Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) recently responded to a letter he received from several US congressmen by saying the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government was responsible for stalling the arms-procurement bill.
Lien accused the government of delays in submitting the special budget for arms procurement to the legislature. He also queried why the size of the budget was much higher than the amount the Ministry of National Defense had proposed.
In addition, he rationalized the pan-blue camp's refusal to allow the bill onto the legislative agenda by saying that the arms deal had been rejected at the referendum held in tandem with last year's presidential election.
Lien's arguments are characteristically disingenuous. They also provide the real answer to why the bill has been put aside: The pan-blue camp, led by the KMT, has blocked it at every opportunity using whatever reason has seemed convenient at the time. And it seems that the pan-blue camp will continue to exclude the bill from legislative business into the future.
The awful truth is that the pan-blue camp has blocked the bill from proceeding to legislative review 72 times.
Lien said in his letter that the KMT believes Taiwan must be credible in its ability to defend itself, but also that it must not unilaterally change the cross-strait status quo. This "yes, but" argument clearly reflects the pro-China complex that energizes the pan-blue camp's refusal to do business with the Chen administration. It is reluctant to do anything that might anger Beijing. China is no longer a military threat since the KMT lost power: it is now the "motherland."
The dispatching of a navy frigate on Tuesday to near the Diaoyutais (
But for many Taiwanese, Japan is actually a regional ally in the face of China's military threat. It therefore makes perfect sense to set aside disputes over the Diaoyutais' sovereignty and work together with a good friend.
But KMT politicians, for example, have other commitments, including the need to juggle campaigning for party chairman with comforting China. Hence the provocative language in recent days toward Japan -- politically and militarily.
As Cabinet Spokesman Cho Jung-tai (
But instead, it continues to block the bill. Simple discussion of the problem at hand is completely out of order.
Before a united national identity can finally be forged, Taiwan's allies and friends need to reflect on just who their true friends in this country really are.
Taiwan needs to be equipped with advanced weaponry to strengthen its ability to defend itself against China's military juggernaut.
The US must continue to exert pressure, therefore, on the pan-blue camp so that a road can be paved for the passage of the arms bill.
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
As an American living in Taiwan, I have to confess how impressed I have been over the years by the Chinese Communist Party’s wholehearted embrace of high-speed rail and electric vehicles, and this at a time when my own democratic country has chosen a leader openly committed to doing everything in his power to put obstacles in the way of sustainable energy across the board — and democracy to boot. It really does make me wonder: “Are those of us right who hold that democracy is the right way to go?” Has Taiwan made the wrong choice? Many in China obviously
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