Can Taiwan Win at Anything Against the Mainland?

Can Taiwan Win at Anything Against the Mainland?
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
March 9, 2009

During the Beijing Olympics the Chinese Taipei baseball team lost to the Mainland Chinese team, seven to eight. The day before yesterday the Chinese Taipei baseball team suffered another defeat, losing one to four. Fans called the loss a "national humiliation" and wondered aloud "Can Taiwan win at anything against the mainland?"

Looking at cross-strait relations from high atop a baseball stadium provides us with a thought-provoking perspective. For starters, we need not sell ourselves short. The Republic of China's political and economic systems have already emerged victorious over the mainland's. On this basis alone, Taiwan remains a beacon of freedom for the mainland. Cross-Strait competition is likely to result in a draw. But if the ROC's political and economic freedoms are compromised the result will be disaster.

Taiwan's role has changed in recent years. Baseball is hardly the only competition in which it has lost to the mainland. We should be far more alarmed about losing our position as the head of the four Asian Tigers. We are now bringing up the rear. Losing a baseball game to the mainland has provoked an island-wide uproar. Losing our status as the head of the Four Asian Tigers, on the other hand, have done nothing to encourage either self-reflection or soul-searching. They are upset about a baseball game, but indifferent to the strategic picture. What is this, if not Taiwan's tragedy?

Mainland teams won 51 Olympic gold medals. Taiwan teams did not lose to mainland teams only in baseball. Even if the Taiwan team lost to the mainland team in baseball, our political and economic systems are better than the mainland's. Look at cross-Strait political and economic competition from the macro level. Three decades of political and economic reform on the mainland emulated the "Taiwan Experience." Losing to the mainland at baseball may make the public on Taiwan sad. But it does no harm to the strategic picture. What the public on Taiwan ought to ask itself is, what can Taiwan win at besides baseball?

A ball is round. Our circumstances and global circumstances are constantly changing. We lost to the mainland at baseball. We came in last among the Four Asian Tigers. The coach for the Chinese Taipei team said "We must admit the mainland baseball team has made rapid progress, while we have remained stagnant." This is true for baseball, and we must guard against becoming true in other areas.

The Chinese Taipei team lost in Beijing and in Tokyo. Next year the Chinese Taipei team will play the mainland Chinese team in Guangzhou. The mainland Chinese team will not vanish into thin air. The Chinese Taipei team must confront it head on. In fact, in cross-Straits competition of all sorts, the mainland will not vanish into thin air, and Taiwan must confront it head on. If some day the Chinese Taipei baseball team no longer appears in baseball stadiums, other forms of cross-Strait competition will persist. Participation in sports is optional. The mainland won 51 Olympic gold medals. The Chinese Taipei team did not compete in most of those events. Therefore winning or losing was not even an issue. But cross-strait political and economic competition is compulsory. One must play. Forfeiting is not an option.

The ROC's strength lies in its political system. This system must not be corrupted. The ROC's vitality lies in its free economy and civil society. This life force must not be stifled. If our political system can make 1.3 billion mainland compatriots envious, if our civil society can impress the world with its vitality and dynamism, we will be able to maintain stable cross-Strait relations. Baseball is a zero sum game. Someone must win, and someone must lose. But cross-Strait political and economic competition is a win/win proposition.

Taiwan remains mired in 2/28, Taiwan independence and the Chen corruption case. That's more worrisome than losing a ball game. Our economic future remains at the mercy of demands for a Closed Door Policy, and demands that we not sign ECFA. Mainland visitors like Zhang Mingqing can be attacked by Green Camp hooligans, who equate assaulting a guest the equivalent of a military victory. Local officials like Annette Lu are so cowed by Green Camp agitators they dare not accept invitations from the mainland to visit. We don't even have the courage to step onto the playing field. So how can we possibly compete? Our democracy mires Taiwan deep in the quicksand of self-deception. Our economy locks Taiwan securely behind closed doors. Meanwhile, as Yeh Chi-hsian noted, the mainland has made rapid progress, while we have remained stagnant. Will refusing to play prove Taiwan has not lost to the mainland? Will refusing to play make the mainland go away?

Do not toy with democracy. Liberate the energy of the marketplace. We may lose at baseball, but we must make full use of the advantages our system of liberty offers us in cross-Strait competition. We must strive for a win/win outcome and mutual prosperity.

