RI should be more diplomatic toward Taiwan<\/p>\n
Bantarto Bandoro, Editor, 'The Indonesian Quarterly',
\nCentre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS),
\nJakarta, bandoro@csis.or.id<\/p>\n
The Taiwanese president was scheduled to visit Indonesia on
\nDec. 17 and meet Sultan Hamengkubuwono in Yogyakarta, but Jakarta
\ncanceled the visit at the last minute, presumably under strong
\npressure from China. China warned that it was not in the interest
\nof Indonesia to welcome the Taiwanese president and objected to
\nany foreign contact that appears to treat Taiwan as a sovereign
\ngovernment. Indonesia canceled the visit because of its adherence
\nto its One China policy, which recognizes Beijing as the only
\nlegal Chinese political entity. As a result, many Taiwanese
\nleaders have become enraged by the diplomatic slap in the face,
\nwith many suggesting a full economic retreat from the Indonesia.<\/p>\n
It was, in fact, not the first visit\/planned visit to
\nIndonesia by a top Taiwanese leader that had ruffled China's
\nfeathers. Last year, vice president Annette Lu was here, and
\npresident Lee Teng-hui was also in the country in 1996 at which
\ntime he "accidentally" met president Soeharto. Both events
\nangered China, but they did not drag Indonesia and Taiwan into a
\npolitical tangle like the planned visit by the president of
\nTaiwan did recently.<\/p>\n
The cancellation of the visit of the Taiwanese president by
\nthe Indonesian government did increase Beijing's political
\nleverage against Taiwan, meaning that Beijing had scored points,
\nbecause it successfully pressured Indonesia to distance itself
\nfrom that trip. China, politically and diplomatically, succeeded
\nin protecting friendly Sino-Indonesian ties, but a political
\ntangle between Indonesia and Taiwan cannot be averted now. The
\ntangle reflects the fact that both have stakes to be maintained.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's adherence to the One China policy will not change
\nand Taiwan's international attempts at countering China's efforts
\nto isolate it will certainly not stop, though the refusal of the
\nvisit by the government of Indonesia was seen by Taiwanese
\npoliticians as a great humiliation. Taiwan is likely to launch
\nmore diplomatic offensives and its political leaders will be more
\npersistent with efforts to raise the island's international
\nprofile in the form of "holiday diplomacy" veiled with a high
\ndegree of secrecy.<\/p>\n
Had the visit materialized, Taiwan was hoping to achieve two
\nthings: To express Taiwan's humanitarian concerns about the
\nterrorist strike in Bali and to foster trade cooperation in
\nYogyakarta province. Even such seemingly benign motivation by
\nTaiwan was still considered by the government of Indonesia as
\nunacceptable -- after the heat was turned up by China. Indonesia
\nis committed to maintaining its diplomatic relations with Beijing
\nand will not allow visits to Jakarta by Taiwan's top government
\nofficials to affect its ties.<\/p>\n
In attempt to defend the position of the government,
\nIndonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa was
\nreported as saying that past experience had shown that such
\nprivate visits by senior Taiwanese officials had become
\npoliticized. If this is the case, the question is, who
\npoliticized it? The statement clearly points at Taiwan who
\npoliticized the visits, but it has always been considered as a
\nnormal thing for Taiwan to do this because only through a
\npoliticized "holiday" something substantial can be achieved.<\/p>\n
Is it not wrong to assume that our country had also
\n"politicized" the recent planned visit by Taiwan president. If
\nIndonesia's One China policy is to be honored, then why did the
\ngovernment last year let Taiwan's vice president Annette Lu visit
\nJakarta in spite of strong protest from Beijing. Annette Lu was
\nnot only allowed to enter the capital, but also met with a number
\nof legislators and former government officials.<\/p>\n
The word "politicized", though it might not be the appropriate
\nterm, to describe the current government stance on the issue of
\nthe visit by Taiwan's president, can be assumed to mean that
\nIndonesia will continue to be alert to any future planned visit
\nto Jakarta, if any, by Taiwan's top leaders. This is a sign of
\nour sincerity in upholding the One China policy. Not only that,
\nthe policy of non-recognition by Indonesia of Taiwan as an
\nindependent state serves to protect Sino-Indonesian relations,
\nbut there are bound to be more thorny situations in the future.<\/p>\n
In response to Jakarta's decision to refuse a visit by
\nPresident Chen, Taiwan threatened to cut economic ties with
\nIndonesia. But many here are hoping Taiwan does not go through
\nwith it. If Taiwan's threat materializes, it will be a
\ndevastating to blow to the country and we are going to lose a
\ngreat many more investors (Taiwan is currently the 5th largest
\ninvestor here). Due to Taiwan's long-established economic
\ninterests, it is unlikely that they will pull out of the country
\nonly because of this Chen's humiliation, as it runs counter to
\nthe nature of market-oriented business. Business should go on as
\nusual, even though we have no actual diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
\nIndonesia does need to be more gentle towards Taiwan because this
\ncountry in dire need of foreign investment, and Taiwan has long
\nbeen a vital investment partner.<\/p>\n
The refusal by the government of Indonesia of the visit by
\npresident Chen is not a diplomatic blunder. The political tangle
\nbetween Indonesia and Taiwan is simply a sign of Indonesia's
\ndifficulty in adhering to the One China policy, while also
\nfostering economic ties with Taiwan. There is too much at stake
\nfor both Indonesia and Taiwan to allow relations to turn sour
\nsimply because of bruised egos.<\/p>",
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