China's annual National People's Congress (NPC) inevitably brings with it an absurd escalation of cross-strait tension. The cause lies in the fact that this so-called "highest representative body," which has never been subject to popular elections, simply serves to rubber stamp the inflammatory policies of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Lately, it has also been serving to distract as many people as possible from the escalation of rural anger at corruption and land theft by invoking that most convenient of chestnuts: Taiwanese "splittism."
It is hilarious to witness Premier Wen Jiabao (
What does Beijing mean when it talks of "the will of the people" and "international trends"? After all, it has never held national elections or referendums, so what is the basis of such statements? Its repeated and recycled condemnation of the Taiwanese government invites scorn.
Communist regimes are notorious for violating the law and fabricating public opinion. This is why such regimes have been rejected all around the world. We can see that it is the overthrow of communist regimes that tallies with the wishes of most people and international trends. Absurd statements about the will of the people by Chinese officials merely serve to underline their shortcomings.
NPC toadying also serves as a mirror for the activities of the pan-blue camp. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the People First Party have repeatedly stated that they will hold demonstrations against the abolition of the NUC, and have distorted the significance of this action, stating that it is an attempt by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government to achieve de jure independence. This statement belittles the fact that it is only Taiwanese who have the right to determine their political future. Indifferent to public sentiment, the pan-blue camp remind the skeptical of its authoritarian nature.
The NUC is indeed an absurd product of an absurd era, for it upholds the idea of "China united under the Three Principles of the People," which had currency during KMT rule. Now, with the demise of the Chiang family dictatorship, the idea of retaking China has become something of a joke, for Taiwanese are perfectly clear about the fact that unification with China implies one thing only: subjugation.
Yet the pan-blue camp continues to pursue the interests of a minority and tries to force the idea of unification with China down the throats of a majority that is clearly suspicious of it.
The only consistent position for a democratic society to hold is rejecting the sham words of a sham congress, as well as those of their local soulmates.
It is employment pass renewal season in Singapore, and the new regime is dominating the conversation at after-work cocktails on Fridays. From September, overseas employees on a work visa would need to fulfill the city-state’s new points-based system, and earn a minimum salary threshold to stay in their jobs. While this mirrors what happens in other countries, it risks turning foreign companies away, and could tarnish the nation’s image as a global business hub. The program was announced in 2022 in a bid to promote fair hiring practices. Points are awarded for how a candidate’s salary compares with local peers, along
China last month enacted legislation to punish —including with the death penalty — “die-hard Taiwanese independence separatists.” The country’s leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), need to be reminded about what the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has said and done in the past. They should think about whether those historical figures were also die-hard advocates of Taiwanese independence. The Taiwanese Communist Party was established in the Shanghai French Concession in April 1928, with a political charter that included the slogans “Long live the independence of the Taiwanese people” and “Establish a republic of Taiwan.” The CCP sent a representative, Peng
Japan and the Philippines on Monday signed a defense agreement that would facilitate joint drills between them. The pact was made “as both face an increasingly assertive China,” and is in line with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s “effort to forge security alliances to bolster the Philippine military’s limited ability to defend its territorial interests in the South China Sea,” The Associated Press (AP) said. The pact also comes on the heels of comments by former US deputy national security adviser Matt Pottinger, who said at a forum on Tuesday last week that China’s recent aggression toward the Philippines in
The Ministry of National Defense on Tuesday announced that the military would hold its annual Han Kuang exercises from July 22 to 26. Military officers said the exercises would feature unscripted war games, and a decentralized command and control structure. This year’s exercises underline the recent reforms in Taiwan’s military as it transitions from a top-down command structure to one where autonomy is pushed down to the front lines to improve decisionmaking and adaptability. Militaries around the world have been observing and studying Russia’s war in Ukraine. They have seen that the Ukrainian military has been much quicker to adapt to