Chapter II The Zeitgeist Of Cross-‐strait City Exchanges
2.3 The Metamorphosis Of Cross-‐Strait City Exchanges In Tándem With Taiwan Sunflower
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of Japan36, city diploamcy of Taiwan local government may also gradually become a hotbed of anti-‐Chinese movement of Taiwan, partly for the reason that some cities eager to obtain e China investment, while another citeis terrified and try hardly to keep distance from the China.( The Beijing News, 2012-‐5-‐19)
In the turf war of Taiwan with Six-‐cities, how local government seeks economic sources and establishs effective local governance mechanismin the context of globalization? From the Taiwan scholar perspective, in order to attract global investment and expand city’s global influence, modern city oftens tries to establish direct contact with foreign city and
organizations. It does not only feature frequent exchanges of global cities but also make a room on the both side.
2.3 The Metamorphosis Of Cross-‐Strait City Exchanges In Tándem With Taiwan Sunflower Student Movement
From March 18 to April 10 in 2014, the Sunflower Student Movement has broke out in Taiwan, also known as the 318 student movement and the incidence of Congress occupation.
The social movement was initiated by Taiwan college students and civic groups jointly to occupied the legislatureat first, and later on called for hundreds of thousands of people went on the streets for the unsignment of Cross-‐Straits Economic Cooperation Framework
Agreement Taiwan (ECFA) and resumption of talks on the both sides.
The Sunflower Student Movement has metamorphosed the cross-‐strait relations in deeply and broadenly scale. The main controversy resorts to the Cross-‐Strait Service Trade
36Zhang Yi (2012, May 19) “China's response to Japanese right-‐wing politicians threatened "Acquisition" the Diaoyu Islands.” The Beijing News. http://news.qq.com/a/20120418/000093.htm
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Agreemen past by Taiwan legislature yuan on August 17, 2010. 37(Apple Daily, 2014-‐9-‐27) More specifically, Cross-‐Strait Service Trade Agreement serves as the implementation of ECFA and intivates the future economy development on the both sides.
As for China, its economic model reling on the export trade growth is difficult to maintain in global competition. Therefore, China is on the path from export industry to domestic
industry. As for Tawian’s blooming service industy seems to supplement to China service industry mature. The final purpose is to make each entity into an alloy.
Cross-‐Strait Service Trade Agreement involves in sensitive cross-‐strait relationship with a wide range industy. There are positive benefits for most industries, while may pose a threat to some industries. The agreement still remains undoubted for Taiwanese people. They believed that the agreement lacked of fully communication with its people. That is to say. It is so-‐called the procedure of black box. Finally, the aforementioned sunflower student
movement demanded that the government should launch of cross-‐strait agreement
supervision, before the formal service trade agreement to the formation of student movement exit.
In fact, local protest always takes place in Taiwan when the issue is related to the
sensitive cross-‐strait relations, such as direct flights, the signing of ECFA. Taiwanese are quite worrisome about prone-‐china policy will pose a great threat to national security and national independence. Although this dispute or controversy happens is inevitable, but a large-‐scale protest outbreak for the first time.
To examine the socio-‐environmental factor of sunflower student movement may resort to frequent cross-‐strait exchanges. This paper argues that China tries hard to manipulate city
37Li Hua Cho(2014, Nov 27) "Sunflower metamorphosed and transited cross-‐strait relations." ,Apple Daily http://www.appledaily.com.tw/appledaily/article/headline/20141127/36232375/
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diplamcy strategies to reunficate Taiwan including more economic benefits, business investment, formalize Taiwan public opinion and especially focus on the southern Taiwan.
The main targeted audience is the farmers, even depply got in touch with the grassroots opposition in the township of Taiwan city.
Take Taiwan’s presidential election in 2012 as the example, the Beijing authorities not only make every effort to financially spouser local smaller parties but also to show sincerity to Democratic Progressive Party in ruling counties. Thorough cross-‐strait city exchanges and great amount of agriculture product procurement, Zheng Lizhong , Director of the Taiwan Affairs Office, has engaged in every corner to communicate with Taiwab local folk in Taiwan North Central and Southern part.
While the 2014 sunflower student movement has served Taiwanese fear of frequent cross-‐strait exchanges formally on the table. Taiwanese are so worried about China invasion that democracy and freedom of Taiwan will gradually get loss in the future. The fear is that
China might buy the most beautiful scenery or the most representative company in Taiwan.
Will it be acceptable for Taiwanese? To prepare and check the open tide for China’s blooming economy, the first priority is national strategic interests!
The Sunflower Student Movement can be regarded as an important index of cross-‐strait City exchanges. It not only caused the suspense of cross-‐strait cities economic and trade, but also leaded to the defeat of Taiwan KMT party in local election. By analyzing on the election result, observers argues that it have shown Taiwanese concerns on frequent cross-‐strait exchanges.
According to Chen Zhirou’s latest research in 2015, a scholar from Academia Sinica, the
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Sunflower Student Movement has turned Taiwanese's political attitude upside down.
Referring to cross-‐strait political issue, 46% of people trusted DPP rather than 34% of whom trusted KMT. In comparison with the result in 2013, only 34% people trusted DPP less than 43% of whom trusted KMT, there have been significant "reversal".
Zhou Zhihuai, the scholar from Academia Sinica in China, he argued that the Sunflower Student Movement has weakened the ability of Ma administration to promote and prolong the development of cross-‐strait relations. He also believes that the Sunflower Student Movement regarded as the warning for China re-‐adjusting its policy toward Taiwan in cross-‐strait city exchanges.
From the perspective of China, this paper found out that Taiwan sunflower student movement could be regarded as China’s policy falure in cross-‐ strait city exchanges. By reexamining the policy that China has purchased a great amunt of agricultural products and invested aboundant money in Taiwan domestic cities, the Taiwan people still lack of
sensitivity of China’s wellness.
As far as Taiwan cities considered, it is a foreseeable future that China may
metamorphose its strategies and keep strengthening on local farmers careness, and even make every efforts to tie with the grassroots by signing up yearly or monthly contract of purchasing argriculture products. Therefore, sunflower student movement might somehow create more possibilities for cross-‐strait city exchanges.