The Fall of the Berlin Wall vs. the Opening of the Taiwan Strait

The Fall of the Berlin Wall vs. the Opening of the Taiwan Strait
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
November 9, 2009

Today is the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Germany presented the Republic of China a section of the Berlin Wall. President Ma Ying-jeou was invited to address a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy on Xinyi Road, in Taipei.
On November 9, 1989, the people of the two Germanies tore down the Berlin Wall. According to Western historians, this event marked the collapse of the Communist political and economic system, and the end of the Cold War global stand-off.

But in fact, from a larger historical perspective, the collapse of Communism and the end of Cold War confrontation did not begin in Berlin, but rather in the Taiwan Strait. Many people believe disillusionment with the Communist leadership began in 1986, with Mikhail Gorbachev's "New Thinking" in the Soviet Union. But in fact it began in 1978, with Deng Xiaoping's "Reform and Liberalization" on Mainland China. Many people consider the demolition of the Berlin Wall by citizens of the two Germanies in November 1989, a classic case of protests against the Communist political and economic system. But in fact such protests began between April 15 and June 4 of the same year, in Beijing's Tiananmen Square. The Tiananmen Incident inspired citizens of the two Germanies. Many people believe the resolution of the Cold War began with the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989. But in fact it began with the lifting of martial law and the opening of cross-Strait exchanges by Chiang Ching-kuo in 1987.

In fact, the tearing down of the Berlin Wall was a random event. At the time, East German authorities merely meant to loosen travel restrictions for citizens of East Germany. This decision was mistakenly interpreted as an order to open up the Berlin Wall. But this mistaken decree was warmly welcomed by the people. As a result citizens of the two Germanies took to the streets to celebrate, and in their enthusiasm demolished the wall. By contrast, when Chiang Ching-kuo announced the lifting of martial law and the opening of links across the Taiwan Strait, it was the result of at least a decade of soul-searching and preparations. Only after taking full advantage of the time he had to prepare, did he announce the opening of links across the Taiwan Strait. For decades, Beijing has been much stronger than Taipei. The disparity in military might and overall strength between Beijing and Taipei has long been greater than the disparity between rival regimes in other divided countries, such as North and South Vietnam, East and West Germany, North and South Korea. Taipei therefore, has lived under a greater threat from the Communist political and economic system. But Chiang Ching-kuo took into account this dangerous disparity in size when making his preparations. He made today's situation, in which Taipei has full democracy, and Beijing is undergoing reform and liberalization, possible. For Chiang Ching-kuo and Taipei, the opening of links across the Taiwan Strait was not a random event. It was the result of careful planning and preparation.

By the same token, Beijing began "smashing the Gang of Four" as early as 1976. Talk of "Reform and Liberalization" emerged in 1978. These were more cataclysmic than the events of the pro-democracy movement of 1989 in Tiananmen Square. These important historical events were not random, like the collapse of the Berlin Wall. They were the result of "Thirty Years of Disaster." The preceding three decades of Chinese Communist rule imposed upon its citizens the most brutally obtuse political and economic system in recorded history. Therefore party insiders underwent the deepest soul-searching, leading to the "Smash the Gang of Four" coup, and to "Reform and Liberalization." Public protests were intense. Public expectations were high. Hence the 6/4 Tiananmen Incident. Mainland China is what it is today, as a result of internal soul-searching by the Communist Party inspired by Deng Xiaoping's reforms, and public expectations symbolized by the 6/4 Incident. These turning points were hardly accidental. They were the result of decades of blood, sweat, and tears.

It is no exaggeration to say that the disintegration of the Communist political and economic system, and the extinguishing of the flames of Cold War military confrontation during the last century, did not begin with Mikhail Gorbachev's "New Thinking." It began with Deng Xiaoping's "Reform and Liberalization." Nor did it begin with the collapse of the Berlin Wall. It began with Chiang Ching-kuo's opening of links across the Taiwan Strait. Beijing's "Reform and Liberalization" will continue to be the model for the reformation of Communist dictatorships. Cross-Strait interactions are likely to author a new page in the "peaceful development" of human civilization.

It is not necessary to sing about the collapse of the Berlin Wall. People on both sides of the Taiwan Strait should be aware that, historically speaking, the opening of links across the Taiwan Strait was a far more significant event. The German people dismantled the artificially made Berlin Wall. People on both sides of the Taiwan Strait opened links across a naturally made body of water. When the Berlin Wall fell, the two Germanies were forced to react immediately. But the Taiwan Strait both links and separates, allowing the two sides to calmly engage in "peaceful development." Sixty years ago, the two sides spoke of "Liberating Taiwan" and "Retaking the Mainland." Today we speak of feform and liberalization, of opening links, of win-win scenarios, and of seeking commonalities and resolving differences. We have gone from "peaceful reunification" to "peaceful development." In fact, the two sides have long been in the forefront of history, well ahead of Gorbachev and the Berlin Wall. We have even more opportunities to establish historical precedents worthy of emulation in the future.

