| ThispapertriestoanalyzeTaipei-Beijing-Washington’strianglerelationshipfromdemocraticpointofview.Tosolvethecross-straitrelations,themovementsonbothsidesneedlegitimacy,stability,predictability,andrationality.Onlydemocratizationcanguaranteeonbothsidesofthesequalifications.TheresultsofdemocratizationontwosidesofTaiwanStraitshavebeendramaticonfourlevels.Domestically,Taiwanhasremainedsecureandhasprospered.Ithasalsomadethetransitionfromanauthoritarianformofgovernmenttoafullydemocraticone.Bilaterally,relationsofeverysortbetweenTaiwanandtheUnitedStateshaveflourished.Atatrilaterallevel,thetrendwouldhasitswaytoallowTaipeiandBeijingtoatleastbeginacross-straitdialogueandtakethefirststepstowardbuildingmutualtrustunderAmerican’sfavorablesystemwhichappliedtoitscorevalueofforeignpolicy.Andatamultilaterallevel,thesecurityandthesubsequentstabilityofTaiwanStraitwillensureregionalstabilityandmultilateralprosperitythroughouttheAsia-Pacific.ThebestwaytofurthertheregionaldevelopmentgoalsthatTaiwanshareswiththeU.S.wouldbetoviewthebilateralrelationshipmoreonitsownmerits,andlessthroughthedistortingprismofBeijing-sviews.Taiwan-spromotionofdemocracyandhumanright,peaceandprosperityathomeandthroughoutAsiaclearlyandnaturallycoincideswithU.S.goalsandvalues,includingcollectivelypromotingChina’sdemocratization.TaiwanhaspoliticallyandeconomicallydevelopedinAmerica-simageandhasbecomeanAmericansuccessstory.AstrongerandcloserU.S.-TaiwanpartnershipasdemocraticalliesisinAmericaninterestandwillmakeimportantcontributionstoChina’sdemocraticfuture,thusamoredemocratic,peaceful,andprosperousEastAsiaatthedawnofthisnewcentury.ThisarticletouchesupontheimplicationofChina’spossibledemocratizationforthecrossstraitrelationsandtoglobalandAmericaninterest.Moreimportantly,itbroadlyexaminedsixpathsthatcanbetakentohelptoreachthefinalgoalofChina’sdemocratizationbeforeenteringintotheconclusionthatconsidersthe2008OlympicgameasatimetableforChina’sdemocratization. |