Taiwan Today

The elections are over, the victors inaugurated, and the celebrations concluded. It is time to return to the business of governing the country. What issues do voters want their president to address?

Democracy means freedom and open­ness. People can express their views, com­plain about society, criticize their government, and suggest ways to improve the future. Bad ideas, like good ones, can be aired publicly—and debated openly—giving people the opportunity to defend, and change, their views.

A few days after the inauguration of President Lee Teng-hui, the first popularly elected head of state in Chinese history, the Free China Review went on the streets to ask people what advice they had for the presi­dent: What should he do domestically? What should his priorities be externally? Here are their answers.

Chang Wen-hung, male, 26, videogame parlor owner: For thousands ­of years, China was ruled by autocrats. The leaders’ personal charisma mattered more than the rule of law. Chinese don’t have the concept or the habit of abiding by the law. In Europe and America, because of the rule of law, even if the leader is not so great, the political system can still operate. We are already hundreds of years behind. So, in my opinion, President Lee should first strengthen the rule of law, not just care about his personal image.

I don't know whether cross-strait relations should be counted as domestic or international. However, our diplomatic difficulties are caused by Communist China. We have survived the difficult time when diplomatic ties with the United States and Japan were first severed. Now is another time that tests a leader’s wisdom. I’m not against money diplomacy. As long as the budget is made clear to the public, there’s nothing wrong with expanding our international space how­ever we can.

Stone Yun, male, 29, software engi­neer: I think the most urgent domestic task is construction of an efficient national information infrastructure—the so-called information highway. Without it, we don't have a fighting chance in the war for inter­national business. Taiwan has been work­ing on this for several years, but the problem lies with the monopoly held by the Direc­torate General of Telecommunications. This results in high fees and low efficiency. In the long run, high telecommunications costs for businesses will cause our overall economic environment to lose competi­tiveness. I think President Lee should pay more attention to this issue; he should sup­port privatization, and encourage the pri­vate sector to help Taiwan tie into the global information highway.

In terms of international relations, I think Lee has done the best he could. Taiwan should carry on with its goal of participating in as many international organizations as possible. If we give up on establishing global relationships, we might not survive. Our economy depends heavily on international trade. Some people have complained that the president and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are throwing taxpayers’ money away to no avail. I disa­gree. If money can buy us membership in international organizations, its use is jus­tified. I think it’s important to try diverse channels to increase our country’s visibil­ity and influence in the world.

The major reason for developing international relations has to do with cross-strait relations. These relations give us a degree of protection, especially when tension rises between the two sides.

Chou Tien-hung, male, 33, hospital administrator: Because I work for a hos­pital, I naturally pay more attention to medical issues. Issues like the lack of long­-term health care for the elderly, unfair dis­tribution of medical resources, and the quality of medical care, all need to be addressed. The National Health Insurance plan is a wonderful thing, but after a brief one-year history, many problems need to be dealt with immediately. I hope the lead­ers of the country will care more about the weak and the needy. The current problem is a lack of laws to protect or help these people.

The most important external issue is cross-strait relations, which have been going down the drain lately. Nobody wants war. Peace is mutually beneficial. If a war breaks out, it can hurt the bellig­erents, the region, even the whole world. Lee will need great wisdom to resolve the present tension and define our policy. If this issue isn't dealt with, it’ll affect Tai­wan's future development.

Peng Yu-chu, female, 44, bookstore owner: Constitutional reform is a major domestic problem. We need to decide which way we want to go: do we want a presidential, cabinet, or dual leadership system? I believe we are heading towards the presidential system. That's fine. But currently, the president does not have to answer to the Legislative Yuan. If the sys­tem remains unchanged, just imagine what will happen if a dictatorial president emerges. In a democratic system, the legis­lative and executive branches have to check and balance each other. We need to make sure that our president does not treat the Legislative Yuan like a puppet. The revised Constitution has to make sure that the president must answer to the legislature.

The underworld manipulating bids on major construction projects is also one hell of a problem here. I think the president should mark it as a high priority. It seems that the government has started to take some serious action in cracking down on a couple of high-publicity construction project scandals. But I wonder if every­ thing will go back to “normal,” once these cases are closed. It could be just a show. Organized crime makes money through illegal dealings, then it sends someone to the legislature to protect its interests or secure better opportunities of winning project bids. This has been going on for a long time. I don’t think selecting a few targets and locking them up is going to correct the problem.

