(本文翻譯自 陳冲 刺激1989 疼惜1989 2021-07-28)
There are news about Tokyo Olympics these two days. Were there no 1989, Taiwan’s players could not have had the chance to participate in the Asian Games and the Olympic Games. Were there no 1989, we may probably still use telegrams and mails for communication. Were there no 1989, human might still rebuild the ruins of the Third World War. Were there no 1989, Merkel would only be an East German teacher.
Year 1989 may seem like an ordinary year at first glance. There is also no famous vintage this year. However, it’s actually a crucial one connecting past and future in modern history. To international relations, geopolitics, Taiwan, or even all walks of life and individuals, it’s undoubtedly a year of great significance.
I have mentioned the year 1989 in many speeches after 2000, especially when the speech topic is about globalization and regional economic integration. In 1999, the tenth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, people looked back and suddenly found that many events happening in 1989 had a great impact on human. On Nov. 9th 1999, investment bank Merrill Lynch even published a full-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal with the headline reads “The world is ten years old” which meant that all before 1989 didn’t count. Although exaggerated, we could see how important 1989 is. If you agree with the ad, the world is 32 years old now.
Undoubtedly, the fall of the Berlin Wall is the one of highest symbolic significance. In 1989, the high wall separating East and West Berlin was torn down and then the visible and invisible walls around the world collapsed consecutively, including the wall of values, the wall that hindered communication and the wall that blocked flow of funds. The wall collapsed and gave way to the net. The net symbolized connection and integration, including the establishment of transportation network, trade network and even communication network. The most representative one is the invention of World Wide Web (WWW). Finally, all internet is connected and everyone enjoys the convenience of internet. It gradually developed into today’s Internet of Things and Internet of nano-things. The world is connected and with GPS, the accuracy and the quality is greatly improved.
From wall to net and from isolation to connection, all that seemed impossible, difficult and inconvenient in the Cold War era have become possible, easy and convenient. There are time brewing for these great changes and of course some aftermath afterwards. For example, there is lifting of martial law and the cross-strait family visit ban in 1987 and the lifting of newspaper ban in Taiwan in 1988. Later in 1990, Gorbachev won the Nobel Peace Prize and the internet was completed. The world was immersed in the atmosphere of communication, reconciliation and lifting of bans then.
If the above is not clear enough, let’s take a look at the ten selective important events in 1989 that symbolize integration, reconciliation, and communication.
- Feb. 14, 1989: The first GPS satellite Enters Orbit.
- Mar. 12, 1989: Tim Berners-Lee produces the World Wide Web (WWW).
- Apr. 5, 1989: Returns to the international sports circle in the name of Chinese Taipei.
- May. 1, 1989: Taiwan rejoined ADB.
- Jun. 4, 1989: Tiananmen Square protests which accelerated China’s opening-up.
- Jul. 17, 1989: the historic amendment of The Banking Act, the start of financial liberalization.
- Nov. 5, 1989: The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is established. Global economic and trade reintegrated.
- Nov. 9, 1989: the Fall of the Berlin Wall and also the collapse of Eastern Bloc
- Dec. 3, 1989: U.S. President George H. W. Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev release statements indicating that the Cold War between their nations may be coming to an end.
- Dec. 31, 1989: Taiwan decide to apply the accession of the GATT in the name of Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu, integrating into the world economic and trade system.
Carefully analyzing each event and comparing those to the international situation then, we can find that all of them are epoch-making and shaped the world to some extent. Columnist Thomas Friedman once summed up the atmosphere of reconciliation and coprosperity around 1989 as the accelerated exchange of information, finance and technology. Everyone enjoyed the fruits of exchange, which further led to progress. Certain circumstances gave these exchange chance to prosper and finally all fell into place and boomed until now.
Appacus Foundation will keep exploring the impact of 1989 events at all levels. I hope to use this article first to appeal to all circles to recognize that in the past three decades, we human has made great progress. The broken-down barriers, the exchange of technical information, and even the relaxation of cross-strait relations are all results from the groundbreaking turning points in 1989. We should cherish the wisdom of our predecessors. Don’t waste the opportunities created and the capital accumulated in 1989.
(Released on Appacus Foundation, Jul. 28th, 2021)