Taiwan's Political Developments and Trends Toward an Integration of European and Asian Values

Bau Tzong-ho
Dean, College of Social Science
National Taiwan University

The monument in the Taipei Peace Park commemorates the February 28 Incident and symbolizes the ROC government's determination to uphold and protect human rights. (Courtesy of the Central News Agency)

Over the last decade, the Republic of China on Taiwan experienced a "quiet revolution" in politics. When opposition candidate Chen Shui-bian won the presidential election on March 18, 2000, the democratization of Taiwan's political system was complete, proving that democracy can exist within the Asian cultural context.

As democracy spreads throughout Europe and Asia, the number of governmental and non-governmental organizations has grown, along with the movement toward regional integration. These trends have necessitated a degree of compromise between the traditional concepts of national sovereignty and supranationalism. Consequently, "state sovereignty," which formerly included the concepts of supremacy, indivisibility, and inalienability, is now being redefined. Sovereignty is now more relative, as nation states concede a degree of their authority to international organizations.

The concept of "soft sovereignty" is linked to the rise of feminism in international politics. Domestically, feminism challenges authoritarian thinking; externally, it challenges the rigid concept of sovereignty. Feminism emphasizes that humanity is neither noble nor base; and nations, big or small, are equal. Nation states should be able to integrate, as long as they respect each other, and they should not exclude other nations on the grounds of sovereignty.

Democracy rests on the premise that sovereignty belongs to the people rather than the ruler. During the latter part of the 20th century, the concept of popular sovereignty predominated international thinking. For example, the entry of a state into the European Union under  the Maastricht Treaty required approval by a plebiscite.

Since European integration is not forced or coerced, but is a natural development founded on the concept of relative sovereignty and on respect for popular will, the integration progress in Europe has been generally harmonious.

The peaceful transition of power after March 2000 presidential election shows that the ROC is a mature democracy. (Photo by Liao Tai-chi)

The third Europe-Asia Summit offers the opportunity for the EU and ASEAN to exchange European and Asian experiences and further define their values. Unfortunately, the ROC was not able to participate in the Summit, despite its significant achievements in international cooperation and democratization.

The ROC emphasizes its sovereignty and respects the status of other nations in its foreign policy. The ROC practices the ideal of popular sovereignty, proving that Asian values are consistent with liberty and democracy. National sovereignty is not necessarily an arbitrary, exclusive concept.

Asian integration, under such a framework as ASEAN, lags far behind that of the EU, and progress is certainly constrained by the subjective and objective conditions of Asia. Nonetheless, there are many opportunities for further cooperation on the basis of universality and non-exclusivity.

With its dynamic economy and prominent position in world trade, the Republic of China should not only be welcomed as an active, official participant in the Asian region, but should also have the opportunity to share its democratic experience with its neighbors in Asia. We are convinced that the ROC can be a connecting point between European and Asian civilizations, because it accentuates the accepted European and Asian ideal of democracy, which directly affects the future of humanity.