The fall of the Berlin Wall was not the final answer to the transformation of Communist dictatorships and the elimination of the shadow of war. The final answer came from leaders on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. After two decades of interaction they are now undergoing "peaceful development." Relations are increasingly rational and tranquil. People the world over are seeking models to emulate. Such models will soon become evident.

柏林圍牆倒塌與台灣海峽開通
【聯合報╱社論】
2009.11.09 03:21 am

今天是柏林圍牆倒塌廿周年，德國方面贈送台灣的一堵柏林圍牆切體，在台北市信義路台灣民主基金會前庭剪綵展示，馬英九總統應邀致詞。

一九八九年十一月九日，柏林圍牆被兩德民眾聯手推倒，在西方本位的歷史詮釋中，此一事件標誌著共產主義政經體制的瓦解與將世界撕裂對立的冷戰之結束。

其實，若以更具高度的大歷史觀點來看，共產主義的動搖，與冷戰對立的結束，皆非始自柏林，而是肇發於台灣海峽。世人以為，共產主義的醒悟始自一九八六年蘇聯元首戈巴契夫的「新思維」，但真正的答案卻是始自一九七八年鄧小平的「改革開放」；世人也以為，一九八九年十一月兩德民眾推倒柏林圍牆，是受統治者對共產政經體制的抗議經典事件，但真正的答案則應是早在當年四月十五日至六月四日持續了七周的北京天安門事件，給了兩德民眾啟示；世人又以為，冷戰局面的化解，始自一九八九年的柏林圍牆的倒塌，但真正的答案卻應是肇端自一九八七年蔣經國的解嚴與開放台海兩岸交流。

柏林圍牆的推倒，其實是一個偶發事件。當時，東德當局原本只是計劃開放東德人民的旅遊限制，此一決策卻被錯誤地發布成即將開放柏林圍牆的命令；但這個錯誤的政令立即受到民眾熱烈歡迎，使上街慶祝的兩德民眾在激情中將圍牆推翻。相對而言，蔣經國宣布解嚴與開放海峽交通，卻是經歷了至少十餘年的反省及經營，而在他用盡了上天給他的準備時間後，才宣布並啟動開放海峽。幾十年來，台灣因與大陸的軍力與綜合國力相去懸殊，在所有「分裂國家」間（南北越、東西德、南北韓）受共產政經體制的威脅最大；但因蔣經國的因應、經營、準備，遂在大小懸殊的凶險情勢中，仍能將局面撐持至「台灣全面民主／大陸改革開放」的今日。因此，對蔣經國及台灣而言，海峽開放不是偶發事件，而是一個經歷深刻規劃與經營的事件。

同樣的道理，對於中國大陸而言，早在一九七六年就發生「粉碎四人幫」，及一九七八年就出現了「改革開放」的思維，更在一九八九年發生驚天動地的天安門民運；這些重大的歷史事件，皆不像柏林圍牆倒塌那般臨機性，而是因經歷了「三十年浩劫」長期蘊蓄而爆發。畢竟，前三十年的中共政經體制，相對而言，是同期歷史中最殘暴愚昧的政經體制；因此，黨內的反省也最深刻（所以有「粉碎四人幫」的鞭屍政變，及「改革開放」的大修正主義），民間的抗議與期待也最強烈（所以有六四事件）。就某種意義來說，中國大陸之所以有今日，其實是由中共內部以鄧小平為首的反省改革，與以六四事件為代表的民間期待，所協力完成。這些轉折殊非偶然，而皆是幾十年的生靈血淚所催動。

可以毫不誇張地說，上世紀末葉共產主義政經體制的瓦解，與軍事對立的冷戰之熄火，不是始自戈巴契夫的「新思維」，而是始自鄧小平的「改革開放」；也不是始自柏林圍牆倒塌，而是始自蔣經國開通了台灣海峽。而且，朝今後的歷史來看，中共的「改革開放」仍將是共產專政修正轉型的指標樣板，而台海兩岸的互動更有可能為人類文明的「和平發展」寫下新頁。

不須讚嘆柏林圍牆的倒塌，兩岸人民應知，台灣海峽的開通其實是更重大的歷史事件。德國人拆除了人造的柏林圍牆，兩岸則開通了天然的台灣海峽。柏林圍牆既倒，兩德必須立即面對；但台灣海峽既開通又區隔，卻給了兩岸從容進行「和平發展」的條件。六十年來，從解放台灣、反攻大陸，走到改革開放、開放交流、雙贏共生、求同化異；從「和平統一」，走到「和平發展」；兩岸其實一直走在歷史（戈巴契夫／柏林圍牆）的前面，未來更有機會為人類歷史創造新的典範。

共產專政的轉型與戰爭陰影的消除，其實柏林圍牆尚未給世人最後的答案；此一答案是由台海兩岸領先作答，經二十年來的互動激盪，如今在「和平發展」的主旋律下，愈來愈理智，愈來愈昇華，世人應可期待一個典範式的答案，將在不日繳卷時呈現。