Are you going to today's protest march? Or are you going to be a couch potato and witness it at home? At this time in Taiwan's history, the citizens of our country need to step up to their responsibilities and show up at the protest. Sitting in our cozy homes watching the protest on television will not be enough. With a huge participation rate at the protest, the world will see that Taiwan's fate lies in the peaceful decisions of the peaceful Taiwanese -- in contrast to the "non-peaceful" means China has just formally authorized against Taiwan.
Statistics have shown that more than 80 percent of the Taiwanese population opposes the Anti-Secession Law. How can the Taiwanese verify the accuracy of this poll? The solution is to show up at the protest. Do not allow opinions of political parties to hinder you from attending such an important event. In fact, up to 88.1 percent of the Taiwanese population think that political parties should stop fighting each other and unite.
The protest, although put together by the pan-green camp, is not a propaganda event for the Democratic Progressive Party, but instead is a protest to reveal the dissatisfaction of Taiwan as a unified country towards the Anti-Secession Law.
Maybe you are one of the few who are still ambiguous on your opinion of the law. Why then should you attend the protest? Just think about it. The law gives China full authority to unilaterally determine the future of your homeland. Shouldn't the decision be based upon the votes of you and your neighbors who actually live in Taiwan? Or is it okay for the few elite people of the Chinese Communist government to decide your future?
Even if you are pro-"one China, two systems," you should be voicing your opinions from within Taiwan, not from across the Taiwan Strait. Joining the march does not necessarily mean you are pro-independence, it simply shows the world that you want the future of Taiwan to be decided by the Taiwanese themselves.
Many people say that businesspeople won't attend the protest. Why? Because they fear their prosperity invested in China will diminish if they go against the Chinese government.
These days, money means the world to everyone. But now, I ask the businesspeople to put aside their selfish desires and think about the well-being of the Taiwanese people as a whole. What will really benefit us? The answer is democracy and peace, which are platforms that are going to be supported at the march.
Love Taiwan? Come to today's protest march and join your fellow Taiwanese in a peaceful demonstration against the unjust Anti-Secession Law.
Show the world that the nation of Taiwan is worth supporting. Show the world that Taiwan actually cares about its future by being an active participant in the march for peace, democracy and Taiwan.
Erica Wu
Taipei
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
The US Department of State has removed the phrase “we do not support Taiwan independence” in its updated Taiwan-US relations fact sheet, which instead iterates that “we expect cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means, free from coercion, in a manner acceptable to the people on both sides of the Strait.” This shows a tougher stance rejecting China’s false claims of sovereignty over Taiwan. Since switching formal diplomatic recognition from the Republic of China to the People’s Republic of China in 1979, the US government has continually indicated that it “does not support Taiwan independence.” The phrase was removed in 2022
US President Donald Trump, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth have each given their thoughts on Russia’s war with Ukraine. There are a few proponents of US skepticism in Taiwan taking advantage of developments to write articles claiming that the US would arbitrarily abandon Ukraine. The reality is that when one understands Trump’s negotiating habits, one sees that he brings up all variables of a situation prior to discussion, using broad negotiations to take charge. As for his ultimate goals and the aces up his sleeve, he wants to keep things vague for
RSS