United Daily News Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
May 8, 2016
Executive Summary: We would remind the DPP that as the ruling party, it must behave in a mature and rational manner. It must be responsible for its actions. Since the DPP persists in provoking Beijing, it should cease acting like the injured party, and accusing the other side of "making trouble for Taiwan". That merely proves that the DPP is a paper tiger. A responsible government do not wage cross-Strait diplomatic war for domestic political consumption. That does Taiwan no good at all.
After an interminable wait, the World Health Organization has finally issued Taipei an invitation to the World Health Assembly (WHA). Unlike previous years however, this year's invitation includes an explicit reference to UN Resolution 2758 – the "one China principle". Also the invitation is addressed to the current Minister Huang Chiang Ping-hui, rather than the incoming Minister Lin Chou-yan. The registration deadline is just one day away. How will the incoming government respond?
The new government has only two ways to respond to this prickly invitation. The first is to swallow it, thorns and all. The second is to spit it out. If it chooses to swallow, so that it may take part in an international event and be heard, it must reluctantly accept the "one China principle". When it arrives at the General Assembly, it will have the opportunity to deliver a speech, enabling other countries to understand Taiwan's health care accomplishments. Non-governmental organizations may even be able to protest Beijing's pressure from the sidelines. But if it chooses to spit it out, if it considers the invitation intolerable, the drama will draw to an early close. There will be no international debut, no protest in the international spotlight. There will only be protests here at home, making this the most passive of all responses.
On balance, the former is undoubtedly preferable, because one can at least do battle and confront Beijing. The problem is that once one has swallowed the thorn, one faces other unpredictable variables. These variables depend on three key dates. The first is the registration deadline, July 9. The second is May 20, when the new government takes office. The third is May 23, when the World Health Assembly convenes.
The WHO sent an invitation to Chiang Ping-huang, the Ma government's official representative. It is hard to fault this as in any way improper. Taipei expected to receive a formal invitation on the 8th. But the WHA registration deadline is the 9th. That allows the government only one day to prepare, or request that the invitation be offered to Lin Chou-yan instead. If the WHO refuses to invite Lin Chou-yan, arguing that he is not Health and Welfare Minister yet, and refuses to allow him to attend, Taipei will get an embarrassing cold shoulder.
The WHA may not respond immediately. It may wait until May 20 to see how Tsai responds to the 1992 Consensus at her inauguration, before making a decision. If Tsai's interpretation of cross-Strait relations satisfies Beijing, Lin Chou-yan may be allowed to attend. Otherwise the WHA is likely to abide by UN Resolution 2758, and withdraw its invitation. Since the convening of the General Assembly is only three days away, the new government will have almost no time to react.
This invitation was so tardy, the timing was so close, and included the "one China" provision, that it makes Beijing's concerns crystal clear. The titles for our nation and our attendee were unchanged this time around. This may be the “good will” that Mainland Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Ma Xiaoguang spoke of. But his real focus was the next sentence: “If the political foundation for cross-Strait relations is destroyed, the above arrangement will no longer be sustainable”. In short, whether Lin Chou-yan may attend, depends on whether Tsai honors the 1992 Consensus as the political foundation for cross-Strait relations.
Is Tsai Ing-wen's new government willing to forgo attendance at the WHA under the premise of "one China"? Is Tsai unwilling to change her inaugural speech in response to intimidation from Beijing? Onlookers may may not understand such a decision. To the general public, attending one less international conference may not seem like a big deal. The problem is, igniting this WHA fuse will touch off a string of international and diplomatic explosions. They will include Mainland tourism to Taiwan and cross-Strait economic and cultural exchanges. The impact will arrive in waves. By then, clashes will no longer be limited to high officials trading blows from a distance. They will affect the public directly and substantively. They will lead to frustration and disappointment. For the new government, this is a pricklier problem.
If the DPP is fighting for Taiwan's dignity, it deserves our support. But if the DPP lacks caution and moderation, if it is hysterical and provocative, if it is blind to the consequences, the result could be an even greater loss of dignity. Is the WHO invitation, which takes a highlighter to the "one China principle", not such an example?
We would remind the DPP that as the ruling party, it must behave in a mature and rational manner. It must be responsible for its actions. Since the DPP persists in provoking Beijing, it should cease acting like the injured party, and accusing the other side of "making trouble for Taiwan". That merely proves that the DPP is a paper tiger. A responsible government do not wage cross-Strait diplomatic war for domestic political consumption. That does Taiwan no good at all.