Internationally, continued participa­tion in the international community is essential. Giving up trying to establish dip­lomatic relations means giving up on our­selves. If we are deprived of all diplomatic relationships, we will no longer exist as a country and the mainland will continue to claim the Taiwan issue is a domestic issue, and no foreign country can inter­fere. Strengthening our foreign relations is a way to pave the road for negotiating with the mainland. We have to devote more time, money, and energy in main­taining foreign relations simply because we don’t want to be swallowed up by the mainland.

But I don’t think it’s wise to cut off all ties with the mainland. China’s high offi­cials will be irritated. The Chinese people will not be pleased either. Severing rela­tions is not going to do Taiwan any good. I think what President Lee said in his inauguration speech is very proper. He expressed his willingness to visit the main­land. At this time, this is the most friendly gesture we can possibly have made. I think we've done our part.

Lee Ching-lei, male, 54, primary school teacher: People are caring more about their quality of life, so environmen­tal protection should be one of the top ten items on the president’s agenda. In Taiwan, everyone wants to expand the economy, but this is no longer as urgent as protecting the environment. When we were creating the economic miracle in the seventies and eighties, we sacrificed our environment. We can no longer afford to neglect these problems, because they’re slowly destroying us.

High-pollution industries have moved offshore to underdeveloped coun­tries, but this hasn’t really solved our prob­lems. Pollution affects everyone on the planet, including Taiwan. The president has a responsibility to build a consensus that environmental protection should be given higher priority than economic devel­opment. If our leaders don’t do something soon, it’ll be too late.

Our main external issue is cross-strait relations. The president needs to be re­minded that the interests of the people should be the primary consideration. Uni­fication or independence is a question for politicians, but the tug of war between both sides has led us to the brink of war. These politicians—and I mean on both sides of the strait—are irrational. People in author­ity need to be repeatedly reminded that they have to put the people’s interests first.

Lulu Tsai, female, 62, retired teacher: I think educational reform deserves the president’s attention. We've talked so long and so much about abolish­ing the joint entrance examination system [for high school and college], but no Minister of Education has had the guts to do it. All junior and senior high school edu­cation is geared towards how to excel in examinations. Those kids who aren’t tough enough to go through the ordeal of memorizing details from texts, learning tricks of how to answer exam questions, giving up the pursuit of arts, and never socializing with friends, don’t have much chance for advanced studies in their own country. This violates our right to educa­tion. It’s a violation of the Constitution. The president has a granddaughter in high school, so he must be aware of the situa­tion. I hope he’ll do something about it. At least, he should appoint a more liberal education minister.

Internationally, the president is right to insist on continuing pragmatic diplomacy. We can be flexible about formalities as long as we can establish worthwhile relations with people abroad. If the gov­ernment can’t do it, let the private sector take up the task. Taiwan has got so much talent and such a powerful economy, I’m sure we can always find ways to build up our foreign relations. And if we can influ­ence public opinion abroad through trade and business relations, or through cultural exchange, we’ve succeeded. There’s no need to steer clear of doing this simply because the mainland doesn’t like it. We have to do what’s best for us.

I believe our relationship with the USA will remain critical. The United States is the ROC’s single largest trading partner. Also, the US has continued defen­sive arms sales to us. American public opinion is also on our side. I think the relationship is worth making some major efforts to maintain, which includes com­promising over problems of intellectual property rights, agriculture, fisheries, and tariffs.

Chen Li-fen, female, 39, children’s clothing chainstore employee: We shouldn’t expect too much of the presi­dent. However much he aspires to, he still has to deal with a huge and complex bureaucracy. Chen Shui-bian [Taipei’s mayor], for example, promised to solve the traffic problem when he was inaugurated, but it’s still a mess. I don’t know much about politics. What really bothers me is infertility. I have tried artificial fertiliza­tion several times, and now I’m looking for a surrogate mother. I hope the government will foot some of the expenses and that related laws will be passed soon. I certainly hope the president will show more concern about this.

Lo Wei-chung, male, 22, university student: Domestically, the top priority should be given to establishing a sound political system. The opinions of the public and of constitutional experts should be respected when revising the Constitution. The president should act ac­cording to his role as designated by the law. At present, we don’t even know if our government is a cabinet system or a presi­dential system. So far, President Lee has managed to keep things working, but how about the next president? If Lee has fore­sight, he should first of all focus on the governmental system.

Internationally, economics is the most important topic. No matter if Taiwan is independent or not, and no matter what name we are addressed by in the interna­tional arena, economics is our means to achieve our goals. We need to internation­alize and liberalize our economic environ­ment. The government, businesses, and working people should coordinate their ef­forts to frame sound economic policies.

