The Fight for President Ma's Legacy

The Fight for President Ma's Legacy
China Times editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
September 20, 2012

Summary: The current national security, foreign affairs, and cross-Strait personnel shuffles show President Ma's ambitions. He seeks new and ambitious diplomatic and cross-Strait relations. He is also seeking to ensure his historical legacy.

Full Text below:

The 19th of this month constitutes a milestone for the Ma Ying-jeou administration. The National Security Council has been subjected to a major reshuffle. The process has captured everyone's attention. The personnel changes focus on recruiting from the outside. But what concerns the public is economic survival. In this regard, the Ma administration must be aggressive in its thinking and planning.

The Ma administration's high level personnel changes have attracted widespread attention.  King Pu-tsung, former Secretary-General of the Kuomintang and President Ma's Chief Adviser on International Affairs, has been made ROC representative to the US. Last September King Pu-tsung served as President Ma's alterego during his visit to the United States. Washington zeroed in on him as the best choice for the Ma administration's representative to the United States. But King has always valued his freedom. He hoped to withdraw from politics after this year's presidential election. He was reluctant to make any promises. Consider the US perspective. King served as ROC representative. He understands President Ma's thinking about the US, Japan, and cross-Strait policy. King would give the ROC greater peace of mind. The US looks forward to "Ambassador King" serving for the next three years. It looks forward to him promoting military procurements, the Taiwan-US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) negotiations, and ROC participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The US looks forward to renewed Taipei/Washington relations. It would promote ROC economic liberalization. It would also reduce Taiwan's over-reliance on the Mainland economy and markets.

Jason Yuan, ROC Representative to the US, will head the National Security Council. In 2008, Yuan, a career diplomat, was appointed ROC Representative to the US. During the next four years, Taipei and Washington established mutual trust. Washington vetted Taipei as a member of the visa waiver program (VWP). During the last three months of last year, Washington dispatched three officials to Taipei. Last November, in Hawaii, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton proclaimed that the ROC was an important "security and economic partner" of the US. Yuan has been in Washington for four years. He often receives phone calls from President Ma. This lends him an official imprimateur when meeting with U.S. officials or members of Congress. It enables him to accomplish the tasks entrusted to him by the administration. Onlookers hope that as Secretary General of the National Security Council he will communicate and coordinate with Ambassador King. One will be stationed at home. The other will be stationed abroad. Together they will help President Ma formulate a new and improved US policy. Together they will maximize our national interests and national security.

Foreign Minister Timothy Yang will take over as Secretary-General of the Office of the President. For him this constitutes a step up. It means President Ma will continue to draw on Timothy Yang's foreign policy expertise. Taipei and Beijing have enacted a diplomatic truce. ROC foreign aid and humanitarian aid policy will be better planned. The new Foreign Minister will be Deputy Foreign Minister David Lin. His diplomatic resume is complete. It includes Asia, Latin America, and Europe. He was Ambassador to Grenada, European Department Chief, Representative to Indonesia, International Organizations Department Chief, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. He boasts an international perspective and a wealth of practical experience. When he was Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, he vigorously championed Taipei's accession to the World Health Assembly (WHA). He was considered the man behind the screen. When he was Representative to the EU, he successfully fought for and obtained visa-free treatment from the EU for ROC passport holders.

The new Mainland Affairs Council Chairman will be Wang Yu-chi, Spokesman for the Office of the President. He is the youngest Mainland Affairs Council Chairman ever. When he was on the National Security Council Advisory Committee, he was heavily involved in cross-Strait and diplomatic affairs. He has a good understanding of President Ma's cross-Strait policy and philosophy. But some worry that his credentials and contacts may be inadequate. This is cause for concern.

The new SEF chairman is expected to be KMT Secretary-General Lin Join-sane. He served as a Committee Member in the Taipei City Government, Kaohsiung City Government Secretary-General, Deputy Mayor, Deputy Chief of Operations and Political Affairs for the Ministry of the Interior, and Executive Yuan Secretary General. When he was Executive Yuan Secretary General and KMT Secretary General, he demonstrated an ability to broker deals. We look forward to him working with the Mainland Affairs Council.

Lai Shin-yuan, Chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council, will be the Resident Representative to the World Trade Organization (WTO). Her job will not be limited to WTO Affairs. She will also promote improved relations with all countries, including substantive economic and trade relations. Does Lai have the character and leadership qualities required? Will she contribute to improved relations with the EU, which requires coordination and dialogue? That remains to be seen.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Security Council appointments demonstrate President Ma's commitment to the United States. During a video conference with a Washington think tank on May 12 last year he mentioned "three lines of defense." During this year's May 20 inauguration speech he proposed "three iron triangles." President Ma sees Taipei/Washington relations as one of the most important links for the Republic of China. He is well aware that without a U.S. security commitment we would have no cross-Strait economic dividend or peace dividend.

