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Despite the fact that Taiwan abandoned its hostile policy and claim of sovereignty over the mainland in the early 1990s, and has allowed large numbers of Taiwanese to invest in the mainland, China has not returned the favor. Instead, it has increased the number of missiles aimed at the island and legalized its "right" to invade if Taiwan declares itself independent of China.
Until China abandons this hostility toward the Taiwanese people, there will be no reconciliation or peace between the two sides.
China has taken a devious approach by inviting Taiwan's opposition figures to Beijing, while ignoring the elected leadership. Therefore, while China tempts Taiwan with "sweet deals" like promises of shipping and transport links and student exchanges, these offers taste sour to the Taiwanese. Even these simple plans cannot be implemented due to lack of trust between the two sides.
What is needed is a practical plan that will bring the two sides closer together, and the key element is building trust.
The Taiwanese will not consider peaceful unification with the mainland unless they see an effort to build the kind of civil society on the mainland that Taiwan currently enjoys. Beijing needs to take steps in this direction if trust is to be built between the two sides.
China is unwilling to implement democratic reforms at this point for fear the current Communist Party leadership will lose control and "chaos" will ensue. As a first step, the leadership should consider opening up religious freedom in the mainland.
Deng Xiaoping opened up China's economy and prevented the country from suffering the type of collapse that hit the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Because of this, Deng is considered a great figure in China's modern history. President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao have the opportunity to set a similar record by opening China to religious freedom. This would help introduce morals and ethics to Chinese society, currently suffering from widespread corruption, unfair competition and a huge wealth gap.
Religion is the foundation of ethical and moral behavior. Whether China will pursue hegemony in Asia and the world, or become a benign power in an interdependent world, depends on the values the country adopts.
Marxist ideology, the root of the Communist Party's thinking, is inherently dangerous in that it defines violent confrontation as the path to progress. Buddhist, Christian, Confucianist and Taoist thought, on the other hand, are all based on a commitment to peace. These ideas do not pose a threat to China. On the contrary, they educate people in the ways of peace.
Frankly, no one will believe that China is committed to peace when it represses religious freedom within its own borders. Rather they will continue to view China as a threat to be guarded against.
China should have enough faith in its own people to allow them not only freedom of religious belief, as the Constitution states, but also the freedom to publicly practice their religion, the freedom to gather and to form associations, as well as freedom of speech and of the media. The Communist Party could easily institute these reforms without surrendering its political control.
True freedom includes free will and free action. At present, 70 to 80 percent of the freedoms written into the Chinese Constitution are restricted or proscribed by other laws and regulations. In China, when the Constitution conflicts with the law, the Constitution becomes invalid. In fact, the Constitution seems to serve primarily as an instrument for China to deceive the world about the true nature of its society.
Politics, economy and religion are three basic parts of a social structure. Politics are concerned with power, and the economy is focused on wealth. Religion includes such important areas of human life as the reality of God, the spiritual world, eternal life, the soul, the mind, human character and brotherly love. In short, religion is the heart and soul of a society.
If China opens up to religious freedom, massive resources could pour in to boost China's spiritual life and civil society, from Taiwan and other countries. These would include talented people, teaching materials, hospitals, schools and social service institutions -- to help the poor, prevent drug abuse, prevent AIDS, etc. These would help China develop both its spiritual and material civilization, and the Chinese government and people would both enjoy the benefits. These would contribute greatly to the harmonious society that Hu and Wen are advocating.
Moreover, cross-straits relations would be strengthened if religious exchanges were permitted between the mainland and Taiwan. Religious people tend to be peacemakers, not troublemakers. They encourage a close sense of community and warm human relationships. Some religious groups are already encouraging cross-straits marriages, which make people of the two sides become relatives and form real families, which will naturally promote long-term peace between the two sides.
For all these reasons, China should open up religious freedom and reap the many benefits it will bring within the country as well as to relations with Taiwan and with the world.
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(Dr. Chang Chuan-fong is Asia director of the International Educational Foundation, based in Macau, China, and former associate professor in the Department of Education at Minghsin University of Science and Technology, Taiwan. @Copyright Chang Chuan-fong.)