Anonymous, male, 48, civil servant: People's livelihood deserves primary concern. I am not criticizing President Lee, you know, but even great people have shortcomings. The president is blinded by those wealthy politicians around him­—he can't see the predicament of poorer people. If he can’t see them, how can he do anything about their problems? In Tai­wan, a university graduate earns about NT$30,000 a month [US$1,100]. If he has a family, he has to pay for rent and a babysitter. He’ll never be able to afford a house in Taipei, let alone those less-educated and low-income families. My neighbor mortgaged his house to study abroad. Now he has returned with a mas­ter’s degree and can’t find a job. We civil servants get a 3 percent raise in salary each year, but consumer prices rise by 8 percent. How can we make ends meet? Rich peo­ple just become richer and poor people remain poor. This is a rich man’s society. President Lee visited America and South­east Asia for diplomatic reasons. He wasted taxpayers’ money. But how can I dare tell the president what to do? I might get into trouble.

Anonymous, female, 34, children’s dance teacher: I can’t talk about this in front of my family, because they all disa­gree with me. [She asks her family to leave.] I hope that President Lee will pro­mote Taiwan independence. In fact, Tai­wan already has de facto independence. Now, the international community regards the Taiwan problem as China’s internal affair. Things will be different if we estab­lish our own country. I am not afraid of China’s military threats. I believe many people in Taiwan are ready to fight for democracy.

Anonymous, female, 14, junior­ high student: The most important task for President Lee is to strengthen exchanges with Mainland China. The president said he would bring the cross-strait relationship back on track after Mainland China’s live­ fire military exercises. I agree with him. I think Chinese, both in Mainland China and in Taiwan, should stick together.

Another thing: I hope we don’t have to take the senior high school entrance examination anymore. I hope the president understands that going through the exam period is very difficult.

Li Yu-fen, female, 27, kindergar­ten teacher: I have five wishes I hope President Lee will hear: First, can the president or vice president donate one of their big houses to build an orphanage? I am sure they will be widely applauded if they do this. Second, I plead with those high-ranking officials—please don’t go out between seven and nine in the morn­ing. Your limousines make the traffic grind to a halt. Third, strengthen liberal education. Students in Taiwan only study for exams. People seldom read after they graduate from school. We have a rich cultural heritage. Why isn’t it taught in school? Fourth, break up the monopoly held by teachers’ colleges. Their gradu­ates automatically become teachers, while it’s very difficult for those who really are enthusiastic to teach to acquire teaching certificates. This has reduced the quality of teachers. Fifth, in cases of divorce, the mother should always be granted custody of the children, unless she suffers from a mental disorder. This is important for women’s rights.

Su Chin-hsien, male, 37, drink stand owner: Our economy isn’t stable. Recession is a fact of life, not a rumor. I now work longer hours and make less money than before. Many blue-collar workers are living on loans in order to buy houses. House prices everywhere remain sky-high. I think Lee should first attend to domestic economic issues before dealing with the mainland or international affairs.

When the president faces the foreign media, he only emphasizes his personal appeal. But in the eyes of foreigners, Taiwan people are still second-class inter­national citizens. I feel discriminated against when I go abroad. I think the presi­dent should care more about his people and less about his personal reputation. Lee is the first popularly elected president in 5,000 years of Chinese history. Taiwan is still a toddler in its march toward democ­racy. I hope that Lee sets a good exam­ple for future leaders to follow.

Chin Yueh, male, 68, retired jun­ior-high school teacher: Lee’s first concern should be cross-strait relations. Economic development is impossible without political stability. I’m a so-called mainlander [came to Taiwan with the Nationalist government in 1949], and I believe that Taiwan is inseparable from the mainland. People may accuse me of aligning with the Chinese Communists, but I think although Lee openly advocates unification, he is secretly working toward Taiwan independence. His claim that he desires unification is an effort to please Americans. Lee was educated by the Japa­nese and knows very little about Chinese history; now he is succumbing to America! Of course Lee won’t admit this, but I think the point of the campaign to join the United Nations is to create two Chinas. He has deliberately delayed the three links [direct air, sea, and telecommunications links] with Mainland China because he doesn’t want Taiwan to depend too much on the mainland. Why do the communists react to Lee so strongly? Why didn’t they react this way against [former President] Chiang Ching-kuo? The reason is simple—Chiang did not support Taiwan independence, but Lee does.