台灣還有什麼能贏大陸？
【聯合報╱社論】
2009.03.09 02:16 am

繼在京奧以七比八敗給中國隊，中華隊前天又以一比四在經典賽再嚐敗績。球迷以此為「國恥」，並嘆謂：「台灣還有什麼可以贏大陸？」

從球場風雲看兩岸消長，這是發人深省的宏觀省思。在進一步對此申論之前，我們要先指出：不必妄自菲薄，台灣其實在民主自由的政經體制上大幅贏過大陸；只要 在此一主軸上台灣能維持燈塔的指標地位，兩岸的賽局即可能維持均勢。然而，倘若台灣在民主自由的政經體制上竟也變質走樣，那將是一個不堪設想的局面。

台灣近年來角色地位的變化，其實不只是棒球輸給中國；更應警惕的是，我們曾居亞洲四小龍領頭羊的地位，如今卻幾已敗退至敬陪末座。現在輸一場棒球給中國， 搞得舉國嗟嘆；但是，台灣近年痛失四小龍龍頭的大挫敗，卻似乎未見國人有什麼反省與警覺。對球賽敏感，對大局冷感，這是不是台灣的悲哀？

中國畢竟是贏得五十一面金牌的奧運首強，所以台灣在體育運動上也不只是棒球輸給中國而已；反過來說，台灣即使棒球輸給中國，但我們仍在政經體制的發展上優 於大陸，就兩岸的宏觀政經賽局而言，中國近三十年來的政經改革即不無參照「台灣經驗」之處。或許可以這麼說：棒球輸給中國，雖使台灣人傷心，但其實尚無傷 大局，台灣必須思考的是：除了棒球，台灣還有什麼可以贏大陸？

球是圓的，國情世局亦是變動不居的。不論是棒球輸給中國，或台灣變成敬陪四小龍之末，也許皆應在中華隊教練葉志仙的一句話：「必須承認中國隊的棒球進步很大，我們則卻停滯不前的事實。」棒球如此，更應警惕的是，台灣在其他方面，是否亦復如此？

北京、東京兩場棒球輸了，明年中華隊還要在廣州面對中國隊；中國隊不會人間蒸發，中華隊也唯有全力迎戰。其實，在兩岸競合的其他領域中，中國亦不會消失， 台灣也必須全面迎對。縱使有一天台灣棒球隊因沒落而在國際球場消失，兩岸全面的競合關係也仍將存在，仍須面對及處理，無可迴避。也就是說，體育競技或許可 以不參加，正如中國五十一枚金牌的奧運項目，台灣大多未參加，因此就談不上輸贏的問題；但是，兩岸整體政經體制的競合發展，台灣卻無閃避的餘地，只能迎 對，不容退縮。

這就回到兩岸政經體制的競賽了。台灣的強項是民主政治，但民主不可變質；台灣的強項是自由經濟形成的民間活力，但此種活力不可扼殺。台灣倘若能發展出令對 岸十三億人敬佩珍惜的民主政治，又倘若能提供民間活力向對岸及世界進取的動能，台灣就很可能維持平衡穩定的兩岸關係。因為，球賽一定是你輸我贏；但兩岸政 經體制的宏觀競合，卻可以「雙贏」！

比輸掉一場球賽更使人憂慮者是：台灣的民主，仍然深陷二二八、台獨及扁案之中；台灣的經濟生機，仍然深陷要不要鎖國，要不要簽ＥＣＦＡ的爭議之中。對岸來 訪，張銘清被圍毆追打（打人，就能贏得球賽？）；對岸邀訪，呂秀蓮則被綠營嚇得不敢應邀（連上場都不敢，如何贏球？）。這樣的民主，是要將台灣埋在自欺欺 人的台獨流沙之中；這樣的經濟，是要閉關鎖國。但是，如葉志仙所說，在「對岸進步很快，我們停滯不前」的憂慮中，難道將以拒絕上場打球，來證明台灣沒有輸 給大陸？或證明中國根本不存在？

不要玩弄民主，必須解放經濟動能。我們即使輸掉棒球，但也必須竭盡台灣民主自由體制的優勢，在兩岸宏觀競合關係中，全力爭取「雙贏共榮」！