As a student in international politics, I am extremely annoyed and bothered by recent developments in cross-strait relations. China fever seems to dominate newspaper and TV-news coverage. What particularly annoys me is the numbing of public opinion and the media's response to the trips to China by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (
As I condemn EU attempts to lift the arms embargo and try to convince Europeans that our country is under serious threat, our opposition parties continue to stall arms procurements in the Legislative Yuan.
As I argue for the right of self-determination, my fellow Taiwanese seem to be throwing their support behind Lien and Soong's denunciation of this right by excluding independence as an option for our future.
What the heck are they doing, one of my friends from Germany asked? I could not say a word but smiled bitterly at him and replied, "I don't know."
Now I want to ask this: What do we want? Why should we go down on our knees and beg for the chance to reconcile with people who are slapping our faces?
Recent developments in Taiwan have been among the most confusing in international politics. No one seems to know what Taiwan wants except for these crafty politicians.
As an article published in the Economist states, "Taiwan itself is curiously ambivalent about China's growing military prowess. The purchase of new weapons from America has become bogged down in fierce political debate on the island, with many arguing that they are too expensive, will take too long to acquire and integrate into the Taiwanese military, or will simply fuel an arms race with the mainland."
It seems to me that others worry and see the dangers much more clearly than we do. I am neither a supporter of confrontation nor a supporter of bellicose behavior, but what I do support is Taiwanese making decisions out of our own free will. Every option should be open to the Taiwanese people. We should not give up our choices simply because China forbids them.
I am standing humbly at the crossroads as most Taiwanese apparently pay tribute to Lien and Soong for what they have done in China. If that's the decision of the people, then I will defend our stance as I always do. But if this is the outcome of manipulation by crafty politicians or political bait thrown out by the Chinese, then I urge the Taiwanese to open their eyes and recognize the danger beneath it all. Eventually it is us who will suffer or benefit from the decisions we make.
What should or shouldn't be our options must be decided by the 23 million people on our mother island, not someone in Beijing who cares nothing about our lives and dignity. I say the only option we shouldn't have is abandoning Taiwan's future.
Chun-Lin daniel
England
To The Honorable Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜): We would like to extend our sincerest regards to you for representing Taiwan at the inauguration of US President Donald Trump on Monday. The Taiwanese-American community was delighted to see that Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan speaker not only received an invitation to attend the event, but successfully made the trip to the US. We sincerely hope that you took this rare opportunity to share Taiwan’s achievements in freedom, democracy and economic development with delegations from other countries. In recent years, Taiwan’s economic growth and world-leading technology industry have been a source of pride for Taiwanese-Americans.
Next week, the nation is to celebrate the Lunar New Year break. Unfortunately, cold winds are a-blowing, literally and figuratively. The Central Weather Administration has warned of an approaching cold air mass, while obstinate winds of chaos eddy around the Legislative Yuan. English theologian Thomas Fuller optimistically pointed out in 1650 that “it’s always darkest before the dawn.” We could paraphrase by saying the coldest days are just before the renewed hope of spring. However, one must temper any optimism about the damage being done in the legislature by the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), under
To our readers: Due to the Lunar New Year holiday, from Sunday, Jan. 26, through Sunday, Feb. 2, the Taipei Times will have a reduced format without our regular editorials and opinion pieces. From Tuesday to Saturday the paper will not be delivered to subscribers, but will be available for purchase at convenience stores. Subscribers will receive the editions they missed once normal distribution resumes on Sunday, Feb. 2. The paper returns to its usual format on Monday, Feb. 3, when our regular editorials and opinion pieces will also be resumed.
This year would mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the India Taipei Association (ITA) in Taipei and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center (TECC) in New Delhi. From the vision of “Look East” in the 1990s, India’s policy has evolved into a resolute “Act East,” which complements Taiwan’s “New Southbound Policy.” In these three decades, India and Taiwan have forged a rare partnership — one rooted in shared democratic values, a commitment to openness and pluralism, and clear complementarities in trade and technology. The government of India has rolled out the red carpet for Taiwanese investors with attractive financial incentives
RSS