Change is good when it is for the better. In the case of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou's (
However, when a sudden change of heart like this comes without any acknowledgement of or apology for one's previous actions, there is reason for the public to be suspicious. Why should the nation put itself in the hands of Ma, whose interest in defending the nation is ever-vacillating?
After the recent uproar when fans were prevented from waving the national flag at the Straits Cup basketball tournament in Hualien in deference to the "sensitivities" of the visiting Chinese team, Ma issued a statement pledging to defend the right of fans to display the flag.
"This behavior should not be banned, because it is the public's right to express its passion for the nation," Ma's pledge read.
Such a statement should be expected from any Taiwanese. In fact, it may seem so obvious that the brouhaha Ma's pledge sparked might have him scratching his head wondering what all the fuss is about. The answer is simple. Voters are not as forgetful or as gullible as politicians often wish they are.
Many vividly remember when the Asian Women's Soccer Championship came to Taipei City's Zhongshan Soccer Stadium in 2001. Ma, then the city's mayor, urged soccer fans not to display national flags at the games.
Then there was the Asian Short-Track Speed Skating championship in December 2005, during which Taiwanese fans were again urged by the Taipei City Government -- with Ma its head -- not to bring national flags to the venue.
The 2005 Asian Judo Championship and the 2005 International Auto Gymkhana saw this happen again, with Ma's city government -- co-sponsor of the two events -- again asking fans not to bring national flags.
Ma at the time said that he was bound by the requirements set by the Chinese Taipei Soccer Association to prevent the public from carrying national flags at competitions. The association follows the Olympic formula, an agreement reached between the International Olympic Committee and Taiwan in 1981, stipulating that Taiwan must compete as "Chinese Taipei" in the Olympics and that its teams must use a flag invented for this purpose, the "Chinese Taipei Olympic flag," instead of the national flag.
Taiwanese teams have been forced to adopt the formula at many other international sporting competitions because of pressure from China.
But what Ma has blatantly ignored is that the 1981 agreement he claims to follow does not ban spectators from displaying the national flag.
Furthermore, it was during Ma's years as Taipei mayor that the Taipei City Government invented its own demeaning "Taipei formula," calling on our spectators not to display national flags at international sports events. It is abundantly clear that this is not a person who has the guts to stand up against China's saber-rattling.
But oddly enough, this very same man, with his heart now set on winning the nation's top job next year, has suddenly had an epiphany. Enter the new, enlightened, spectator-sport-friendly Ma.
The change is good -- better late than never.
And at least Ma is being consistent on one point: His stance is always changing and he has no intention of acknowledging his past position and poor policies. That will make it easy to recognize him on the hustings, no matter how often he flip-flops.
Why is Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) not a “happy camper” these days regarding Taiwan? Taiwanese have not become more “CCP friendly” in response to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) use of spies and graft by the United Front Work Department, intimidation conducted by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the Armed Police/Coast Guard, and endless subversive political warfare measures, including cyber-attacks, economic coercion, and diplomatic isolation. The percentage of Taiwanese that prefer the status quo or prefer moving towards independence continues to rise — 76 percent as of December last year. According to National Chengchi University (NCCU) polling, the Taiwanese
It would be absurd to claim to see a silver lining behind every US President Donald Trump cloud. Those clouds are too many, too dark and too dangerous. All the same, viewed from a domestic political perspective, there is a clear emerging UK upside to Trump’s efforts at crashing the post-Cold War order. It might even get a boost from Thursday’s Washington visit by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. In July last year, when Starmer became prime minister, the Labour Party was rigidly on the defensive about Europe. Brexit was seen as an electorally unstable issue for a party whose priority
US President Donald Trump is systematically dismantling the network of multilateral institutions, organizations and agreements that have helped prevent a third world war for more than 70 years. Yet many governments are twisting themselves into knots trying to downplay his actions, insisting that things are not as they seem and that even if they are, confronting the menace in the White House simply is not an option. Disagreement must be carefully disguised to avoid provoking his wrath. For the British political establishment, the convenient excuse is the need to preserve the UK’s “special relationship” with the US. Following their White House
US President Donald Trump’s return to the White House has brought renewed scrutiny to the Taiwan-US semiconductor relationship with his claim that Taiwan “stole” the US chip business and threats of 100 percent tariffs on foreign-made processors. For Taiwanese and industry leaders, understanding those developments in their full context is crucial while maintaining a clear vision of Taiwan’s role in the global technology ecosystem. The assertion that Taiwan “stole” the US’ semiconductor industry fundamentally misunderstands the evolution of global technology manufacturing. Over the past four decades, Taiwan’s semiconductor industry, led by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), has grown through legitimate means
RSS