Many vividly remember Department of Health (DOH) Minister Yeh Ching-chuan’s (葉金川) emotional “I love Taiwan” outburst after he was heckled by overseas Taiwanese students in Geneva in May over the nation’s dubious status at the World Health Assembly.
“Think about it, everyone. Who was it then [during the SARS outbreak in 2003] that risked his life to protect the people in Taiwan? Who could love Taiwan more if that isn’t perceived as an act of love for Taiwan?” a tearful Yeh told a press conference at the time, alluding to the shining “anti-SARS hero” name plate bestowed upon him by then-Taipei mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) in 2003 following the SARS outbreak.
A mere three months later, however, it is ironic that someone who has publicly proclaimed his love for Taiwan and claimed to protect Taiwan with his life would so quickly drop his armor and shirk his responsibilities as the nation faces the threat of a surging (A)H1N1 pandemic.
In addition to increasing reports of severe swine flu cases, instances of cluster infections have also been confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control. Despite the Department of Health’s promise that locally produced swine flu vaccines would be ready by November at the earliest, the rushed manner in which the vaccine research has been conducted and the way clinical trials have been scheduled after mass production begins have some health experts expressing concern over the vaccines’ safety and ability to combat the (A)H1N1 influenza.
Some local media reported that Yeh’s determination to resign from his post as DOH minister and run in the year-end Hualien County commissioner election is merely because he is complying with Ma’s agenda as incoming Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman. Even if that were the case, Yeh cannot be excused from his share of responsibility. He is still responsible for his choice to yield to Ma’s game of prioritizing a party’s electoral interests over the nation’s epidemic threat.
In an attempt to justify the timing of his departure, Yeh said on Monday that a nation’s epidemic prevention depends not on one individual but teamwork and established mechanisms. Granted, Yeh’s remarks hold validity, but any official with a conscience can also see that when things get tough, that is the time to demonstrate responsibility and stability. These are what are needed now as the nation braces for an (A)H1N1 epidemic. In effect, Yeh appears to be saying his leadership is not needed.
For Yeh, however, it seems that issues pertaining to Taiwan’s public health can be disregarded when there’s a chance to jump on another wagon and further his political career.
He has talked so much about loving Taiwan with his life, but the truth appears to be that Yeh is no greater than someone who puts himself first.
Yeh might still regard himself as an “anti-SARS hero,” but to the general public, the impression that will now be etched in the minds of many will be how Yeh set a ghastly example of treating a crucial government post as a springboard for his own career at the worst possible time.
Taiwan’s fall would be “a disaster for American interests,” US President Donald Trump’s nominee for undersecretary of defense for policy Elbridge Colby said at his Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday last week, as he warned of the “dramatic deterioration of military balance” in the western Pacific. The Republic of China (Taiwan) is indeed facing a unique and acute threat from the Chinese Communist Party’s rising military adventurism, which is why Taiwan has been bolstering its defenses. As US Senator Tom Cotton rightly pointed out in the same hearing, “[although] Taiwan’s defense spending is still inadequate ... [it] has been trending upwards
There is nothing the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) could do to stop the tsunami-like mass recall campaign. KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) reportedly said the party does not exclude the option of conditionally proposing a no-confidence vote against the premier, which the party later denied. Did an “actuary” like Chu finally come around to thinking it should get tough with the ruling party? The KMT says the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is leading a minority government with only a 40 percent share of the vote. It has said that the DPP is out of touch with the electorate, has proposed a bloated
In an eloquently written piece published on Sunday, French-Taiwanese education and policy consultant Ninon Godefroy presents an interesting take on the Taiwanese character, as viewed from the eyes of an — at least partial — outsider. She muses that the non-assuming and quiet efficiency of a particularly Taiwanese approach to life and work is behind the global success stories of two very different Taiwanese institutions: Din Tai Fung and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC). Godefroy said that it is this “humble” approach that endears the nation to visitors, over and above any big ticket attractions that other countries may have
The first Donald Trump term was a boon for Taiwan. The administration regularized the arms sales process and enhanced bilateral ties. Taipei will not be so fortunate the second time around. Given recent events, Taiwan must proceed with the assumption that it cannot count on the United States to defend it — diplomatically or militarily — during the next four years. Early indications suggested otherwise. The nomination of Marco Rubio as US Secretary of State and the appointment of Mike Waltz as the national security advisor, both of whom have expressed full-throated support for Taiwan in the past, raised hopes that
RSS