Pan Green Template Hsueh Ling: Beneficiary of Pan Green Fast Track

Pan Green Template Hsueh Ling: Beneficiary of Pan Green Fast Track
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
July 16, 2013 

Summary: The timing of Hsueh Ling's Pan Green template was just right. This Pan Green fast track is a variation on the Zhongnan fast track. In fact, an endless stream of Pan Green politicians have been making such trips. But all three members of the Hsueh Ling family are high ranking party officials. As a result the DPP has effectively given this fast track its official seal of approval. Let us see how the DPP will justify its actions.

Full text below:

We once had a "Zhongnan fast track." We now have a "Pan Green fast track."

Tang Dynasty scholar Lu Chang-yun yearned to climb the career ladder. So he retreated into the Zhongnan Mountains and posed as a hermit. As a result he was perceived as a great sage who had transcended worldly concerns. The imperial court begged him to descend from his lofty perch in the mountains, and serve as a government official. Later generations expressed contempt for his ploy, calling it the "Zhongnan fast track."

DPP legislator Hsueh Ling's husband is DPP Central Review Committee Chairman Chen Shen-hung. Her son is DPP Taipei City Councilor Ho Chih-wei. Together, the three head up the Sunnybank China branch bank, which opened in Shanghai yesterday. Their application to open a branch bank on the Mainland was submitted in February of this year. Five short months later, it was approved. The branch is already open for business. Some say Hsueh Ling's Pan Green pedigree opened up a "Pan Green channel." What is this "Pan Green channel," other than a modern day "Pan Green fast track?"

The day the Sunnybank branch opened, all three members of Hsueh Ling's family visited Shanghai. They did not however, attend the opening ceremony. Later, in response to media requests, Hsueh showed herself. Out of nowhere Hsueh Ling blurted out "Former DPP Chairmen Yao Chia-wen, Hsu Hsing-liang, and Frank Hsieh have all visited [Mainland] China." "We (three) are merely guests invited to attend the opening ceremony. We are all happy to see it come to fruition." She conveyed a "Nothing to see here, move along" tone. But is the opening of a Sunnybank branch on Mainland China really no different that Yao Chia-wen, Hsu Hsing-liang, and Frank Hsieh "visiting [Mainland[ China"?

DPP spokesman Cheng Wen-chan's response was even less comprehensible. He said "Economics is economics, politics is politics." He said the company is not under the control of the DPP. It is under the control of the FSC and SET. He trotted out the old saw, "Do not read so much politics into it." He even added, "A political party cannot control whom its party members marry." But can Hsueh Ling opening up a Sunnybank branch in Shanghai, on Mainland China, really be likened to a marriage between two individuals?

Hsueh Ling has become a Pan Green template for cross-Strait exchanges. The Sunnybank branch on Mainland China is forecasting a profit during its very first year. Beijing is eager to prove to the DPP that ECFA will not "forfeit sovereignty and humiliate the nation." It is not about to disappoint the Sunnybank branch in Shanghai, which was established under the auspices of ECFA. With this cross-Strait business move, Hsueh Ling has become a walking advertisement for the Pan Green fast track.

The DPP's "China Affairs Committee" is sounding the alarms. It is warning against "blindly seeking concessions from [Mainland] China." It is simultaneously complaining that "[Mainland] China has not made enough concessions on TISA," and threatening boycotts. It is also rushing to Pan Green template Hsueh Ling's defense, arguing that "Politics is politics, economics is economics." Can anyone make heads or tails out of the DPP's game?

Hsueh Ling and her family have become a Pan Green template. The DPP must be held politically accountable. The DPP condemned ECFA, saying it "forfeited sovereignty and humiliated the nation." The DPP is currently using the same terms to characterize TISA. Therefore how can it airily dismiss the Sunnybank branch opening as "Politics is politics, economics is economics?" The fact is, the DPP has never been a political party that believes "Politics is politics, and economics is economics." It has never been content to allow cross-Strait relations to be a case of "Politics is politics, and economics is economics." Its buffoonery cannot cover up what is clear for all to see. The DPP knows it must offer a compelling political justification for Pan Green template Hsueh Ling's actions. Otherwise why would so many of its spokesmen be struggling to rationalize it away?

The CCP accorded the Sunnybank branch opening VIP treatment. Needless to say, it has high expectations of this Pan Green template. But according to news reports CCP officials said they were "not happy to see some people support in independence on Taiwan, even as they made money on the Mainland." This was for Hsueh Ling's benefit. Needless to say, it was also for the DPP's benefit. It amounted to a direct rebuttal of the DPP's "Politics is politics, economics is economics" argument. The DPP can of course back Hsueh Ling as a Pan Green template. But if it does, it must also bear political responsibility for this Pan Green template's actions. This is something Beijing wants to know. This is something DPP supporters want know. This is something everyone on Taiwan has the right to know.

Hsueh Ling's Pan Green template has been the target of online criticism. Critics denounce Hsueh Ling and the DPP for "denouncing cross-Strait exchanges while profiting from them." Hsueh Ling's Cinderella story has confirmed a hypothesis circulated on the Internet for years. The hypothesis calims that "The more vocally one champions Taiwan independence, the more eager Beijing will be to make concessions." Hsueh Ling's Pan Green feet fit easily into Beijing's glass slipper. What was this, but proof of this hypothesis?

Hsueh Ling has become a Pan Green template. She has deftly taken the Pan Green fast track. The DPP must confront this matter in all seriousness. It must not kid itself. It must offer a non-contradictory rationale for cross-Strait economic and political relations. It cannot say one thing to Hsueh Ling, and something entirely different to others. Hsueh Ling traveled to the Mainland to attend the Sunnybank branch opening. The political impact was no less that of Frank Hsieh's "exploratory visit" last October. If the DPP backs Hsueh Ling's trip to Shanghai to attend the Sunnybank branch opening, how can it refuse to back Frank Hsieh's "constitutional one China?"

