A misfortune creates optimism across the Taiwan Straits

The Sichuan Earthquake has happened as Taiwan ushered in a new era, with the defeat of President Chen Shui-bian's pro-independence party by the Kuomintang, which has traditionally adopted a less hardline attitude towards China.

While it still asserts Taiwan's identity as separate from China, the earthquake has allowed the island's incoming Kuomintang leadership to begin its administration on the best possible note when it came to bilateral relations.

Even before he was sworn in, Ma had made prominent and high-profile contributions, donating money as well as turning up at charity fundraisers for the Sichuan earthquake victims. And at his inaugural speech, he referred to the Sichuan quake victims as 同胞, or brothers and both mainland Chinese and Taiwanese media were quick to pick up on his language of choice, as indication of close(r) ties across the turbulent Taiwan Straits.

Instead of the animosity and antagonism that characterised his predecessor Chen Shui-bian's time in office, Ma was portrayed as more humane and popular with the people. China had watched as Chen's party was defeated resounding at the March 22 presidential vote. Allegations of corruption and fraud against those within his close circle, including the First Lady, were played out constantly in the media and in all probability played a major role in the ouster of Chen's Democratic Progressive Party. But in China, his fall was taken as an indication that the prodigal renegade province was finally on the way of come home.

In the days following the quake, Taiwanese media had made it a point give round-the-clock coverage to relief efforts, and stories of miracle rescues, heroic sacrifices and tragic separation of families. Traditionally sensationalistic and emotional, these were what the Taiwanese press were known for and the drama emerging from Sichuan provided just the right content.

Newscasters broke down openly on screen, exhortations of brotherhood among all Chinese people were pronounced in print and on the air, as the island followed closely the plight of 15 members of an elderly tourist group remained missing in Sichuan. They rallied behind efforts to raise money for the victims and emerged as the single largest external donor.

All this and Ma's declaration of brotherhood led up to the visit by his party's top man to China. One of the first stops was the mausoleum of Dr Sun Yat-Sen in the city of Nanjing.

Dr Sun is the rare figure in modern Chinese politics who is beloved in both Taiwan and China. He was the one behind the revolutionary force which eventually ended dynastic rule in China and it is from his death that Taiwan and China split into two separate entities.

Internal strife and power politics eventually saw Dr Sun's successor Chiang Kai-shek escape with his faithful to Taiwan where he set up a government apart from the Chinese Communist Party, and declared the island the Republic of China - Mainland is officially known as the People's Republic of China - giving rise to the division that still stands today.

Decades of tense face-off now show signs of easing with Taiwan's new leadership.

Kuomintang chief Wu Poh Hsiung could not have chosen a better stage. He stood at the square in front of Dr Sun's mausoleum, named after the late leader's motto to love all, 博愛. From there, before all gathering media, he proclaimed that both sides of the Taiwan Straits belonged to the Chinese race and that it was a blood tie that no one could eradicate.

If that was not enough, he heaped praise on the Chinese leadership. 人民最大. "The people were the most important," he wrote in calligraphy and said that would be his party's directive now that they were in power. China's top leaders heading to the frontline of the disaster, not fearing for their own safety and helping out was exactly an example of that.

Taiwan had refused to be a part of the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay in defense of its sovereignty, but Wu dropped by the Games venue when he was in the Chinese capital. He also met with Chinese president Hu Jintao, and this is the first time that the chiefs of the ruling parties of China and Taiwan have met.

Under normal circumstances, all this would have appeared to be openly pandering to Beijing to the more cautious or perhaps skeptical back home in Taiwan. But against the backdrop of the incredible outflow of Taiwanese sympathy for the victims and the repeated pronouncements of brotherhood, it became OK.

If the Kuomintang does stand by the words of its chief and place the people as top priority, what does this mean for cross-straits relations?

The ground work has now been laid for future discussions and Wu has left an invitation for Chinese leaders to visit Taiwan for further talks, and is even coming back for the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics in August as President Hu's guest.

Even in the spirit of cautious optimism, these are encouraging times across the Taiwan Straits, all of which would not have been possible without the goodwill generated from the gestures made by the Taiwanese in aiding the Sichuan quake victims.

What decades of human diplomacy could not achieve, Mother Nature accomplished in just one afternoon.

Into the 3rd Week

In the third week after, miraculous survival stories begin to run out. The tedious work of reuniting lost families and providing shelter for those affected by the destruction of more than 14 million homes continues.

