From Joining Hands Against Communism to Plotting Separation of Motherland

According to media reports, the Dalai Lama will visit Taiwan by the end of March, this represents another step taken by the Taiwan authorities and the Dalai clique to step up their collaboration on the road to splitting the motherland.

A review of the history of the collusion between Taiwan authorities and the Dalai clique over the past decades makes it clear that the process gone through by the Dalai clique and the Taiwan authorities from joining hands against communism to their plotting together to split the motherland is by no means fortuitous. It is determined by the nature of the "Tibet independence" and "Taiwan independence" forces.

1. The Two Reactionary Forces Clandestinely Collude with Each Other Out of Their Anti-communism Aim

After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the Taiwan authorities headed by Chiang Kai-shek regarded the Tibetan separatist forces as a most important anti-communist force to be used on the mainland. In 1950 the Taiwan authorities colluded with the Tibetan splittist forces in obstructing the Chinese People's Liberation Army from peacefully liberating Tibet. In 1956 they sent out special agents, supplied funds and weapons to support the armed rebellion against Democratic Reform, that appeared in the Tibetan area in Sichuan Province. In 1959 Chiang Kai-shek personally sent a telegram to the 14th Dalai Lama who fled to India after defeat of the rebellion, expressing his promise that he would grant the Tibetan people the right of "national self-determination" after accomplishment of the great cause of "anti-communism for national recovery". These moves taken by the Taiwan authorities were designed to draw the Dalai clique into the united action against communism.

At that time, the Dalai clique who had just fled to India had divergent opinions on Taiwan authorities' proposition for a united struggle against communism., and there was heated debate within the clique. Some of the clique members vigorously favored joining with Taiwan in a common counter-offensive against the mainland; at first Dalai did not agree with joining with Taiwan, because the Chiang's regime regarded Tibet as "the land of the Republic of China which hold sovereignty over Tibet", this contradicted the Dalai splittist clique's stand that "Tibet is an independent state". In 1963, the Taiwan authorities, through their "Mongolia-Tibet commission", won over Soikang Wangqen Geleg and Yutog Yexe Toinzhub, top-level figures of the Dalai clique, to Taipei and conferred upon them the title of Gaxia (chiefs of "office of the former Tibetan local government) in Taipei" in the hope that these two persons would act, in accordance with Taiwan's intention, to direct the Tibetans in exile overseas, but due to the fact that some people within the Dalai clique opposed Taiwan authorities' activities among the Tibetans abroad, the aforesaid plan of the Taiwan authorities could not be realized as they wished, their ingratiating activities were forced to go underground. Taiwan's "Mongolia-Tibet commission" repeatedly sent people by secret methods to the Tibetan communities in India and Nepal to "sow seeds in order to win people's hearts", launched a "silver bomb" offensive by virtue of its abundant economic strength, successively received more than 500 Tibetans in exile in India and Nepal to Taiwan for studying and training, invited influential Tibetan exiles to Taiwan to attend the "double 10th" celebrations, provided financial aid to the Tibetans from Sichuan and Qinghai to live in abroad, who had contradictions with the "government in exile", to establish community organizations, and provided support to a "religion-defending army".

2. Coordinating with Western Anti-China Forces in Pushing Through the "Westernization" and "Divisive" Strategy, Beginning to Collaborate with the "Taiwan Independence" and "Tibetan Independence" Forces.

After the break-up of the Soviet Union and the radical change in Eastern Europe during the late 80s and early 90s, the United States and other Western anti-China forces stepped up implementing their policies of "Westernizing" and "dividing up" China, they exploited the "Taiwan issue" and the "Tibet question" to contain and obstruct China's reunification. Under the instigation and connivance of Western anti-China forces, the "Taiwan independence" forces within the island gradually raised their heads, and openly propped up "Tibet independence". Under such circumstances, Taiwan authorities and the Dalai clique had obviously speeded up the pace of their collaboration.

In 1987, after Dalai put forward a "five-point proposal" for solving the "Tibet issue", the Taiwan authorities immediately expressed their attitude, claiming that Dalai had got new understanding and interpretations of the Tibet question, indicating that "there was no need to take matters related to Dalai too seriously in order to avoid hurting feelings," and instead, "we should be lenient with himĄ­.", they spoke in defense of Dalai, saying, "independence of Tibet means setting a demand on the Chinese Communist Party", and Tibet "is not necessarily to become independent". Taiwan would "adopt a relatively elastic Tibet policy". With regard to the incident of riot broken out in Lhasa during the 1987-89 period, various news media in Taiwan published one report after another, extolling the "heroic feat" of Tibetan separatists, after Dalai was awarded the Nobel "peace prize", they openly expressed congratulations for him. In addition, the Taiwan authorities also sent religious people to contact the Dalai clique, in an attempt to deepen their religious sentimental ties, and sending out the message of inviting Dalai to visit Taiwan.

In May 1990, leader of Taiwan's "Mongolia-Tibet commission" put forward the proposal that the "president" should, in the capacity of the chairman of the ruling party, invite Dalai to visit Taiwan. On December 1, 1990, a leading official of the Taiwan Democratic Progressive Party had open contacts with the representative of the Dalai clique in the United States, both sides expressed that they should support each other on questions relating to "independence" and "coopeation" and they reached consensus on matters concerning inviting Dalai to visit Taiwan and forcing the Kuomintang to dissolve the "Mongolia-Tibet commission". On May 2, 1991, the Democratic Progressive Party, colluding with some individual members of the "legislative yuan" in offering advice to the Taiwan authorities, asking them to invite Dalai to visit Taiwan. On March 12, 1993, 18 members from the Democratic Progressive Party advanced a proposal at the "legislative yuan", saying that the "legislative yuan" should send a letter inviting Dalai to visit Taiwan, which was passed.

