While there are many overt and covert suggestions about what President Chen Shui-bian (
Needless to say, as the re-elected president of Taiwan, he should keep the interests of Taiwan first in his mind when he is preparing this important speech.
Obviously, topping the list of Taiwan's interests are its sovereignty, security, prosperity and democracy. And China, with its nationalistic call to annex Taiwan, is a threat to all these interests.
Chen's conciliatory tone in the last four years proved to be only futile when it came to the diehard Beijing leadership.
Therefore, Chen should refrain from reiterating the futile and humiliating "five noes" policy again. Instead he should call for the respect of democracy. And no one should put a straightjacket on Taiwan or stop its practice of democracy.
Taiwan's democracy is a dagger threatening the heart of Chinese communist rule. And it is a recipe to win American hearts and support.
In the aftermath of the March 20 election, Taiwanese people have shown their wisdom and maturity to protect and nuture their democracy. No countries or individuals should continue to ignore the choices and conciousness of these people.
The times have changed. Taiwan has made its choice and moved foward. Will others do the same?
Yang Ji-charng
USA
Why is Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) not a “happy camper” these days regarding Taiwan? Taiwanese have not become more “CCP friendly” in response to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) use of spies and graft by the United Front Work Department, intimidation conducted by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the Armed Police/Coast Guard, and endless subversive political warfare measures, including cyber-attacks, economic coercion, and diplomatic isolation. The percentage of Taiwanese that prefer the status quo or prefer moving towards independence continues to rise — 76 percent as of December last year. According to National Chengchi University (NCCU) polling, the Taiwanese
It would be absurd to claim to see a silver lining behind every US President Donald Trump cloud. Those clouds are too many, too dark and too dangerous. All the same, viewed from a domestic political perspective, there is a clear emerging UK upside to Trump’s efforts at crashing the post-Cold War order. It might even get a boost from Thursday’s Washington visit by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. In July last year, when Starmer became prime minister, the Labour Party was rigidly on the defensive about Europe. Brexit was seen as an electorally unstable issue for a party whose priority
US President Donald Trump is systematically dismantling the network of multilateral institutions, organizations and agreements that have helped prevent a third world war for more than 70 years. Yet many governments are twisting themselves into knots trying to downplay his actions, insisting that things are not as they seem and that even if they are, confronting the menace in the White House simply is not an option. Disagreement must be carefully disguised to avoid provoking his wrath. For the British political establishment, the convenient excuse is the need to preserve the UK’s “special relationship” with the US. Following their White House
US President Donald Trump’s return to the White House has brought renewed scrutiny to the Taiwan-US semiconductor relationship with his claim that Taiwan “stole” the US chip business and threats of 100 percent tariffs on foreign-made processors. For Taiwanese and industry leaders, understanding those developments in their full context is crucial while maintaining a clear vision of Taiwan’s role in the global technology ecosystem. The assertion that Taiwan “stole” the US’ semiconductor industry fundamentally misunderstands the evolution of global technology manufacturing. Over the past four decades, Taiwan’s semiconductor industry, led by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), has grown through legitimate means