Chairman Wu Po-hsiung: Please give Chairman Hu Jintao the Following Message

Chairman Wu Po-hsiung: Please give Chairman Hu Jintao the Following Message
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, China)
A Translation
May 22, 2008

Next week, at the invitation of Hu Jintao, Wu Po-hsiung will visit the mainland. We would like to ask Chairman Wu to convey a message to Chairman Hu. That message is: The two sides cannot avoid earthquakes, but the two sides of the Taiwan Strait can avoid war.

The Great Sichuan Earthquake created an unexpected climate of reconciliation between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. This climate of reconciliation grew from a spontaneous reaction on the part of the public on Taiwan. Wang Yung-ching started the ball rolling by donating 100 million NT. This set the tone for the public's perception of the Sichuan earthquake and its subsequent response. The DPP government, not wanting to find itself behind the curve of mainstream public opinion, promptly announced a 2 billion NT disaster relief program. This was followed by humanitarian charter flights between the two sides, waves of volunteers, and large quantities of relief supplies rushed to disaster areas. A major earthquake brought down all kinds of barriers between the two sides, liberating everyone from psychological and physical barriers built up over the years. Liberated psychologically, people on Taiwan were free to express their heartfelt concern for mainland quake victims. Conversely, people on the mainland were free to express their gratitude and appreciation for their Taiwan compatriots' compassion and goodwill. Liberated physically, humanitarian charter flights were able to shuttle back and forth freely, exposing the folly of previously imposed political shackles.

The earthquake stimulated cross-strait dialogue at two levels. First, the humanitarian level. In essence, the living and dead from the September 21, 1999 Taiwan Earthquake spoke with the living and dead from the May 12, 2008 Sichuan Earthquake. The deceased in Taiwan and in Sichuan bled the same blood. The survivors in Taiwan and Sichuan shed the same tears. Second, the political level. The heartfelt concern of the public on Taiwan for mainland quake victims unconsciously repaired years of trauma to cross-strait political relations. People on Taiwan blazed a trail for both governments. Fortunately both governments elected to make the most of the opportunity that presented itself. They used earthquake efforts to raise cross-strait relations to a new level.

The Wu/Hu Conference will debut under these circumstances. Wu Poh-hsiung will express sympathy for mainland quake victims on behalf of the Taiwan public. Hu Jintao will express gratitude to the Taiwan public for its generosity on behalf of mainland quake victims. This meeting will be the first between these two chairmen. As chairmen of their respective ruling parties, they must remind each other to heed the common aspirations of people on both sides of the strait. An earthquake may be an extraordinary event. But in a sense it is merely a magnified version of the hardships people every day. An event such as an earthquake reminds political leaders about the nature of their responsibilities. When Hu Jintao and Wu Po-hsiung meet and discuss the earthquake, they must remind each other to live up the expectations of the people.

The theme of the Wu/Hu Conference will of course be cross-strait relations. Both sides must treasure the friendly cross-strait atmosphere created by the earthquake. They must offer concrete policy prescriptions in response to public expectations. Official gestures of goodwill will encourage and sustain friendly people-to-people relations, creating a virtuous circle. Friendly cross-strait people-to-people relations is a precious commodity. The atmosphere of compassion and mutual concern that emerged as a result of the earthquake must be nurtured by leaders on both sides of the strait. It must become an integral part of the framework for cross-strait relations.

In terms of cross-strait relations, the lesson the earthquake offers authorities on both sides is that peaceful cross-strait relations cannot be achieved by means of war. The lives taken by the earthquake have cut people to the quick. If one day the two sides are driven by their leaders to shoot at each other, that would be an offense to god and man. The authorities and the public on Taiwan must remain confident in their ability to persuade the public on the mainland to cherish and preserve Taiwan's democracy and way of life. They must persuade the public on the mainland to soften their leaders' attitudes toward Taiwan. As a previous editorial in this newspaper stated, when mainland authorities "pin their hopes on the people of Taiwan," they must consider the people of Taiwan's hopes.

Natural disasters are unavoidable. The two sides of the strait cannot avoid earthquakes. But if people on both sides of the strait can demonstrate the kind of concern for each other they did during the Sichuan Earthquake, they are already blood brothers. Man-made disasters can be avoided. The two sides can avoid war. If an earthquake can inspire people to shed the same tears, might not an earthquake prevent people from shedding each others' blood?

