Bush must uphold values
Should US President George W. Bush betray the moral values his voters supported him for, he would have no leg to stand on. Not only will he fail to win back the "other half" of Americans who voted for Kerry and thereby achieve national unity, he would also lose "this half" of Americans who supported him. He would then be a complete failure.
Taking this context to Taiwan, Bush must not lose sight of freedom, democracy, God and family in dealing with China. Americans from the heartland to metropolises, are not keen on or easily intimidated by bullies, whether they be Nazis, Russians or North Koreans.
Bush will not need to run in another election, yet his legacy will remain. His legacy is to shape the US at the beginning of the 21st century.
His biggest mandate in this election is loud and clear: uphold American values, Mr. President; do not lose them in the Taiwan Strait.
Chen Ming-chung
Chicago, Illinois
Don't require early English
Parents in Taiwan believe that English is crucial for their children's future, and also believe schools should start English "as early as possible." ("Parents believe in English," Nov. 16, page 2). But starting early may not be the best way to help children acquire English proficiency.
Studies show that older children acquire language skills faster than younger children. Thus, starting later (eg, at grade three or grade four instead of kindergarten or grade one) is more efficient. It also means more time to develop a solid foundation in Chinese.
Studies show that those who have a better education in the first language make better progress in developing a second.
Cynthia Wu is correct when she emphasizes the importance of not cutting back on Chinese language classes in order to squeeze in more English.
I would not forbid early English, but I think it is a mistake to require it.
Stephen Krashen
Professor Emeritus
University of Southern California
US President Donald Trump has gotten off to a head-spinning start in his foreign policy. He has pressured Denmark to cede Greenland to the United States, threatened to take over the Panama Canal, urged Canada to become the 51st US state, unilaterally renamed the Gulf of Mexico to “the Gulf of America” and announced plans for the United States to annex and administer Gaza. He has imposed and then suspended 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico for their roles in the flow of fentanyl into the United States, while at the same time increasing tariffs on China by 10
Trying to force a partnership between Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) and Intel Corp would be a wildly complex ordeal. Already, the reported request from the Trump administration for TSMC to take a controlling stake in Intel’s US factories is facing valid questions about feasibility from all sides. Washington would likely not support a foreign company operating Intel’s domestic factories, Reuters reported — just look at how that is going over in the steel sector. Meanwhile, many in Taiwan are concerned about the company being forced to transfer its bleeding-edge tech capabilities and give up its strategic advantage. This is especially
US President Donald Trump last week announced plans to impose reciprocal tariffs on eight countries. As Taiwan, a key hub for semiconductor manufacturing, is among them, the policy would significantly affect the country. In response, Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo (郭智輝) dispatched two officials to the US for negotiations, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC) board of directors convened its first-ever meeting in the US. Those developments highlight how the US’ unstable trade policies are posing a growing threat to Taiwan. Can the US truly gain an advantage in chip manufacturing by reversing trade liberalization? Is it realistic to
Last week, 24 Republican representatives in the US Congress proposed a resolution calling for US President Donald Trump’s administration to abandon the US’ “one China” policy, calling it outdated, counterproductive and not reflective of reality, and to restore official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, enter bilateral free-trade agreement negotiations and support its entry into international organizations. That is an exciting and inspiring development. To help the US government and other nations further understand that Taiwan is not a part of China, that those “one China” policies are contrary to the fact that the two countries across the Taiwan Strait are independent and
RSS