, and its lack of a core political idea to attract voters.

Chen responded with goodwill to the protests, saying that he respected the critics. Rightly so, as there is no need to overreact to the DPP.

Protest cannot derail the fourth Chen-Chiang meeting. Nor can it disrupt the ever-close relations across Taiwan Straits. The opposition politicians need to understand that they cannot disregard the political aspirations of the people of Taiwan.

You cannot feed on the idea of "Taiwan independence." Issues such as economic growth, better quality of life, and more financial benefits would influence public opinion in Taiwan. Much hinges on the mainland, which, clearly, has time on its side.