Many people agree that the way of talking is a kind of artistic skill. How should leaders learn the appropriate way to speak about international political issues? The question is a serious one and cannot be dealt with precipitately.

President Chen Suibian said that Taiwan was the first to identify the Chinese submarine and that it informed Japan and the United States about it. Recently, however, Japan's Foreign Ministry and the Defense Agency publicly denied Taiwan's statement. The reaction from Japan was expected. However, what is incomprehensible is the political motivation behind Chen's remarks.

Couldn't he predict in advance the reaction to his utterance? Why was it necessary for him to make such a comment so openly and directly, if he simply wanted to emphasize Taiwan's strategic role and value?

The relationship between Japan and China was influenced considerably by the incident when the Chinese nuclear submarine entered into Japanese territorial waters. The incident caused deep concern among countries in the Asian and Pacific region. Finding the submarine did not require highly advanced knowledge. That is because U.S. military satellites have for a long time been watching from outer space the operations of Chinese communist ships in the western Pacific Ocean. When the submarine was found near Miyako Island, the U.S.-Japan alliance promptly responded to this development.

Japan and the United States essentially enjoy close military cooperation. According to Japanese media reports, the finding of the submarine resulted from military intelligence exchanges between Japan and the United States. Therefore, strictly speaking, it is meaningless to argue who was the first to find the submarine. While Taiwan played a role in announcing the topic to the world, it showed that the government not only cannot see the forest for the trees but it also displayed its shortsighted perspective.

Taiwan played a certain role in the submarine incident but it was just a second fiddle. Was it necessary for Taiwan to speak up its role?

The President's remark was made when he met the representative of the Inter-Exchange Association Japan. There is no doubt that he wanted the Japanese side to understand that a common benefit in the security and stability of the Asian and Pacific region. Although it is clear that his main point was mutual benefit, he should have put himself in other person's shoes. If it is predictable that the content of a talk could cause trouble for the other person and would not allow room for the other party to respond properly, talking about such a topic would be against the rules of friendship. If the remark furthermore seriously influences their cooperation in the future and undermines their mutual benefit, one can say that his utterance would be an irrecoverable action.

The President often says that, although Taiwan is small, it is full of energy. This underlines that Taiwan, though small, is making strenuous efforts for survival in a severe international situation. Taiwan does not have to depend on heavy-handed ways. It does not have to overplay its position. Taiwan should believe that its dignity and benefits can coexist. It can remain for a long time as a democratic, prosperous and just nation as long as it dispassionately thinks and takes actions.

As handling international issues is a sensitive and complicated task, remarks and actions taken by the heads of nations attract keen attention from various places. The episode of the submarine incident shows that the president's flaw of exaggeration has not been cured yet and it can also be said that his act undermined the trust of Taiwan's friend.