Flag-raising in US 'an affirmation of Taiwan story'

This was widely reported in the media as a comeback for the ROC, 36 years after the breaking off of official relations with the world's strongest superpower. It was indeed a morning worthy of celebration, as the country forged a path through a continuing crisis of existence. Nonetheless, optimism and determination, as well as the continued hard work put in by all sectors of society, enabled the country to become a standard bearer of democracy and a cultural champion of the Chinese speaking world – not to mention an economic miracle that still holds important sway in the technology sector.

Looking ahead, the country is already on a countdown to fever season in the 2016 presidential elections. However, the very system of presidential supremacy is being questioned as people are thinking of adopting a parliamentary system that is being billed as something that is more accountable to the people.

Pushing for Internet freedom and civil society in our biggest neighbor, the country with which we are closely intertwined and relations with which dominate the politics of the ROC, is going to be critical. Beijing thinks it has successfully waited out the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, its vestige of a civil society and democracy direct in the city.

Yet in the years ahead, China will continue to face the great burden of authoritarianism, with its weight increasing every year, as the country refuses to grant freedom to the courts, cracks down on civil society and seeks to “nail the Jell-O to the wall” – in the words of former US President Bill Clinton, cited by the New York Times in the article “In Foiling Gmail, China foils itself” – by pursuing the destructive task of restricting freedom of the Internet. Just over a week ago, Internet giant Google's Gmail service was blocked completely. This represents a new height of repression in a decade of continuous obsession with “cleansing” the Internet of anything Beijing deems sensitive. Foreign Internet firms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are still blocked indefinitely.

For Taiwan, the celebratory atmosphere of the diplomatic breakthrough should be accompanied by a renewed effort in expressing concern over the lack of freedoms enjoyed by citizens of our rival across the strait. Even while the focus on trade expansion is pursued, the events of last year's Sunflower Movement should have made it clear that the deep anxiety Taiwanese feel toward cross-strait exchanges must be addressed.

We call on Beijing to maintain a respectful silence for now, instead of launching another round of toting “serious concern” over what was simply a reclamation and an effort at coexistence with dignity.

For the first time since the breaking off of official ties, ROC military personnel wore their dress uniforms in the US. This can rightly be said to be a gesture of goodwill on the part of the Obama administration, as it restores symbolic sovereignty to the members of Taiwan's government, represented especially conspicuously by the personnel of the armed forces.

Thirty-six years ago, the last flag-lowering ceremony at Twin Oaks Estate occurred with “dreary wind and bitter rain”, former Minister of Foreign Affairs Cheng Jian-ren recounted. Participant Wu Heyi said that at the time, “there was a strong surge of sorrow and indignation in our hearts,” according to the United Daily News.

On the recent sunny morning in Washington, DC, the fresh morning washed away at least some of the lingering melancholy. That was a result of decades of efforts by diplomatic personnel, other government members and all Taiwanese who, through their efforts in industry and culture, represented the good face of the nation and earned the respect of international partners, including the US. For the future, we look forward to a time when the ROC is recognised for its contributions to the world. The effort to open a path need not be overtly confrontational, but it is obvious that the flag-raising would not have come about without steadfast accumulation of trust, accurate wielding of ingenuity in negotiation and necessary secrecy in the conducting of the event.