We would like to ask Chairman Wu to carry a message to Chairman Hu. That message is: The two sides cannot avoid earthquakes, but the two sides can avoid war.

請吳伯雄主席帶給胡錦濤主席一句話
【聯合報╱社論】
2008.05.22 02:59 am

吳伯雄應胡錦濤之邀，將於下周訪問大陸。我們想請吳主席給胡主席帶一句話：兩岸不會沒有地震，但兩岸可以沒有戰爭！

四川大地震給兩岸關係帶來了意料之外的和解氣氛，且這種氣氛是由台灣民間自動自發地發動。首先，王永慶在第一時間拋出一億元人民幣捐款，可謂為台灣民間的認知與態度定了調；接著，民進黨政府宣布二十億台幣賑災方案，毋寧也是感知到不能自外於台灣主流民意使然。接下來，兩岸人道包機往返，大批的台灣志工與救援物資湧向災區。一場大地震，彷彿震垮了兩岸之間近年來若有似無的種種矜持與障礙，使得雙方多年來在心理及實體上的阻絕立即獲得大幅解放。就心理層面的解放言，台灣人民慷慨地向大陸災民表達關懷，大陸人民亦深刻感受到台灣人民真摯的善意；就實體層面的解放言，人道包機的往返，正好反襯了過去五花大綁的政治束縛是多麼無謂無聊。

大地震所觸動的兩岸對話，有兩個層次：一、人道層次。可謂是「九二一」與「五一二」的對話，畢竟兩岸死者流的血是一樣的血，兩岸生者流的淚是一樣的淚。二、政治層次。台灣人民此次對大陸災民的熱心關切，在不知不覺間也是對兩岸多年來惡化的政治關係進行修補；這一次，可說是台灣民間走在兩岸政府的前面，民間打開了政府打不開的局面，且幸而兩岸政府亦能因勢利導，藉震災互動而將兩岸關係推升了幾個台階。

吳胡會在這樣的背景下登場，吳伯雄自然會代表台灣人民向大陸災民表達慰問，而胡錦濤亦會代表大陸人民向台灣人民的關懷與捐輸表達謝意。但最重要的是，這是兩岸「執政黨主席」的首次會晤；二人應就各自身為兩岸執政黨主席的責任相互勉勵，並且共同傾聽兩岸人民的心聲。震災固然是非常事件，卻將民間疾苦放大呈現在主政者的眼前；救災亦是非常任務，卻可使主政者更能領悟自己的執政天職。當吳伯雄及胡錦濤兩位執政黨主席面對面地論及慘重的震災，二人應當自我提醒及相互勉勵，皆要做一個不辜負人民喁喁殷望的執政者。

兩岸關係當然是吳胡會的主題。賓主雙方尤應珍惜震災所形成的兩岸民間友善氣氛，以具體的政策宣示來回應民間的期許；如此，兩岸官方釋放的善意政策，又能回過頭來鼓勵及滋長兩岸民間的友好氛圍，即可形成良性循環。兩岸民間的相互珍惜，是兩岸互動的重大資產；此種相惜相憐的民間氛圍因震災而密集顯現，主政者應當善加維護，並使之成為架構兩岸關係的脊柱。

就兩岸關係的角度來看，大震災給兩岸執政者的啟示應是：兩岸關係必須和平穩定，絕不能以戰爭解決。地震滅殺生命已使兩岸民間有連心之痛，倘若有一天兩岸主政者驅使兩岸人民用槍砲互相殘殺，豈是天理民心所容？準此以言，台灣的主政者與人民，應當自信有能力說服大陸人民對台灣的民主與民生知所珍惜與維護，並藉大陸的民心與民意來軟化改善大陸主政者對台灣的態度；相對而言，則如日前本報社論所言，當大陸當局「寄希望於台灣人民」之時，亦當多想一想「台灣人民的希望」是什麼？

天災難免，兩岸不會沒有地震；發生地震，兩岸民間若能如這次四川震災一般地相互關懷與扶持，其實猶如「兄弟之邦」。但是，人禍則可避，兩岸可以沒有戰爭；倘若今日震災尚且教兩岸人民一同淚眼相對，誰能想像有一天兩岸人民會倒在對方槍口下的血泊中？

請吳主席帶給胡主席一句話：兩岸不會沒有地震，但兩岸可以沒有戰爭！