Taiwan

The Hon. DAVID CLARKE [6.44 p.m.]: Wednesday 10 October this year marked the ninety-sixth anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of China and was once again the occasion for a major celebration in Sydney by some of Taiwan's many friends and supporters in Australia. It was a great honour for me to be invited to be present at this great event, which was attended not only by parliamentarians representing all major Australian political parties but also by many civic, business and community leaders and by many from the Taiwanese-Australian community. It was also a time to reflect upon the outstanding success of Taiwan as a land of economic progress, a bastion of democratic values and an upholder of individual liberty and freedom.

As the years go by and in the face of intimidation, threats and obstacles placed in its way by the Beijing Government, Taiwan continues to go from strength to strength. Now firmly established as a First World developed society, Taiwan has the world's seventeenth largest economy. It is the world's fourteenth largest exporter and, on a per capita basis, has the second highest foreign currency reserves. While it is not overly endowed with natural resources, Taiwan is nevertheless a sophisticated, industrialised and high-tech economy and is the world's leading producer of personal computers. Unlike mainland China, Taiwan's export success is not enhanced improperly by reliance on massive breaches of international patents and copyright laws. In fact, it is estimated that every year American businesses alone are deprived of in excess of $US250 billion in income due to counterfeit goods, most of which are produced in China.

It should also be noted that, in contrast to China, Taiwan's economic prosperity has unquestionably filtered down far more equitably to all sectors of society. Unlike China, significant wealth has not been siphoned off into the grasping hands of legions of corrupt officials of the Communist Party. It is important also to remember that Taiwan's economic miracle has been achieved in a remarkably short time. Only a few decades ago Taiwan was a backwater, a Third World society and an island stagnating in poverty. Now it stands as a testament to the supremacy of free enterprise over socialism, to the victory of capitalism over communism, and to the triumph of freedom over dictatorship.

Taiwan also stands as a testament to the inventiveness, initiative, work ethic and the achievement capacity of the Chinese people when the shackles are taken off their wrists and the burden of dictatorship is lifted from their backs. We should remember that this economic success has been achieved not at the expense of any other aspect of life in Taiwan—in fact, quite the contrary. Concurrently with economic growth Taiwan has evolved into a fully democratic and genuine multi-party society. It has freedom of association, freedom of speech and freedom of religious expression. Can mainland China claim the same? The freedom that Australia and other Western democracies experience is the freedom that the people of Taiwan enjoy as well. Why would they want to surrender their freedom, their economic prosperity and their democratic way of life to the control of a regime in Beijing that can offer none of those things? Why would they give it all up in return for the promises, the enticements and the blandishments offered by the Communist Party of the People's Republic of China?

Beijing is in the market to make a sale but the people of Taiwan are not buying—and the people of the free world should not buy either. The truth is that in the free, democratic world there is increasing concern and resentment about the manner in which China seeks to cajole, hustle and railroad the world community into isolating Taiwan. It has to date blocked Taiwan's submission to the World Health Organization despite the fact that health experts warn that to do so constitutes a potential threat to millions of people through disease and sickness that knows no borders. Despite the fact that Taiwan is a member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group, the World Trade Organization, 23 other international government organisations and more than 2,000 international non-government organisations, China seeks to blackball any Taiwanese involvement with the United Nations.

Without getting into the issue of whether Taiwan is part of "one China" or a separate entity, there are several examples of one people or one nation being represented by more than one entity in the United Nations. For decades Germany was represented by both West Germany and East Germany. Korea continues to be represented by both North Korea and South Korea. When the United Nations was established in 1945 the Soviet Union had two additional votes for the Ukraine and Byelorussia, which were part of its territory. Nations of only 10,000 have United Nations representation. Where there is a will there is a way. There is a formula that allows status to be conferred upon 23 million people on the island of Taiwan, who for nearly 60 years have governed themselves.

I have raised this issue tonight because the Taiwanese-Australian community asked me to express its concerns. I have raised this issue because Taiwan's greater involvement in the world community will be of benefit to world humanity. Finally, I do so because justice and decency and the cause of freedom call out for the people of Taiwan to be brought into the company of other free peoples. The cause of Taiwan is a righteous cause, and at the end of the day a righteous cause will usually prevail.