The current national security, foreign affairs, and cross-Strait personnel shuffles show President Ma's ambitions. He seeks new and ambitious diplomatic and cross-Strait relations. He is also seeking to ensure his historical legacy.
   
中時電子報 新聞
中國時報 　2012.09.20
社論－馬總統歷史定位的奮力一搏
本報訊

    　本月十九日是馬英九政府一個新的里程碑，國安團隊做了大幅度的調整，令人耳目一新；然而，這次人事調整以向外開展為主軸，但人民最關切的畢竟還是攸關民生的議題，對此，馬政府也應有積極的思維與布局。

    　這次馬政府最讓各界矚目的高層人事變動，莫過於國民黨前祕書長與國際事務首席顧問金溥聰將出任駐美代表。自從金溥聰去年九月以馬總統「分身」訪美之後，華府即鎖定他為馬政府駐美代表的最佳人選。只是金一向喜歡閒雲野鶴、悠遊自在，希望今年總統大選後淡出政治，而未曾輕易允諾。惟就美方來看，有他出任駐美代表，就能更直接地瞭解馬總統對美、日與兩岸的政策思維與方向，而對我國更為放心與安心。期盼「金大使」在未來三年多，能夠在推動軍購、台美「貿易及投資架構協議」（TIFA）談判、我國參與「跨太平洋夥伴關係」（TPP）等重要議題上，讓台美關係再創新局，不僅有助於提升我國的經濟自由化，也會緩解或平衡我方對大陸經濟與市場的過度倚賴。

    　現任駐美代表袁健生將出掌國安會。二○○八年，袁健生以職業外交官出任駐美代表，四年下來，台美關係重新建立互信，而且美國支持我國成為「免簽證計畫」（VWP）候選國。此外，華府在去年最後三個月還派遣三位官員訪問我國。希拉蕊國務卿更在去年十一月於夏威夷宣布我國是美國重要的「安全與經濟夥伴」。在華府四年多，袁健生經常接到馬總統的電話，這使他在面對美國政府官員或國會議員時，有著如同尚方寶劍的加持，而更有助於達成國家所交付的任務。外界期待他擔任國安會祕書長後，與金駐美代表能有好的溝通協調，一內一外襄贊馬總統制定更佳的對美政策，盡可能極大化我國的國家利益與國家安全。

    　外交部長楊進添將接任總統府祕書長，對他個人而言，當然是更上一層樓，顯示馬總統將繼續借重楊進添的外交長才，為兩岸的外交休兵、我國的援外政策與人道援助，做出更周延完整的規畫。新任外交部長則將由前外交部次長林永樂出任。他的外交體系歷練完整，橫跨亞洲、拉丁美洲、歐洲，曾任駐格瑞那達大使、歐洲司長、駐印尼代表、國際組織司長、外交部次長等，深具國際觀和豐富實務經驗。擔任外交部次長時，他對我國加入「世界衛生大會」（WHA）著墨甚深，堪稱幕後功臣；擔任駐歐盟代表任內，也成功爭取歐盟給予台灣「免簽證待遇」。

    　陸委會主委由前總統府發言人王郁琦接任，這位「陸委會史上最年輕的主委」，在擔任國安會諮詢委員期間，曾實質參與國安會有關之兩岸、外交相關工作，對馬總統的兩岸政策及理念，有一定程度的掌握；但有人擔心他在相關領域上的資歷與人脈可能不足，這的確值得關注。

    　至於海基會董事長則預計由現任國民黨祕書長林中森接任。他歷任台北市政府專門委員、高雄市政府祕書長、副市長、內政部常務、政務次長、行政院祕書長等公職。擔任行政院和國民黨祕書長期間，也展現了調和鼎鼐的能力，期待未來能與陸委會合作無間。

    　原陸委會主委賴幸媛將出任駐「世界貿易組織」（WTO）代表。未來，她的新職將不限於WTO事務，也被賦予推動與各國發展包括經貿在內實質關係的重責大任。而賴的性格與領導特質，是否有助於重視協調與對話穿梭的對歐工作推展，也有待進一步觀察。

    　這次外交與國安人事布局充分顯示馬總統確實在履行對美國的承諾。不論是去年五月十二日在與華府智庫視訊會議中提到的「三道防線」或是今年五月二十日就職演說提出的「三個鐵三角」，馬總統都將台美關係視為中華民國最重要的一環，因為他深知我國若沒有美國的安全承諾，就不可能有兩岸關係的「經濟紅利」與「和平紅利」。

    　這次國安、外交、兩岸的人事調整，似乎展現馬總統有意在外交、兩岸關係再創新局的雄心壯志，相信也是他尋求歷史定位的重要奮力一搏。