Taiwan has won respect the world over for its democracy. The island's political development has proven the naysayers wrong: Chinese culture and democracy are not incompatible. It is ironic then that one of the key issues today is the possibility that Taiwan is becoming "too democratic." The call for referendums on key political questions has set off alarm bells in China and Washington. Both governments fear that referendums on the island could destabilize the uneasy status quo that prevails between Beijing and Taipei, and back the two sides into a conflict. That unhappy prospect can be easily avoided: Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian should honor his election promise not to hold referendums on Taiwanese independence. Equally important, he should stop playing politics with the very idea.
The immediate reason for a referendum is the controversy surrounding Taiwan's nuclear power policy. As a candidate, Mr. Chen promised to end the island's nuclear energy program. After winning the presidency, he attempted to honor that pledge by shutting down construction of a fourth nuclear power plant, but he was forced to back down after the resulting paralysis in government -- the move was deeply opposed by the opposition -- damaged the economy. The president now wants to let the people decide, and to do that he wants to hold a referendum.
That sounds reasonable enough -- except that there are fears that a referendum on nuclear power would lead to referendums on other matters. In particular, there are worries that the question of Taiwan's independence could end up on a ballot, and Beijing has said that that is unacceptable. There is good reason for Beijing to draw a line. A popular vote on Taiwan's status would send an unmistakable signal about the Taiwanese people's desired place in the world. No Taiwanese politician could afford to ignore a call by the majority of Taiwanese people for independence. At present, there are only opinion polls to show their preferences and those are agreed to reflect the interests of a particular poll's sponsor. A referendum and its results would be unambiguous.