The structural factors that contribute to the stability of the China-Taiwan relationship stem from three different policy lines coming out of Taiwan, China, and the United States. For Taipei, when Ma won his 2008 campaign, he didn’t hesitate to construct a policy of “maintaining cross-Strait stability” according to his party platform. That platform was based on the 1992 Consensus, in which Beijing and Taipei agreed that there’s one China, but that each side has its own interpretation of what that means. That policy line helped eliminate the instability caused by the “one country on each side” principle that was raised by Ma’s predecessors from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). It implied that China and Taiwan were separate countries, not just two political spheres within one country.
There is stability because China is willing to refrain from attacking Taiwan as long as a political party appears willing to eventually peacefully unify with the mainland.
Yes, the DPP is more forward leaning in its statements, but it is hardly considering a declaration of independence. They know that would kill our security obligations to Taiwan.
Ma's KMT is willing to say words that soothe China, but is his party really willing to go all the way to reunification on terms acceptable to China? I doubt that. Unless his party is willing to spark an insurrection and call in mainland security forces to pacify Taiwan.
The source of instability is China's unwillingness to leave Taiwan alone, which just wants to chart their own future. China continues to build up forces to achieve a margin of security that an invasion would succeed. Or better, to gain such an obvious margin of success that Taiwan crumbles rather than fight a losing war. But this is "stability" that is to be cherished?
Indeed, a source of instability is the mere fact that Taiwan holds elections and transfers power peacefully as the result of those elections. That's inconvenient for Peking which claims that Asians aren't ready for democracy--certainly not Chinese Asians.
So stop blaming free Taiwanese for having free elections. A lot of Chinese aren't that happy to live under Peking's rule, remember. Taiwan can't satisfy China's demands for easing tensions unless they ultimately surrender to China.
Who is the unreasonable party causing tension here?