In the face of the "friendly posture" of some people in Taiwan, Dalai's "government in exile" gave a prompt "enthusiastic" response. In September 1989, the propaganda department of the Dalai "government in exile" expressed its hope that through cooperation with the overseas nationals residing in the United States, it could promote real understanding between the "national government" and the Dalai "government", it also claimed that the "Tibetan refugees in exile in various countries, under the leadership of the Dalai Lama, were the greatest international forces in resistance to the Chinese Communist Party of China, and also the opposing forces forming a most serious headache to the Chinese Communist Party, the "national government" should give them help". Soon afterwards, Dalai himself, once in his talks with reporters, said bluntly, "it is reasonable to establish relations with Taiwan", and "our relations with Taiwan are established on the basis of equality and mutual benefit". This being the case, the ties between the Dalai clique and the Taiwan authorities had turned from secret collaboration to open coordination and cooperation, their bilateral relationship thus entered a stage of substantive contacts. Beginning in 1992, leading officials of Taiwan's "world free leagues federation" and the "Mongolia-Tibet commission" went in succession to conduct activities in the Tibetan communities in India and Nepal, and to hold talks with leading members of the Dalai "government in exile" in Dharamsala. The Dalai clique also successively sent chief Galun officials, Dalai's private secretaries and other figures to Taiwan.

Through intensified scheming activities by both sides, in early 1994, the Taiwan authorities and the Dalai clique reached a wide-ranging consensus on matters regarding Dalai's visit to Taiwan.

From March 22-27, 1997, Dalai went to Taiwan for activities, nominally in the name of responding to the invitation from Taiwan's "China Buddhism association", while in essence , it was an action jointly plotted by the Taiwan authorities and the Dalai clique to split the motherland, as well as an open deal carried out between the "Taiwan independence" and "Tibet independence" forces. During his six-day stay in Taiwan, Dalai met with Lee Teng-hui and other important Kuomintang Party and government officials and conducted talks with the responsible members of the then Democratic Progress Party. In September that same year, Dalai's "exile government" office in Taiwan was established under the name of "the Dalai Lama religious foundation". "Taiwan independence" and "Tibet independence" forces began their open collaboration.

3. Dalai's Second Visit to Taiwan Is an Important Step Taken by the "Taiwan Independence" and "Tibet Independence" Forces in Their Plot to Split the Motherland.

On March 18, 2000, the Democratic Progressive Party which advocates "independence of Taiwan" won in the "presidential" election, bringing a ray of "hope" for the Dalai clique which had long been engaged in its abortive splitting activities for "Tibet independence".

After the new leader of the Taiwan authorities assumed office, the Dalai clique immediately held discussion on matters concerning ties with Taiwan, and promptly sent out a message of congratulations, claiming that the conclusion of the Kuomintang's decades-long domination in Taiwan constitutes a tremendous inspiration for people in various circles who have been fighting for democracy and freedom".

Because the new leader of the Taiwan authorities had long harbored the intention to establish "strategic partnership" with the Dalai clique and to expand its international space, so he also made an active response in regard to Dalai clique's attitude, working out the plan for inviting Dalai to go to Taiwan for attending the inaugural ceremony. Dalai immediately expressed his attitude, "hoping to attend the ceremony". He also sent out the representative of the "exile government" in Taiwan to convey to Taiwan authorities' new leader a message about Dalai's desire to pay a second visit to Taiwan.

After the news about the Taiwan authorities inviting Dalai to attend the inaugural ceremony spread, in the face of the resolute opposition of the general public in Taiwan who support the reunification of the motherland, and awed by the powerful pressure from the mainland of the motherland, the Taiwan authorities had to delete the name of Dalai from the list of honored guests who were invited to attend the "inauguration ceremony". In order to reverse this embarrassing situation, and coordinating Taiwan authorities' next plan, Dalai also immediately modified his previous remark, denying his plan to go to Taiwan to attend the "inaugural ceremony". .However, in an effort to establish "strategic partnership" ties and expand "international living space", the Dalai clique sent out a three-member delegation represented by Samdong, chairman of the "the Tibetan people's representative conference" to attend the inauguration. As an expression of welcome, the Democratic Progressive Party, at a dinner party, presented the money, US$120,000, donated by Taiwan's political and commercial circles, to the Dalai clique, indicating that they would promote Dalai's second visit to Taiwan within the year.

After the new leader of the Taiwan authorities took office, he has obstinately clung to his stand for making "Taiwan a sovereign, independent state", refused to accept the one-China principle and continued to push through the policy "peace but not reunification" and "peaceful separation", thus further worsening cross-Strait relations, thus pushing Taiwan's future and the development of cross-Strait relations to an extremely dangerous crossroad. It was against this background that Taiwan authorities and the Dalai clique conspired to arrange Dalai's second visit to Taiwan at the end of March this year, so their political motive is self-evident.

Whatever pretext Taiwan authorities use to invite Dalai to visit Taiwan, or in whatever form and capacity Dalai pays visit to Taiwan can hardly cover up the political aim of the "Taiwan independence" and "Tibet independence" forces in deepening their collaboration. However, any words and deeds aimed at splitting the motherland will meet with the resolute opposition from the entire Chinese people, including Taiwan compatriots and Tibetan compatriots living abroad, the "independence" forces' separatist conspiracy can never succeed.



This commentary, written by Gang Zheng and Xi Zhu, on the historical process of collaboration between the Taiwan authorities and the Dalai clique, is published on the front page of People's Daily (Overseas Edition), on March 30.


People's Daily Online --- http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/