Formosa Foundation

Formosa Foundation hosts international conference in Taiwan examines effects on U.S.-Taiwan-China relations by elections in Taiwan and U.S. and leadership transition in China.

The Formosa Foundation hosted an international conference in Taipei, Taiwan on Monday, December 13, 2004, titled “The Post-Election Era – The Impact on U.S., Taiwan and China Relations”.  The conference featured four different panels with participants from both the United States and Taiwan.  The panelists assessed the effects of executive and legislative branch elections in both Taiwan and the United States and a leadership transition in the People’s Republic of China, all of which occurred within several months of each other during 2004.  To our knowledge, this was the first international conference held after the Taiwanese Legislative Yuan elections.

Eight American scholars and experts on Taiwan issues traveled to Taipei under Formosa Foundation sponsorship to participate in the conference.  In addition to the conference, the American panelists also took part in election observation activities (sponsored by the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy) prior to and on the day of the election.  With the help of Mr. Li-Pei Wu, a senior advisor to President Chen Shui-bian and the Founder and Honorary Chairman of the Formosa Foundation, the American visitors met with high-ranking members of the Taiwanese government, with whom they held candid and informative discussions about economic, security and political developments in Taiwan, and several prominent Taiwanese businessmen, with whom they discussed business trends in and economic prospects for Taiwan.  The panelists also engaged in several organized events with Taiwanese media.  Finally, the Americans met with former Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui to hear his insights on the state of Taiwan’s democratic evolution and relationship with China.

The conference itself was a huge success.  Held in a large conference room at the Grand Hotel in Taipei, the attendance far surpassed all expectations.  Original forecasts of 200 attendees were shattered when over 500 people appeared, exceeding the seating capacity in the conference hall.  In addition to the eight American speakers, nine scholars and opinion-shapers from Taiwan took part in the conference.  Each of the four panels consisted of two Americans and two Taiwanese.  The format of the conference was to permit each of the participants on each of the panels to make short opening presentations, followed by question and answer with the respective panel moderator.  Following the fourth and final panel, audience question and answer took place.  Finally, a press conference was held with all of the panelists, Dr. Peng and Mr. Wu.

The conference commenced with opening remarks from the current chairman of the Formosa Foundation, Donald Lee, followed by remarks by Mr. Wu.  Mr. Wu introduced Dr. Peng Ming-min, who made the opening keynote address.  Dr. Peng, widely regarded as the father of Taiwanese democracy, made a compelling and forceful presentation on the need for the Taiwanese people to take its security and democracy into its own hands while maintaining close relations with the United States.  Dr. Peng emphasized these points within the context of efforts by China to modify the status quo in the U.S.-Taiwan-China triangular relationship.

The first panel, “The 2004 Elections in Taiwan”, provided a fresh yet timely review of the results of the Legislative Yuan election results and the impact that would have on the future of policy making in Taiwan, the U.S. and China.  The panelists were Dr. Shelley Rigger (Davidson College), Dr. Daniel Lynch (University of Southern California), Dr. Nai-The Wu (Academia Sinica) and Dr. Yung-Ming Hsu (Academia Sinica), with Dr. Michael Hsiao (Academia Sinica) acting as moderator.  The discussion centered on why the DPP fell short of pre-election expectations, the themes that motivated voters in the legislative elections as opposed to the prior presidential election, future strategies of the pan-Green and the pan-Blue coalitions and the interpretation of the election results by outsiders.

The second panel was called “Cross-Strait Relations & Taiwan’s Economic Future”, which featured panelists Dr. Edward Friedman (University of Wisconsin), Dr. Jacque deLisle (University of Pennsylvania), Dr, Pochih Chen (Taiwan Think Tank) and Dr. Jung-Feng Chang (Chung Hua Institute for Economic Research), and Dr. Lynch as moderator.  Among other issues, the panelists analyzed the growth of China’s economic power and leverage, the trends of Taiwanese investment in China, the need for Taiwan to diversify its economy and encourage continuing economic reforms and the importance of avoiding political gridlock in the Taiwanese legislature that would slow down reforms.

“The Implications of the Elections on Political and Strategic Relations Between the U.S. and Taiwan” was the next panel, with panelists Dr. Ross Munro (Center for Strategic Studies), Dr, Robert Lai (National Applied Research Laboratories), Dr. Bi-Jao Lin (Chengchi University) and Dr. Chih-Cheng Lo (Institute for National Policy Research) moderated by Dr. Friedman.  These panel participants examined the electorate trend favoring pan-Green ideals and separate national identity, the impact on Taiwan’s short term interests of the U.S.’s strong desire to avoid confrontation with China, the need for clear communication and good relations between the U.S. and Taiwan, the importance of Taiwan following through on arms purchases commitments with the U.S. and the need for the Taiwan legislature to speak with one voice on such arms purchases.

At the conclusion of the third panel, Dr. Friedman gave a lunch-time keynote speech on the achievements of Taiwan in evolving from an authoritarian military dictatorship to a transparent democracy and his own views and comments on Taiwan’s future.

The fourth and final panel, called “Revisiting the One China Policy”, examined the One-China policy’s encouragement of Chinese aggressiveness towards Taiwan, the history of Taiwan’s growing nationalism and claims of sovereignty and potential changes in the strategic balance in Asia.  The participants on this panel were Mr. John Tkacik (Heritage Foundation), Dr, Richard Kagan (Hamline University), Dr. Lung-Chu Chen (Taiwan New Century Foundation) and Dr. I-Chung Lai (Taiwan Think Tank), moderated by Dr. June Dreyer (University of Miami).

On the same evening as the conference, the Formosa Foundation hosted a dinner banquet, which was attended by over 600 people.  President Chen was scheduled to speak at this dinner, but could not attend because he met with senior leaders of his government and his party in the aftermath of the legislative elections.  Keynote speeches were delivered by Dr. Peng, Mr. Wu and Dr. Dreyer, who in addition to being a faculty member at the University of Miami is a congressional appointee to the U.S.-China Security and Economic Review Commission.  Dr. Dreyer discussed the need to re-visit the One-China policy to reflect the realities of the current relationship between Taiwan, the U.S. and China and the importance of maintaining a close relationship between Taiwan and the U.S.

We at the Formosa Foundation are absolutely delighted by the results of the international conference.  We delivered a substantive, informative and candid conference which provided attendees with expert insight on the status and future of Taiwan-U.S.-China relations.  Press coverage was quite extensive, ensuring that the ideas discussed in the conference were widely published for the general public’s consumption.  The conference succeeded in getting out the message that domestic elected leaders in Taiwan must balance short-term political motivations with the long-term strategic needs of Taiwan, and that Taiwanese voters must carefully weigh their choices as their votes for their leaders will truly dictate the ultimate destiny of Taiwan.

The members of the Board of Directors of the Foundation are extremely grateful for the involvement and the assistance of each and every one of the distinguished panelists and keynote speakers from both Taiwan and the U.S.  Special thanks go to Dr. Tsai Ing-wen and Dr. Peng for all of their help in organizing the panelists and the programs on the Taiwanese side, as well as to Dr. Lynch from the United States for helping to conceive the idea of the conference. 

We also want to give our heartfelt thanks to all of the volunteers in Taiwan and in the U.S. who worked extremely hard to make sure the conference was a success.  We wish to recognize in particular Echo Lin in Taiwan and Julie Lee and Amy Lin in the United States for their efforts.  Finally, the Formosa Foundation gives its utmost thanks to Mr. Wu for his tireless efforts to promote the success of both the conference and the Formosa Foundation.  Mr. Wu is a great inspiration whose work on Taiwanese self-determination is unending.