Big Roof China: Democratic China and Socialist China

Big Roof China: Democratic China and Socialist China
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
September 10, 2012

Summary: We must speak up for the Republic of China. We must shout "The Republic of China is a democratic China." The more loudly we shout it, the more we will inspire Chinese the world over. The more Chinese are inspired by the idea of the Republic of China as a democratic China, the more secure our status will be. This is how we must fight the battle for "one China, different interpretations."

Full Text below:

On August 15, The Chi Feng 2 departed from Hong Kong and reached the Diaoyutai Islands. The passengers carried with them red, white, and blue ROC flags and five star PRC flags. They waved these flags on the islands to dramatic effect. The next day Mainland media organizations outdid each other reporting the story. Sad to say, most of them useds PhotoShop to edit out the red, white, and blue ROC flag. This provoked a backlash from netizens on the Mainland. The two images, one with the ROC flag and one without, are worth contemplating. This is true for ROC officials and civilians alike.

Diaoyutai Island Defense Movement activists from Hong Kong took both the red, white, and blue ROC flag and the five star PRC flag with them to the islands. At first, people were surprised. But it did not take long before they understood. Hong Kong is located in the Pearl River estuary. It has witnessed two centuries of vicissitudes. It long ago transcended allegiance to either side. During the 50s and 60s, prior to its 1997 return to the Mainland, the streets of Hong Kong were often festooned with ROC flags on Double Ten National Day. To this day, the values held in Hong Kong are closer to those held on Taiwan than on the Mainland. The red, white, and blue ROC flag and the five star PRC flag were carried to the Diaoyutai Islands by private individuals from Hong Kong. They were not using the ROC national flag to "promote Chinese reunification." Their actions merely reflect the deep affection the people of Hong Kong feel for the ROC flag.

Mainland newspapers "airbrushed" the red, white, and blue ROC flag from the photograph of the Diaoyutai Islands landing. Mainland netizens denounced the newspapers' actions as "bogus" and "shameless." Later, one newspaper published a solemn apology. It acknowledged that it "hurt the feelings of readers." It acknowledged that "as a member of the Fourth Estate, it should never have allowed this to happen. When referring to the ROC, Mainland newspapers generally add scare quotes to "president," "Executive Yuan," and "legislators." This is another form of "airbrushing." After all, these government offices and government entities do exist on Taiwan. Interestingly enough, the Global Times, a sister publication of the People's Daily, published the photograph intact. It refrained from editing out the red, white, and blue ROC flag.

We must not exaggerate the significance of these two images. We must also acknowledge that the problem is one both sides share. Do citizens of the ROC realize the importance of the ROC to people on the Mainland and Hong Kong? Do citizens of the ROC realize they must make a place for the ROC in the hearts of people on the Mainland and Hong Kong?

The ROC government should stop saying that it "has no intention of joining forces with the Mainland against Japan" on the Diaoyutai Islands issue. It should use the issue as leverage. It should use the Diaoyutai Islands issue to steer cross-Strait relations in the right direction. President Ma proposed "three bilateral talks and one trilateral talk." By doing so he avoided tying his own hands. He avoided having to deny that he was joining forces with the Mainland against Japan. He implied the possibility of a "big roof" encompassing both Taiwan and the Mainland.

During the Cold War, the Republic of China referred to itself as "Free China." Actually, under martial law, Taiwan was not all that free. But it was free compared to the Mainland, with its protracted political struggles. Compared to the Mainland, society on Taiwan was imbued with a sense of justice, honor, even mission. It championed the idea of the "Three Peoples Principles unifying China." But the world changed, and the nation with it. The very concept of "China" has become anathema on Taiwan. This happened because when it comes to cross-Strait relations, people on Taiwan have lost confidence in themselves. They may even have lost their sense of self-esteem. Now when people from Hong Kong proudly carry the ROC flag to the Diaoyutai Islands, some people on Taiwan denounce them for "promoting Chinese reunification." Some people on Taiwan are afraid to compete with Beijing in defending the Diaoyutai Islands. Worse, they they are afraid even to accept a goodwill gesture from private citizens from Hong Kong, who proudly carried the ROC flag to the Diaoyutai Islands from Hong Kong. Under such circumstances, how can one not despair?

Two decades of Taiwan independence indoctrination have undermined the concept of "Free China." Meanwhile however, Taiwan independence is impossible. Therefore citizens of the Republic of China must attempt to establish a Chinese identity that people from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Mainland can identify with.

As mentioned before, during the 50s and 60s, the Republic of China positioned itself as "Free China." It was not quite as free as the name implied. But today's Republic of China is unquestionably a "democratic China." It has the name. It also has the game. It can gain the respect of people from Hong Kong, overseas, and the Mainland.

People from Hong Kong proudly carried the red, white, and blue ROC flag with them to the Diaoyutai Islands. Mainland netizens angrily denounced Mainland newspapers for airbrushing the ROC flag out of Mainland news photos. This tells us that if citizens of the Republic of China want a solution to the cross-Strait stalemate, the answer is not to beg Uncle Sam. The answer is not to provoke Beijing. The answer is to appeal to the conscience and goodwill of Chinese people wherever they may be.

We must speak up for the Republic of China. We must shout "The Republic of China is a democratic China." The more loudly we shout it, the more we will inspire Chinese the world over. The more Chinese are inspired by the idea of the Republic of China as a democratic China, the more secure our status will be. This is how we must fight the battle for "one China, different interpretations."

