At the recent press conference for his new book, President Chen Shui-bian (
The problem with their argument is that both Chen and his predecessor, Lee Teng-hui (
But could it be that Chen is in the wrong because Beijing has been insisting that the "one China" consensus of 1992 is the one and only foundation for the development of cross-strait relations? On this point, Taiwan's opposition parties have been acting like Beijing's mouthpieces. The "one China" principle and the 1992 consensus as Beijing understands them merely represent the political objectives that Beijing wants to achieve.
At a press conference during the recent APEC summit in Shanghai, China's Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan (
"One China, with each side making its own interpretation" is a semantic trap set up by Beijing. It is meant only for domestic consumption within China and for deceiving the people of Taiwan. Internationally, there is only enough room for one China, not for different interpretations of it.
For Taiwan, whether or not to accept "one China" is a matter of life and death. It is a question of whether Taiwan wants to accept "one country, two systems" and become a local government. For the people of Taiwan, this question is a choice between democracy or authoritarianism, human rights or despotism, rule of law or rule by whim. Certainly, for both the president and the people of Taiwan, the answer to Beijing's offer is "no." Taiwan's electorate must make its voice heard at the polls on Dec.1 -- by stripping the pan-blue camp of its legislative majority.
That the PRC and the ROC coexist is reality. How can anyone say that any consensus has been reached on "one China?" Beijing can bring up "one China" as an issue to be discussed, but to make it a precondition? To demand that Taiwan must surrender before any negotiations can begin? Don't even think about it, China -- nor its Quislings in Taiwan.
Concerns that the US might abandon Taiwan are often overstated. While US President Donald Trump’s handling of Ukraine raised unease in Taiwan, it is crucial to recognize that Taiwan is not Ukraine. Under Trump, the US views Ukraine largely as a European problem, whereas the Indo-Pacific region remains its primary geopolitical focus. Taipei holds immense strategic value for Washington and is unlikely to be treated as a bargaining chip in US-China relations. Trump’s vision of “making America great again” would be directly undermined by any move to abandon Taiwan. Despite the rhetoric of “America First,” the Trump administration understands the necessity of
US President Donald Trump’s challenge to domestic American economic-political priorities, and abroad to the global balance of power, are not a threat to the security of Taiwan. Trump’s success can go far to contain the real threat — the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) surge to hegemony — while offering expanded defensive opportunities for Taiwan. In a stunning affirmation of the CCP policy of “forceful reunification,” an obscene euphemism for the invasion of Taiwan and the destruction of its democracy, on March 13, 2024, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) used Chinese social media platforms to show the first-time linkage of three new
If you had a vision of the future where China did not dominate the global car industry, you can kiss those dreams goodbye. That is because US President Donald Trump’s promised 25 percent tariff on auto imports takes an ax to the only bits of the emerging electric vehicle (EV) supply chain that are not already dominated by Beijing. The biggest losers when the levies take effect this week would be Japan and South Korea. They account for one-third of the cars imported into the US, and as much as two-thirds of those imported from outside North America. (Mexico and Canada, while
I have heard people equate the government’s stance on resisting forced unification with China or the conditional reinstatement of the military court system with the rise of the Nazis before World War II. The comparison is absurd. There is no meaningful parallel between the government and Nazi Germany, nor does such a mindset exist within the general public in Taiwan. It is important to remember that the German public bore some responsibility for the horrors of the Holocaust. Post-World War II Germany’s transitional justice efforts were rooted in a national reckoning and introspection. Many Jews were sent to concentration camps not
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