Media distracted by gossip
With the presidential and legislative elections over, it is a busy time for top government leaders to discuss new Cabinet members, and the handover of legislative affairs and national policies. Nevertheless, some news coverage has been out of touch, continuing to report on insignificant trivia.
For example, some media have focused on a female security guard of vice president-elect Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴), discussing how attractive she is, while praising the woman who used to be a host of the famous military education show Twilight Garden (莒光園地) as a highlight of the nation’s armed services.
The public might be used to this kind of gossip news, but what is the point of reporting such things? Irrespective of whether a presidential or vice presidential security guard is a military or police officer and regardless of their gender, whether the person is “good-looking” has nothing to do with their job as a guard. It seems only natural that a female president or vice president would have female personnel in their security detail.
What we should really care about is the person’s professionalism and skill in protecting a president or vice president, and whether they can serve as a buffer between the president or vice president and the public.
In the past, a male security guard of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) was dubbed “special agent Andy Lau” (劉德華) for his similarity to the Hong Kong superstar, and two female guards were nicknamed “Little Black” (小黑) and “Little White” (小白) respectively because of their skin tones. Maybe they are adored by the public because they look dashing and spirited.
However, when they are on duty, they need to be fully focused, keep an eye on the whole scene and respond to any emergencies at any time. They are not here for a personal fan meeting, and the media should respect their professionalism and allow them to do their job. No one can afford to let the security work go wrong.
Hopefully, before Tsai leaves office on May 20, the media and public can understand this, which should be continued in the era of president-elect William Lai (賴清德) and Hsiao.
Hung Yu-jui
Taichung
Concerns that the US might abandon Taiwan are often overstated. While US President Donald Trump’s handling of Ukraine raised unease in Taiwan, it is crucial to recognize that Taiwan is not Ukraine. Under Trump, the US views Ukraine largely as a European problem, whereas the Indo-Pacific region remains its primary geopolitical focus. Taipei holds immense strategic value for Washington and is unlikely to be treated as a bargaining chip in US-China relations. Trump’s vision of “making America great again” would be directly undermined by any move to abandon Taiwan. Despite the rhetoric of “America First,” the Trump administration understands the necessity of
In an article published on this page on Tuesday, Kaohsiung-based journalist Julien Oeuillet wrote that “legions of people worldwide would care if a disaster occurred in South Korea or Japan, but the same people would not bat an eyelid if Taiwan disappeared.” That is quite a statement. We are constantly reading about the importance of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), hailed in Taiwan as the nation’s “silicon shield” protecting it from hostile foreign forces such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and so crucial to the global supply chain for semiconductors that its loss would cost the global economy US$1
US President Donald Trump’s challenge to domestic American economic-political priorities, and abroad to the global balance of power, are not a threat to the security of Taiwan. Trump’s success can go far to contain the real threat — the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) surge to hegemony — while offering expanded defensive opportunities for Taiwan. In a stunning affirmation of the CCP policy of “forceful reunification,” an obscene euphemism for the invasion of Taiwan and the destruction of its democracy, on March 13, 2024, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) used Chinese social media platforms to show the first-time linkage of three new
Sasha B. Chhabra’s column (“Michelle Yeoh should no longer be welcome,” March 26, page 8) lamented an Instagram post by renowned actress Michelle Yeoh (楊紫瓊) about her recent visit to “Taipei, China.” It is Chhabra’s opinion that, in response to parroting Beijing’s propaganda about the status of Taiwan, Yeoh should be banned from entering this nation and her films cut off from funding by government-backed agencies, as well as disqualified from competing in the Golden Horse Awards. She and other celebrities, he wrote, must be made to understand “that there are consequences for their actions if they become political pawns of