Lee's biggest challenge: Settling tensions between China, Taiwan
March 24, 1996
Web posted at: 12:45 a.m. EST (0545 GMT)From Correspondent Mike Chinoy
TAIPEI, Taiwan (CNN) -- As supporters of Taiwan's president Lee Teng-hui toasted his convincing victory Saturday, attention was already turning to Lee's biggest challenge: The crisis in relations with China.
During the campaign, Lee struck a defiant note, taunting Beijing for its military exercises and proclaiming that he would never give in to Chinese pressure.
But with the voting over and the results declared, many here are now looking for an initiative from their first directly elected president to reduce current tensions.
Tien Hung-mao of the Institute for National Policy Research says Lee has several options. One would be to send the leadership in Beijing at signal that he's willing to move toward political reconciliation.
Other steps Lee could take include proposing a fresh round of talks with the mainland; moving toward establishing direct air, sea and postal links across the Taiwan Strait; and hinting that he might lower his international profile.
But after investing so much in its military exercises, many analysts believe, Beijing is in no mood to accept symbolic gestures from Lee and is likely to insist on concrete deeds.
China wants Lee to end his drive for greater worldwide recognition and to accept Beijing's definition of what the island can and cannot do in the international arena.
Yet, many in Taiwan believe the island could serve as a democratic example for the mainland.
"The successful consolidation of Taiwan's democracy shows people around the world, including those on the mainland, that democracy is not a dream. It's possible."
-- Tien Hung-mao, Institute for National Policy Research
Lee will be calculating his moves against an international backdrop that has been dramatically transformed by the events of the past few weeks.
Political scientist Sam Wu of Chengchi University says he believes China's "military harassment" is proving counter-productive for the mainland.
"(China) wants to convince everyone Taiwan is a domestic issue. But instead they have internationalized the issue. It has also raised suspicion of all the nations in the area," Wu said.
Indeed, China's muscle-flexing has produced a sea change in U.S. policy. As the deployment of the U.S. seventh fleet in the Western Pacific indicates, Washington is now more hostile to Beijing and more supportive of Taiwan than at any time in over 15 years.
And with China's belligerency and Washington's tough response, a framework that has helped to maintain peace in Asia for decades has been shattered. Now, it's not only Taiwan but the whole region that is moving into uncharted territory.
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