2014馬習會 陳以信：球在習近平腳下

時間：2013/9/4 10:59　撰稿‧編輯：季　平 　　新聞引據：廣電媒體 、採訪

亞洲太平洋經濟合作會議(APEC)2014年度會議預定在上海舉行，海峽兩岸領導人屆時能否在此場合會面，引發關注。中國國民黨前發言人陳以信3日投書美國華盛頓時報(The Washington Times)，認為2014 APEC會議將是馬習會的最佳場合與時機，而球正掌握在中國大陸國家主席習近平的手中。

目前在英國倫敦大學亞非學院台灣研究中心(Center of Taiwan Studies, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London)的陳以信，在題為「球在習近平腳下」的投書中指出，習近平應該可以了解，上海明年主辦APEC年會，將是中華民國總統馬英九與習近平兩人會面的最佳時機，而且可能會是2016年馬總統結束第二個任期前的唯一契機。

陳以信說，台灣自1991年加入APEC以來，會籍身分為「經濟實體」，類似台灣在世界貿易組織(WTO)的身分為「關稅實體」；而且自2002年加入以來，雙方會籍就同時存在於WTO內。這是為何馬總統如果以一個「經濟實體」的「經濟領袖」身分，參加明年APEC非正式領袖會議，將不必然是挑戰中國大陸的政治禁忌。

陳以信指出，更重要的是，唯有當「馬習會」是由國際組織如APEC舉辦時，台灣民眾害怕台灣被降格為中國地方政府的擔憂才可稍得緩解；否則馬習會的政治冒險，對馬總統的支持度而言將是不智決定。

陳以信表示，這場台灣海峽兩岸領導人史無前例的會面，將會是兩岸關係60多年來的里程碑；現在球在習近平的腳下，如果他願意，他將可創造歷史。

國民黨前發言人陳以信(圖：陳以信提供)

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: On Taiwan relations, ball in Xi’s court

Washington Times | Sunday, September 1, 2013

I am afraid it could be too early to reject the possibility that Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou will meet his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping, in Shanghai's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting next year ("Inside China: China ridicules Indian navy," Web, Aug. 22). Mr. Xi may soon realize that this timing is the best and perhaps the only opportunity for them to meet officially before 2016, when Mr. Ma will end the last term of his presidency.

As your piece mentioned, China has opposed any meeting between the leaders of China and Taiwan at any international conference because of the "one-China" principle. This claims Taiwan is part of China — and it rejects Mr. Ma as the leader of a sovereign country. However, Taiwan's official status in the APEC since 1991 is an "economic entity" similar to the island's status as a "custom entity" in the World Trade Organization, where the memberships of China and Taiwan have coexisted since their entries in 2002. This is why Mr. Ma's possible participation next year in APEC's nonofficial summit as an "economic leader" of an "economic entity" will not necessarily challenge China's political taboo, especially when Shanghai will be the host city by then.

More importantly, only if the Ma-Xi meeting were to be sponsored by an international organization such as APEC can it help ease worries among the Taiwanese people, who hate to see Taiwan being downgraded as a locality subject to China. Otherwise, it will be unwise for Mr. Ma to risk his popularity to engage in a political adventure with Mr. Xi, who has proposed political talks since March.

Undoubtedly, this unprecedented meeting between leaders of both sides of the Taiwan Strait will be a milestone for the more than six decades of history in cross-strait relations. Now the ball is in Mr. Xi's court. He can make history if he is really keen to.

CHARLES I-HSIN CHEN

Center of Taiwan Studies

School of Oriental and African Studies

University of London

Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/sep/1/letter-to-the-editor-on-taiwan-relations-ball-in-x/#ixzz2duR6cuIc 

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