One Country, One Illusion
Why is the Chinese Communist Party still pushing “One Country, Two Systems” when the Taiwanese are overwhelmingly against it?
“For the people of Taiwan, the biggest takeaway from this incident is that the One Country, Two Systems is not viable and is absolutely unacceptable for a democratized Taiwan” –President Tsai Ing-wen
Malcolm X, one of the most influential African American figures during the civil rights movement, once said: “I believe that there will be a clash between those who want freedom, justice, and equality for everyone and those who want to continue the system of oppression.” Malcolm’s prophecy is true in Hong Kong, where brave Hong Kongers are on the streets protesting an extradition bill proposed by Carrie Lam’s pro-Beijing administration.
The new extradition bill would allow the Chinese Communist Party regime to request anyone in Hong Kong to be extradited back to China for “trial”. Critics of the proposed law state it could further deteriorate Hong Kong’s already dwindling autonomy by providing a legal channel for the CCP to abduct anyone it considers a threat to its legitimacy. Causeway Bay bookstore owner Lam Wing-Kee, who sold books banned in Hong Kong that were critical of Chinese politicians, and was abducted by the CCP for 8 months in 2015, described the proposal bill as a “death sentence for Hong Kong.” As Hong Kongers are fighting against the political prison known as “One Country, Two Systems”, the CCP is set on forcefully implementing the very same system that deprived Hong Kong’s freedom in Asia’s most vibrant democracy―Taiwan.
“One Country, Two Systems” (1C2S) is a political concept formulated by late Chinese paramount leader (最高領導人) Deng Xiaoping. It is currently implemented in Hong Kong and Macau where they were to retain economic, judicial, and administrative autonomy for 50 years, while the rest of China would continue to be ruled under the repressive CCP system. The concept was originally meant to accommodate Taiwan, by having Taiwan surrender its sovereignty to China in exchange for retaining its capitalist economy. Deng originally offered the idea of implementing 1C2S in Taiwan to President Chiang Ching-Kuo, whom he had formed a close relationship while studying in Moscow in 1925. It was revealed by former Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew that Deng had expressed a desire to meet with Chiang, but Chiang declined on the grounds that he did not believe in the Communist Party of China. Chiang Ching-Kuo had long suspected that 1C2S was incompatible for Taiwanese society. In an interview with U.S.-based News Weekly in 1982, Chiang expressed his thoughts about the system:
“The Chinese Communist Party cannot be trusted. It is unrealistic to think that after the unification of Taiwan and China, Taiwan could still be able to retain its own economic and political autonomy. “
Deng initially thought Chiang would accept 1C2S for the sake of Chinese nationalism. However, Chiang had other plans for the future of the island nation. He lifted martial law before his death in 1988, and his successor, Lee Teng-Hui, a native-born Taiwanese, completely transformed the island from an authoritarian regime to one of Asia’s most vibrant democracies. According to latest ranking from Freedom House, Taiwan is the one of the freest countries in Asia, while the People’s Republic Of China is ranked as the one of least free countries in the world.
1C2S never had any traction in Taiwan. According to a poll conducted by Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, an agency responsible for handling ties with China, 83.6 percent of respondents oppose the system. In another survey by the Election Study Center of National Chengchi University, almost 90 percent of Taiwanese wanted to maintain the status quo of the Taiwan Strait and 87.7 percent believe Taiwan’s future should only be decided by the Taiwanese people.
Why is the CCP is still insisting on 1C2S despite the Taiwanese overwhelmingly not in favor of it? The Chinese regime is portraying a false narrative to their Chinese audience that they have exercised every option to peacefully solve the so-called “Taiwan issue”. The CCP has no other alternatives to offer Taiwan. The Communist regime knew, as soon as former President Lee began democratizing Taiwan, the opportunity to ensnare the Taiwanese into the 1C2S trap vanished. The Taiwanese already experienced an authoritarian, Leninist one-party rule thirty years ago. Taiwanese will not welcome another alien regime to colonize the island.
Why do political pundits such as Huang Chih Hsien and minority pro-CCP parties advocate for the implementation of the same system that their fellow Taiwanese wholeheartedly reject? These Red forces in Taiwan are clinging to an illusion that the CCP will not only bring economic prosperity to Taiwan, but also social harmony. Their argument on the economic benefits under the 1C2C are simply inaccurate. According to the South China Morning Post, economic growth and inequality in the former British colony has worsened since the 1997 handover. The GDP growth of Hong Kong before 1997 was estimated to be 6.6 percent. After 20 years of CCP rule, GDP growth has declined to 3.2 percent. A harmonious life under the iron grip of the CCP is just another ploy from Red forces to whitewash CCP atrocities. The CCP is currently committing cultural genocide in the Muslim-populated autonomous region of Xinjiang, with re-education camps, Uyghurs being forced to eat pork, and forcing inter-marriage between Han males and Uyghur females.
The 1C2S experience has failed in Hong Kong. The Taiwanese see a glimpse of the island nation’s future if a pro-China president signs away Taiwan’s sovereignty. Taiwan’s hard-earned democracy was achieved with the blood, sweat and tears from countless pro-democracy martyrs. Cheng Nan-Jung sacrificed his own life for free speech in Taiwan by setting himself on fire. Lei Chen was sentenced to prison for speaking out against the Chiang regime and advocating for democratic reforms in Taiwan.
These two prominent Taiwanese martyrs, along with those who fought against the KMT authoritarian regime during the White Terror era, sacrificed everything for generations after them to be able to breathe in the air of a free country, a privilege that did not exist while they were alive. Accepting the democracy killing One Country, Two Systems would be a major slap to those who did not live long enough to see a democratic Taiwan. The Taiwan nation’s future only belongs to the 23.5 million Taiwanese people, not the seven unaccountable members of the Chinese Communist Politburo Standing Committee.
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