A speech on Tuesday by Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi (
Obviously, Beijing decided to make the statement because the WHO had at last dispatched two experts to Taipei to help deal with the spread of SARS. The apparent point of Wu's remarks was to dampen our lifted spirits and quell rising hopes about Taiwan joining the world health body as a result of the arrival of these experts. This shows precisely the concern Beijing has about the health and well being of the people in Taiwan, or rather, its "Taiwanese comrades."
Exactly how much does Beijing care about the people here? Let the facts speak for themselves:
First, the biggest contribution China has made to the health of the people of Taiwan and the world lately is the transmission of the SARS virus. Thank you.
Second, Beijing's leadership deliberately concealed the outbreak of the epidemic, depriving people everywhere an opportunity to protect themselves from the sickness.
Third, even after the first case of SARS was reported in Taiwan on March 14, the government was unable to report it to the WHO -- let alone obtain any help -- because of China's sovereignty claim. In the end, the government finally managed to contact the WHO via the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC). But precious time had already been lost.
Fourth, when the WHO finally decided to dispatch two experts to Taipei last weekend, Beijing decided that living under the threat of the SARS virus was not enough of a challenge for the Taiwanese. To add insult to injury, immediately after the New York Times reported on the dispatch of the WHO team (over Beijing's objections), the Xinhua News Agency reported that the Chinese government has decided to permit the WHO to send people to Taiwan.
The point of obtaining permission from a government would obviously be because it has any right to become involved in the first place. In the present case, it is truly puzzling how Beijing would be able to stop the WHO from sending people here, let alone why Taiwan would seek its approval. So why would Beijing's permission be needed?
But then again, no one should be surprised about Beijing's behavior. In the aftermath of the 921 earthquake, Beijing adamantly demanded that all countries who wanted to help with the relief work and all groups intending to make donations to Taiwan had to first obtain its permission.
No one could take Beijing's claims of helping Taiwan in the present crisis seriously. Just look well it has taken care of its own people.
Contrast Beijing's efforts with those of Washington. The US CDC was quick to offer assistance and it currently has seven people helping out here. Even the WHO's token help, although belated, is still heart-warming. Isn't it obvious who is a friend and who is a foe?
Two weeks ago, Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh (楊紫瓊) raised hackles in Taiwan by posting to her 2.6 million Instagram followers that she was visiting “Taipei, China.” Yeoh’s post continues a long-standing trend of Chinese propaganda that spreads disinformation about Taiwan’s political status and geography, aimed at deceiving the world into supporting its illegitimate claims to Taiwan, which is not and has never been part of China. Taiwan must respond to this blatant act of cognitive warfare. Failure to respond merely cedes ground to China to continue its efforts to conquer Taiwan in the global consciousness to justify an invasion. Taiwan’s government
This month’s news that Taiwan ranks as Asia’s happiest place according to this year’s World Happiness Report deserves both celebration and reflection. Moving up from 31st to 27th globally and surpassing Singapore as Asia’s happiness leader is gratifying, but the true significance lies deeper than these statistics. As a society at the crossroads of Eastern tradition and Western influence, Taiwan embodies a distinctive approach to happiness worth examining more closely. The report highlights Taiwan’s exceptional habit of sharing meals — 10.1 shared meals out of 14 weekly opportunities, ranking eighth globally. This practice is not merely about food, but represents something more
In an article published on this page on Tuesday, Kaohsiung-based journalist Julien Oeuillet wrote that “legions of people worldwide would care if a disaster occurred in South Korea or Japan, but the same people would not bat an eyelid if Taiwan disappeared.” That is quite a statement. We are constantly reading about the importance of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), hailed in Taiwan as the nation’s “silicon shield” protecting it from hostile foreign forces such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and so crucial to the global supply chain for semiconductors that its loss would cost the global economy US$1
Concerns that the US might abandon Taiwan are often overstated. While US President Donald Trump’s handling of Ukraine raised unease in Taiwan, it is crucial to recognize that Taiwan is not Ukraine. Under Trump, the US views Ukraine largely as a European problem, whereas the Indo-Pacific region remains its primary geopolitical focus. Taipei holds immense strategic value for Washington and is unlikely to be treated as a bargaining chip in US-China relations. Trump’s vision of “making America great again” would be directly undermined by any move to abandon Taiwan. Despite the rhetoric of “America First,” the Trump administration understands the necessity of
RSS