On August 15, based on the "big roof" concept, two flags were carried to the Diaoyutai Islands. One represented the ROC and democracy. The other represented the PRC and socialism. Together they represent the political thinking of most Chinese.

We must continue to shout out loud, "The Republic of China is a democratic China." If we do we will eventually win most Chinese the world over. But if we lack the courage to shout "The Republic of China is a democratic China," then no one will be able to prevent us from being airbrushed out of existence.

大屋頂中國：民主中國與社會主義中國
【聯合報╱社論】
2012.09.10

八月十五日，香港「啟豐二號」登上釣魚台，諸人分別擎持一幅青天白日滿地紅國旗及一幅五星國旗，場面極具震撼效果；隔日，中國大陸媒體競相報導，但大都以ＰＳ（修圖）軟體將青天白日滿地紅旗遮去，引發大陸網民質疑。這兩個場景，值得台灣朝野深思。

香港保釣人士擎青天白日滿地紅旗登島，令人第一眼覺得意外，但也立即就能產生會心的理解。因為，位於珠江口的香港，看盡兩岸百餘年滄桑，早有一種超越兩岸的眼光；何況，在一九九七回歸大陸以前，香港在上世紀五○、六○年代，曾是街頭巷尾在雙十節掛滿青天白日滿地紅旗的城市；一直到現在，在價值信念上，香港人民與台灣的心理距離仍近過大陸。青天白日滿地紅旗登上釣島，應非港人「利用中華民國國旗為統戰工具」，而是一定程度地反映了這面國旗在港人心中的位置。

大陸報紙將登島照片「修去」青天白日滿地紅旗，被大陸網民指為「造假，無恥」；事後，一家報紙鄭重刊出道歉啟事，自承「傷害了讀者的感情」、「做為負責任的媒體，不應發生這樣的錯誤」。網民並指出，大陸報刊將台灣的「總統」、「行政院」、「立法委員」皆加引號，這是另一種「ＰＳ」，因為這些官銜及機構在台灣皆實際存在。值得注意的是，《人民日報》的姊妹報《環球時報》，當日刊出了完整的全圖，未修掉青天白日滿地紅旗。

不宜過度放大這兩個場景的意義，但應當感知二者反映的共同問題是：中華民國是否理解自己在大陸人民或香港人民心中的地位？或者，中華民國是否知道應當努力在大陸人民或香港人民的心中尋找一個地位及建立一個地位？

以釣魚台問題而言，台灣其實不必一再宣示「無意與大陸聯手對抗日本」，而可借力使力，藉釣島問題來導正兩岸關係。直至馬總統提出台陸日「三組雙邊對話到一組三邊協商」，始跳脫了「無意兩岸聯手」的自縛手腳，導引出「大屋頂中國」的想像空間。

在上世紀五○、六○冷戰年代，中華民國曾自稱「自由中國」；其實，當時台灣處在戒嚴時期，並非真正「自由」。但與長期陷於政治鬥爭運動的大陸相比，當時的台灣社會卻有一種正義感與光榮感，甚至有一種對整個「中國」的使命感，而有「三民主義統一中國」的倡議；然而，隨著世局國情的推移變化，「中國」漸漸成為台灣避忌的對象，這反映出台灣在處理兩岸關係上已經失去了自信，甚至喪失了自尊。如今，港人擎旗上島，竟然指為「統戰」；這非但是不敢與北京爭保釣行動的地位，更簡直是連民間擎青天白日滿地紅國旗登島的善意也嚇得不敢領受了。此情此景，豈能不使人觸目神傷。

近二十年的台獨狂飆，使得台灣喪盡當年「自由中國」的志氣；然而，如今台獨已完全不可能，中華民國終究必須在台灣人、香港人、大陸人及全球華人的「中國概念」中找到頂天立地的立足之地。

如前所述，上世紀五○、六○年代，中華民國以「自由中國」在兩岸間定位，其實未必名實相副；然而，今日的中華民國難道不能也不敢以「民主中國」的旗幟在兩岸間定位？倘能如此，這不但是名副其實，應也能逐漸獲得香港人、海外華人及大陸人民的接納與珍惜。

從香港人擎青天白日滿地紅旗登島，及大陸網民指責報紙ＰＳ，或許可以看出，中華民國欲在兩岸的困局中找出路，不在求美國，也未必在與北京政權角力，而可能要在全體華人的良知及善意中激發共鳴並找到位置。

但是，首先中華民國要大聲說出，「中華民國是民主中國」；唯有說得愈大聲，才愈能激發全球華人的思考與接納；而當愈多的華人能思考與接納，則「中華民國是民主中國」的地位也將愈真實也愈穩固。這才是「一中各表」戰略的真正實踐。

八月十五日，兩幅國旗，同登釣島；在「大屋頂中國」的概念下，一幅是代表「民主中國」的中華民國國旗，一幅是代表「社會主義中國」的中華人民共和國國旗，這可視為多數華人心中的政治思維之反映。

只要我們不斷大聲地說，「中華民國是民主中國」，應當終有說服多數全球華人的一天；但如果我們自己也沒有信心說、沒有膽量說「中華民國是民主中國」，就無人能助我們擺脫任意被ＰＳ的屈辱命運！