Chai Yung-chun, male, 39, cram school owner: The first step should be to clean up the “black gold” [organized crime and money in politics, together called “money politics”] in the bureaucratic system. I know about this personally. I was a soldier for 19 years, and I retired from the military because the system was corrupt. There was no place for an honest person like me. I nearly became a political scape­goat. The recent construction project scan­dals are only a symptom of the corrupt bureaucracy. I think Lee was elected through luck. People are afraid of radical change. I only expect the president to maintain a peaceful relationship with Mainland China.

Yeh Jen-hao, male, 22, trading company employee: One of the most important domestic issues for President Lee is to stabilize the economy. I agree that President Lee Teng-hui should visit the US again, but he should improve his English first. He also needs to consider the reaction of Mainland China.

Lin Ching-fen, female, 31, computer company employee: The problem of money politics has existed for many years, and it has become part of Taiwan’s culture. The problem should be solved. I don’t understand why the government can’t do it.

The UN bid is an important interna­tional issue for the president, but the sta­tus of Taiwan should be solved first. The people can’t stand the problem anymore, because they are often discriminated against when they go abroad. People want to be proud of their country.

Wang Ying-ming, male, 37, re­porter: Taiwan has enjoyed satisfactory political and economic development, but judicial problems crop up constantly. The problem of money politics has frightened people for a long time. President Lee should solve these problems first. If he can, he’ll be as great a contributor to Taiwan’s legal history as he was to its political history.

Chen Shu-min, female, 30, insur­ance agent: money politics and illegal collaboration between officials and busi­nessmen have become serious problems. It’s the responsibility of President Lee to face this.

We should not depend on money to build our diplomatic relations with other countries. Instead, we should strengthen ourselves first and gain respect from the international community.

Chen Liang-kuo, male, 54, police­man: Domestically, it’s important to improve police discipline first. Abroad, the government should continue the policy of pragmatic diplomacy and even consider visits to the U.S. and Japan. We should not be afraid of Mainland China. Our destiny is in our own hands.

Huang I-yu, female, 45, civil serv­ant: I don’t know much about politics. Also, my ideas have become conservative after working as a civil servant for so many years. But if you really want to know, I think that improving social stability and ethics are the most important domestic issues for the government. At present, many people don’t work as hard as before, but every day they dream about making a lot of money quickly. It’s a bad attitude. I think society needs to be rebuilt.

It’s important to promote pragmatic diplomacy, but it’s not good to use money to build diplomatic relations with other countries. I agree that we can offer sub­stantial financial assistance for interna­tional disasters, but not for building diplomatic ties.

Chang Hsien-lung, male, 31, com­puter company employee: Transporta­tion and housing prices are the two most important and urgent issues for the govern­ment to solve, because these problems affect the public most.

Chien Shu-hui, female, 30, airline company employee: The government should take strict measures to prevent any government officials from collaborating with the underworld. Also, the govern­ment should promote those people who have ability and high moral standards in order to improve administrative efficiency.

It’s necessary to clarify the relation­ ship between Taiwan and Mainland China. Moreover, we should be brave, and con­tinue to develop our diplomatic relations with other countries without considering Mainland China’s protests. We also need to develop our economy and political structure. Make Taiwan strong, then no one can ignore us.

Lin Hsi-chuan, male, 48, govern­mental organization contract employee: President Lee should support the Minister of Justice in targeting those government organizations that have illegal connections with the underworld, because this problem has become more serious and has strongly damaged people’s interests.

We should actively continue prag­matic diplomacy. Although Taiwan is a small cat and Mainland China is a big tiger, we shouldn’t be afraid. Taiwan’s economic and political achievements can’t be ignored internationally. The UN is our goal and we should do our best to reach it. Although it’s very tough, we should never give up.

Lan Chin-chuan, male, 48, bank employee: I think our society has been sick for many years. Underworld prob­lems, corruption, and the lack of social order and justice all influence the develop­ment of our society. President Lee should take on these problems as soon as possible. In addition, economic regulations are not fair to management. For example, labor is overprotected by the Labor Standards Law. This often causes labor-management disputes, and makes companies leave Taiwan and set up in Mainland China. We’ve got to improve this situation.

We should do our best to join interna­tional organizations, such as the World Trade Organization and the World Bank, and not worry about Mainland China’s pro­tests. On the other hand, we should main­tain the status quo in cross-strait relations. There is still a great gap between Taiwan and Mainland China in economic terms, so it’s too early to discuss unification.