The timing of Hsueh Ling's Pan Green template was just right. This Pan Green fast track is a variation on the Zhongnan fast track. In fact, an endless stream of Pan Green politicians have been making such trips. But all three members of the Hsueh Ling family are high ranking party officials. As a result the DPP has effectively given this fast track its official seal of approval. Let us see how the DPP will justify its actions.

薛凌綠色樣板 飛越綠色捷徑
【聯合報╱社論】
2013.07.16 02:00 am

昔有「終南捷徑」，今有「綠色捷徑」。

唐代，士子盧藏用，為出仕計，入終南山佯裝隱士，反被視為避世高人，朝中將他禮聘下山為官，後世諷為「終南捷徑」。

今日，民進黨立委薛凌，與夫民進黨中評委主委陳勝宏，及子民進黨台北市議員何志偉一家三口，主導「陽信融資租賃（中國）有限公司」，日昨在上海開幕。此案今年二月送件，短短五個月即迅速核准，並已開張。有人指正是因薛凌一家的綠色背景，走的是便捷快速的「綠色通道」。這一條「綠色通道」，算不算是今世的「綠色捷徑」？

陽信租賃揭幕當天，薛凌一家三口到了上海，卻未參加開幕式；後經媒體要求現身，薛凌不知所云地說「民進黨前主席姚嘉文、許信良、謝長廷都來過中國」，「我們（一家三口）只是受邀來觀禮，樂觀其成」，一副此地無銀的情狀。但是，「陽信融資租賃（中國）有限公司」登陸開張營業，與姚嘉文、許信良、謝長廷「都來過中國」是同一回事嗎？

民進黨發言人鄭文燦的回應更是無厘頭。他說「經濟歸經濟／政治歸政治」，甚至說陽信公司不歸民進黨管，而是歸證交所與金管會管，然後又拋出「不要過分政治解讀」的一句老梗。他還說：「一個政黨不能管黨員結婚。」但是，薛凌去上海開「陽信租賃（中國）」，能比喻成「結婚」嗎？

薛凌已成兩岸交流的「綠色樣板」，「陽信租賃（中國）」已經預言，在第一年就要賺錢。相信北京方面為了證實ＥＣＦＡ不是民進黨所稱的「喪權辱國」，也一定不會讓在ＥＣＦＡ下成立的「陽信租賃（中國）」失望，薛凌的跨海事業儼然將成為這一條「綠色捷徑」的活廣告。

然而，正在此時，民進黨一方面在「中國事務委員會」上警告「不可一味要求中國讓利」；但另一方面卻又因「中國對《服貿協議》讓利不夠」，正揚言全力杯葛；再一方面又以「政治歸政治／經濟歸經濟」為薛凌的「綠色樣板」辯護。民進黨的這一盤棋，有人看得懂嗎？

薛凌一家已成「綠色樣板」，民進黨有責任在政治層面作出交代；因為，ＥＣＦＡ曾被民進黨斥為「喪權辱國」（如今又用同樣的字眼批判《服貿協議》），則豈可輕描淡寫地用「政治歸政治／經濟歸經濟」一語輕鬆帶過？其實，民進黨從來不是「政治歸政治／經濟歸經濟」，且兩岸關係也從來不可能「政治歸政治／經濟歸經濟」。無厘頭的打諢掩蓋不了有目共睹的實況，民進黨必須對薛凌這個「綠色樣板」，有一個足可昭告天下的政治理由，否則何以杜悠悠之口？

「陽信租賃（中國）」在上海開幕當日，中共方面給予高規格待遇，自是對此一「綠色樣板」有所期待。但報導稱，中共涉台官員說：「不樂見有人一邊在台灣支持台獨，一邊在大陸賺錢。」這是說給薛凌聽的，當然也是說給民進黨聽的，亦形同直接反駁了民進黨「政治歸政治／經濟歸經濟」的說法。因此，民進黨當然可以支持薛凌成為「綠色樣板」，卻亦有責任對此一「綠色樣板」的政治正當性作出交代；這是北京希望知道的，也是民進黨的支持者應當知道的，更是全體台灣民眾有權利知道的。

網路上對薛凌的「綠色樣板」頗多批評，指這是薛凌與民進黨「一邊罵，一邊拿」。但薛凌演出的這一齣灰姑娘傳奇，也彷彿證實了網路上流傳多年的一個猜測，指「愈獨的，愈容易取得北京的施惠」。薛凌雙腳的綠色尺碼，如此輕巧地就穿上北京特製的「陽信租賃（中國）有限公司」的玻璃鞋，這豈不正是民間猜測的應驗？

薛凌已成綠色樣板，輕巧飛越綠色捷徑。民進黨必須嚴肅面對此事，重新建構一套不致自相矛盾、不要自欺欺人的兩岸政經論述；不能對薛凌是一套，對別人又是另一套。薛凌的此趟「開幕之旅」，其政治效應絕不下於謝長廷去年十月的「開展之旅」；如果民進黨支持薛凌去上海開銀行，豈仍有可能捂住謝長廷的「憲法一中」？

薛凌的「綠色樣板」正逢其時，而這一條另類「終南捷徑」的「綠色捷徑」上，其實綠色政客早已絡繹於途；如今則因薛凌一家三口高高在上的黨公職頭銜，使這條捷徑的正當性形同獲得民進黨的政治授權與認可。且看民進黨如何自圓其說。