It may just be because of where I sit that the Chinese government appears to be controlling the debate over its "Anti-Secession" Law, which was passed on Monday. The international media have been picking up and regurgitating the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) line, which holds that the law "seeks a peaceful reunification with Taiwan," according to Tuesday's China Daily, and that the "law is meant to strengthen and promote cross-strait relations," which is what Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (
True to form, the Beijing government is distorting and ignoring the crux of its disagreement with Taipei over the "one China" principle and attempting to mischaracterize its belligerent declaration as a conciliatory gesture meant only to caution the "small minority" of Taiwanese independence seekers.
The disagreement over the "one China" principle is not a dispute between the people of China and "secessionist forces" -- it is the struggle between a small cadre of CCP officials in Beijing who are attempting to impose their will on a nation of people who have fought long and hard for democratic representation and desire only to exert their fundamental right to self-determination.
Democracy is still in its nascent stage in Taiwan, but it is not too soon for the Taiwanese to recognize that the primary function of a democracy is not to protect the rights of the majority, but rather to safeguard the rights and aspirations of the minority. In this respect the Beijing government has failed miserably. Taiwan need look no further than across the strait to Hong Kong, where "one county, two systems" is fast being replaced by "one country, one dictatorship."
Now is the time for Taiwan to be proactive instead of reactive to China's bullying tactics. It is incumbent upon the government of President Chen Shui-bian (
It is also incumbent upon those of you who take to the streets on March 26 to make it clear that Taiwan not only marches against the Anti-Secession Law but also marches for the hopes and aspirations of those Chinese people whose voices have been silenced.
Edward Ewing
Tianjin, China
The return of US president-elect Donald Trump to the White House has injected a new wave of anxiety across the Taiwan Strait. For Taiwan, an island whose very survival depends on the delicate and strategic support from the US, Trump’s election victory raises a cascade of questions and fears about what lies ahead. His approach to international relations — grounded in transactional and unpredictable policies — poses unique risks to Taiwan’s stability, economic prosperity and geopolitical standing. Trump’s first term left a complicated legacy in the region. On the one hand, his administration ramped up arms sales to Taiwan and sanctioned
The Taiwanese have proven to be resilient in the face of disasters and they have resisted continuing attempts to subordinate Taiwan to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Nonetheless, the Taiwanese can and should do more to become even more resilient and to be better prepared for resistance should the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) try to annex Taiwan. President William Lai (賴清德) argues that the Taiwanese should determine their own fate. This position continues the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) tradition of opposing the CCP’s annexation of Taiwan. Lai challenges the CCP’s narrative by stating that Taiwan is not subordinate to the
US president-elect Donald Trump is to return to the White House in January, but his second term would surely be different from the first. His Cabinet would not include former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo and former US national security adviser John Bolton, both outspoken supporters of Taiwan. Trump is expected to implement a transactionalist approach to Taiwan, including measures such as demanding that Taiwan pay a high “protection fee” or requiring that Taiwan’s military spending amount to at least 10 percent of its GDP. However, if the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) invades Taiwan, it is doubtful that Trump would dispatch
World leaders are preparing themselves for a second Donald Trump presidency. Some leaders know more or less where he stands: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy knows that a difficult negotiation process is about to be forced on his country, and the leaders of NATO countries would be well aware of being complacent about US military support with Trump in power. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would likely be feeling relief as the constraints placed on him by the US President Joe Biden administration would finally be released. However, for President William Lai (賴清德) the calculation is not simple. Trump has surrounded himself
RSS