WHA之刺：吞下或吐掉
2016-05-08 聯合報
等了又等，世界衛生組織邀我參加世界衛生大會（ＷＨＡ）年會的函件終於寄出。與往年不同，今年的邀請函特別提到「聯合國二七五八號決議」之「一中原則」，且邀請對象是現任部長蔣丙煌，而非準衛福部長林奏延。距離報名截止僅剩一天，新政府將如何因應，備受關注。
對於這封帶刺的邀請函，新政府只有兩個選擇：一是吞下，二是吐掉。如果選擇「吞下」，就是以爭取出席、向國際發聲為目標，至於邀請函上「一中原則」這根大刺只能忍痛吞下。一旦到了大會現場，除有機會發表演說，讓各國了解台灣在醫療衛生上的努力成績，甚至可由民間團體在場外提出抗議，反對中共的打壓。但是，如果選擇「吐掉」，覺得邀請函的但書不能容忍，那麼，這場大戲就提前結束了。沒有國際亮相的機會，抗議打壓也只有國內演出的效果，這是最消極的反應。
兩相權衡，前者無疑是較佳策略，因為有攻有守，有交鋒上陣的意志。問題是，即使選擇吞下，也可能面臨其他難以預測的變數。此一變數，卡在三個關鍵日期：一是本月九日的報名截止日期，二是五二○新政府就任日期，三是五月廿三日世界衛生大會年會召開。
目前世衛組衛寄交邀請函的對象是蔣丙煌，這是根據目前馬政府的正式官職寄發，似難謂之不當。我方預計八日才能正式收到該邀請函，但是ＷＨＡ報名截止日期則是九日；亦即，我國只有短短一天的作業時間，可申請改變出席者為新部長林奏延。屆時，如果世衛組織以林奏延並非邀請對象，或尚非衛福部長為由，拒絕接受其出席，那將是一記難堪的閉門羹。
另一種可能是，世衛大會對林奏延的出席不會立即作出反應，而是拖到五二○後，視蔡英文的就職演說對九二共識的提法再作決定。如果蔡英文對兩岸關係的詮釋令北京滿意，林奏延便得以順利成行；否則，ＷＨＡ極可能以違反「聯合國二七五八號決議」取消其出席。由於這距離大會開幕僅短短三天，新政府幾無應變時間。
從這次邀請函姍姍來遲，將時間卡得如此之緊，又加註「一中」的但書，即可知北京對此事用心之深。這次邀請，我國的稱謂和出席者的身分均不變，這或許是大陸國台辦發言人馬曉光所稱的「善意」；但他真正的重點在下一句：如果兩岸關係的「政治基礎」遭到破壞，上述安排將「難以為繼」。簡言之，林奏延能否成行，端視蔡英文是否維護「九二共識」這個政治基礎。
蔡英文若認為，新政府不想在「一中」威脅下參加ＷＨＡ，她更不願在北京恫嚇下改變就職演說，因而放棄出席ＷＨＡ；這樣的決定，外界未必不能理解。至少，在一般民眾看來，少參加一次國際會議，似看出不有太大損失。問題在，一旦點燃ＷＨＡ這條引線，接下來，在國際及外交陣線的爭端就會連串而來，包括陸客來台觀光，乃至兩岸經貿和文化交流等，衝擊將一波波湧至。屆時，許多問題將不再是兩岸政府層級的隔空過招，而是引發社會的實質損失、挫折與失望。對新政府而言，那將是更棘手的問題。
民進黨要爭取台灣更大的尊嚴，當然是值得支持的事。然而，爭取尊嚴的手段若缺乏謹慎拿捏，或根本流於躁動和挑釁，行事瞻前而不顧後；其後果，可能是使台灣失去更多的尊嚴。就像這次世衛組織的邀請函，較以往多出「一中原則」的條件，不正是如此？
我們也要提醒民進黨：作為執政黨，應該拿出成熟理性的表現，對自己的行為負責。在兩岸關係上，民進黨既然主動挑釁，就不要再作哀兵狀呼喊冤枉，說對岸「給台灣穿小鞋」云云，那只是暴露自己的外強中乾。負責的政府，請勿將兩岸外交戰當成國內政治消費的工具，那對台灣無益！
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