TAIPEI, Taiwan —Exiled Chinese dissident and former law professor, Yuan Hongbing, introduced his latest book, Taiwan National Policy, at a press conference in Taipei on Sept. 15. Prof. Yuan discussed the concept of “unrestricted warfare” a strategy by which the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) plans to extend its sphere of influence to everywhere in the world and become a superpower and international leader--with Taiwan as its first target.
The term “unrestricted warfare” is the title of a book on military strategy written in 1999 by two colonels in the People’s Liberation Army that has become the subject of debates in political and military circles in the U.S. and elsewhere. The book’s primary point is how a nation such as China can defeat a technologically superior opponent through means other than direct military confrontation. Such means include using International Law, attacking networks, and a variety of economic means to place one’s opponent in a bad position.
In a previous book, Taiwan Disaster, published in November 2009, Prof. Yuan maintained that through its strategy of unifying the market and financial systems of the mainland with those of Taiwan, Beijing is, at the same time, stepping up its own reunification agenda with Taiwan.
At the press conference Prof. Yuan said that so far, everything has been going in the direction he predicted, namely, the CCP would unite with Taiwan’s economy and culture before [pursuing] political unification.
In his new book Yuan discusses two leading scenarios entertained by the CCP for taking over Taiwan. The first one is to transform China’s enormous economic energy, which has been obtained through sacrificing the environment and human rights, into political power so as to carry out its plan of global supremacy. And the top item on this plan is to eliminate what the CCP perceives as its number one enemy: the free democratic system in Taiwan.
An internally circulated, confidential document by Chinese leader Hu Jintao two years ago supports this first claim. In this document, The CCP’s Historical Status and Mission in the 21st Century, Hu declared a plan for global expansion.
Another scenario is that despite growing social and political conflicts that are pushing the CCP to the point of collapse, the CCP still wants to resolve the sovereignty issue with Taiwan.
However, Prof. Yuan is optimistic that the Taiwanese people will stand up to the challenge. “History is asking whether Taiwan wants to be a political slave or a free man. I believe Taiwan will make a clear-minded decision,” he says in his book.
Quest for Freedom
Wu Rong-I, former Premier of Taiwan’s Executive Yuan and vice president of Taiwan Brain Trust, wrote the preface of Prof. Yuan’s new book. Wu believes that Yuan has made a persuasive point based on internal CCP documents and his understanding of the Party, namely that the CCP worries Taiwan’s democracy and freedom may become the fatal blow to the CCP’s political power. It is therefore determined to control Taiwan by all means. “However, many of us in Taiwan do not understand the danger we are in now,” Wu said.
Taiwanese writer Li Min-Yung also expressed concern. Li said the core spirit of Prof. Yuan’s book is the quest for freedom. Political movements in Taiwan have always been superficial and lacking the spirit of pursuing freedom. As a result, Taiwan cannot genuinely pressure the oppressor [CCP] and make Beijing believe that is has no chance at all [to politically reunify Taiwan with the mainland]. Instead, Taiwan has fallen into the trap of going after superficial economic benefits.
Li said China’s “unrestricted warfare” policy in regards to Taiwan starts with the economy. The CCP bribes Taiwan’s capitalists with the promise of economic benefits and wins over many intellectuals through various incentives. Li said that this “war” poses a very real and imminent threat to Taiwan.
Tseng Chien-Yuan, a professor of public administration at Chung Hua University said it’s hard to resist temptation when one is in distress; it requires much stronger willpower. He said Yuan’s new book inspires people in a very important way, and that Taiwan has spent way too much money trying to get support from other countries. It seems to forget that there are many international voices giving moral support to preserve Taiwan’s freedom.
“Taiwan is facing the largest totalitarian and autocratic country in history and is fighting it at the forefront. Taiwan should become a fortress guarding the values of freedom and democracy,” Tseng said.
Yuan, who is currently living in exile in Australia, plans to form a volunteer group of Chinese human rights activists that have been suppressed by the CCP, and of supporters in the U.S. and Europe, for the purpose of helping safeguard Taiwan’s freedom when 2012 comes around. “I am doing this for one reason only: freedom should belong to all mankind,” he said.
Read the original Chinese article.
