Whether one likes it or not, the paths of Taiwan and the US seem to be tightly entwined.
This was proved again on Tuesday, when just eight months after voters here decided to put an end to eight years of rule by a man and his party, the US electorate followed suit, choosing an opposition party figure to replace a president who has been berated and lampooned in equal measure.
US president-elect Barack Obama’s victory on Tuesday was an epoch-defining moment. Not only will he become the first black president in the history of the US, but his victory brings the curtain down on one of the most controversial and divisive presidencies of all time. Many Americans are hoping that, come January, their new president can quickly rebuild bridges and repair their country’s tarnished global image. They also hope he can re-establish what many call the US’ “moral authority,” something badly eroded by two terms under President George W. Bush.
This is similar in some respects to President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) victory in March, as he was the first non-Taiwanese to be elected president, and on promises that he would turn Taiwan into a cross-strait “peacemaker,” not a “troublemaker.”
Obama swept to power on a message of change, convincing voters that he has what it takes to change the politics of Washington and heal the deep rifts that persist in US society.
US voters put their faith in a message of hope, unity, a new direction for their country and promises of better economic management — again echoing Ma’s campaign.
Obama’s victory, if one looks at the Electoral College, would appear to be a landslide, but with 52.3 percent of the popular vote compared with Republican Senator John McCain’s 46.4, Obama knows he has a lot of people to win over. This was apparent in his victory speech when he told those who did not vote for him: “I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices … and I will be your president, too.”
Ma’s margin of victory was slightly larger at 58.45 percent, but he too recognized the need for unity and promised to work for all Taiwanese. On the night of his victory he told the gathered crowd: “This election result is not a personal result, nor a victory for the KMT [Chinese Nationalist Party], it is a victory for all Taiwanese.”
Obama has a much broader and complicated range of tasks to handle than Ma. However, the tasks are similar in this: Obama will take charge of a state that has a problem with its international standing.
It is in the world’s interest that Obama is up to the huge task that has been placed on his shoulders, because the alternative is deepening uncertainty and instability — feelings that most Taiwanese are burdened with just six months into Ma’s term.
I have heard people equate the government’s stance on resisting forced unification with China or the conditional reinstatement of the military court system with the rise of the Nazis before World War II. The comparison is absurd. There is no meaningful parallel between the government and Nazi Germany, nor does such a mindset exist within the general public in Taiwan. It is important to remember that the German public bore some responsibility for the horrors of the Holocaust. Post-World War II Germany’s transitional justice efforts were rooted in a national reckoning and introspection. Many Jews were sent to concentration camps not
Deflation in China is persisting, raising growing concerns domestically and internationally. Beijing’s stimulus policies introduced in September last year have largely been short-lived in financial markets and negligible in the real economy. Recent data showing disproportionately low bank loan growth relative to the expansion of the money supply suggest the limited effectiveness of the measures. Many have urged the government to take more decisive action, particularly through fiscal expansion, to avoid a deep deflationary spiral akin to Japan’s experience in the early 1990s. While Beijing’s policy choices remain uncertain, questions abound about the possible endgame for the Chinese economy if no decisive
Somehow, US intelligence identified “the Houthis’ top missile guy” and pinpointed his exact location. At 1348 hours (Washington time), March 15, President Trump’s national security advisor Mike Waltz texted, “positive ID of him walking into his girlfriend’s building.” The unsuspecting Romeo entered. High above, the drone monitoring the building registered a flash. When the smoke cleared, Mr. Waltz texted, “…And it’s now collapsed.” RIP. The star-crossed “top missile guy” had been target number one in the now uproarious US Navy bombing campaign on that Sunday against the Yemeni rebels who have been holding the Red Sea hostage since October 19,
Actress Michelle Yeoh (楊紫瓊) on March 13 posted an Instagram caption after the opening of Tiffany’s Taipei flagship store two days earlier that read: “Thank you Tiffany for inviting us to Taipei China.” We know that Yeoh knows Taipei is in Taiwan, not China, because the caption was posted following comments she made — in English — in which she said: “Thank you to Tiffany for bringing me to Taipei, because I do love this country very much.” Her remarks and the subsequent Instagram caption were reported in Taiwan, in Chinese and English- language media such as Radio Free Asia, and overseas,
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