Official figures say that the total number of people affected stands at 45, 509, 241, even greater than the entire population of Spain. Resettlement efforts are massive. Emergency housing has been secured for more than 15 million people. To put that in perspective, it is the equivalent of resettling everyone in Israel or the Netherlands twice over.


Day 15
26 May 2008, Monday

Death toll: 65, 080
Injury toll: 360, 058
Missing : 23, 150

The China Disabled People's Performing Arts Troupe have announced that they will donate all their takings from their seven-city tour of Britain to relief efforts in Sichuan. The group of hearing-impaired, fully and partially blind artistes premiered at Her Majesty's Theatre in London and will spend 20 days performing in other major cities like Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff and Glasgow.



Day 16
27 May 2008, Tuesday

Death toll: 67, 183
Injury toll: 361, 822
Missing : 20, 790


The Chinese local media turns their attention to the arrival of a prominent Taiwanese politician.

Wu Boxiong, the leader of the island's Kuomintang Party, arrives in Nanjing, meeting with local officials. On Tuesday he pays his respects at the mausoleum of Chinese anti-imperialist revolutionary Dr Sun Yat-Sen and had more than few nice things to say about the Chinese leadership.

A Misfortune Creates Optimism Across the Taiwan Straits



Day 17
28 May 2008, Wednesday

Death toll: 68, 109
Injury toll: 362, 552
Missing : 19,851

Rife rumours that another earthquake would take place today proved to be unfounded but the situation close to one of the so-called quake lakes was getting dire.

Some 30,000 people have been evacuated from around the Tangjiashan 唐家山 quake lake, just 3.2 km from the quake-affected town of Beichuan. The water level in the lake has risen to 1.6 metres deep and though authorities say the rate of increase has fallen, the lake - created when the sudden movements from the quake dammed an existing river - could still burst its banks. There is estimated to be more than 100 million cubic metres of water in the lake, which can probably hold up to 300 million.

Heavy machinery has been used to dredge the lake but the People's Liberation Army has sent bomber planes along with 1,100 troops and 10 tons of explosives to blow apart the quake lake.

According to official state media, out of 34 lakes created, 28 are in danger of bursting.



Day 18
29 May 2008, Thursday

Death toll: 68, 516
Injury toll: 365, 399
Missing : 19, 350

The outcry from American actress Sharon Stone's remarks at the Cannes Film Festival refocuses national attention once again on the Sichuan earthquake. Apart from calling the Dalai Lama " a good friend", she added, "And then all this earthquake and all this stuff happened, and I thought, is that karma -- when you're not nice that the bad things happen to you?"

French perfume makers Christian Dior had to pull the 50-year-old's ads from China where the world's largest online community debated among themselves, if they should accept Stone's subsequent apology. She issued a statement saying, "In the course of the interview I made inappropriate remarks and for any harm created towards the Chinese people I am extremely sad and apologize." Local media wryly noted that she may have lost US$56 million over her thoughtless remarks.

Sharon stoned on the Chinese net



The situation over at the Tangjiashan quake lake worsens after 12 hours of continuous rain raises water volume to 160 million cubic metres. Officials fear the worst if the levels increase at the current rate of 10 million cubic metres/ day. Almost 70,000 people have been moved to safety, with another 90,000 ready to be evacuated as well. The 160,000 in the nearby town of Jinyang may also be affected.




Day 19
30 May 2008, Friday

Death toll: 68,858
Injury toll: 366, 586
Missing : 18, 618


Japan's international rescue team - one of the first to arrive after the quake - have returned home. Tokyo has announced that it will be sending relief provisions like tents and blankets to China, but not via military aircraft as first intended. Instead civilian planes will be chartered to make the delivery, which will be less controversial in light of residual tension on the part of the Chinese over the Japanese invasion and occupation of their country in World War Two.

If the original plan had gone ahead, it would have been the first significant military despatch from Japan to China since the war.


The Chinese Red Cross reiterates that 100% of all donations received for the Sichuan quake victims will go towards relief efforts, and that it will not use any portion of it to cover costs arising from administering the aid.

The Red Cross spokesman says the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies requires that it limits administrative expenses to 6.5 %. it had managed to keep its administrative costs down to 1.66 % during its last major crisis relief campaign - the SARS outbreak in 2003.