It is not ‘Taoyuan, China’
The Taoyuan Lantern Festival, which began on Feb. 21, was originally intended to be an event for Taoyuan residents to welcome tourists from across the country. Surprisingly, a promotional video introduced it as the Taoyuan Lantern Festival in “Taiwan, China.”
One of the event organizers was the same company that hosted the “Xitang Hanfu (漢服) Culture Week” in China’s Xitang Ancient Town last year. As a result, the festival was filled with ancient costumes from the Tang, Song and Ming dynasties, adding Chinese “flavor” to the event.
When the Taoyuan City Government approached the event organizer, did it tell them that this was a Taiwan, Republic of China festival, not a People’s Republic of China festival?
Did it object to any belittling of Taiwan?
If the government had made this clear and stuck to its stance, how would any of the contractors have dared to use “Taiwan, China” in a promotional video?
Given that the Taoyuan Lantern Festival cost taxpayers NT$49 million (US$1.6 million), should the Taoyuan City Government authorities have examined the promotional videos more closely to make sure that they were in line with the intent of the festival?
Did they know that such a video would anger the Taiwanese, who might question whether Taoyuan Mayor Simon Chang’s (張善政) administration has been infiltrated by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)?
Are city authorities not worried that the Taiwanese would feel that their city has been downgraded to another link in the chain of CCP’s “united front”?
My concerns are not groundless.
On the eve of the Lunar New Year this year, the Taoyuan City Government launched the “Taoyuan Yexiao Street” (桃園夜宵街).
However, how many Taiwanese know what “yexiao” is? It is a Chinese Mandarin term for late-night snacks, called “xiaoye” in Taiwan.
At that time, some questioned why Chang used the Chinese term “yexiao” and now that the Taoyuan Lantern Festival boldly displayed the word “Taiwan, China,” one has to ask whether he considers himself a mayor of Taiwan or China.
I would like to ask Chang: “What is the connection between the Taoyuan Lantern Festival and the Han costumes and the ancient rituals of the Song, Ming and Qing dynasties?”
Taoyuan is rich in local culture, such as Hakka and new immigrant cultures, as well as infrastructure and development, possessing an international airport and a fishing harbor.
The event would be closer to Taoyuan residents’ life experiences and expectations if the lantern festival had been organized around these local characteristics.
We should return the lantern festival to Taoyuan, Taiwan, and to the people of Taoyuan — we refuse to be belittled by the CCP.
Hsin Na
Taipei
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
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,
China poses a dire threat to Taiwan’s semiconductor industry as it steps up efforts to poach Taiwan’s top chip talent, following the US’ implementation of stringent chip restrictions. Beijing is keen to develop its own semiconductor technologies, leveraging skilled engineers from Taiwan, Europe and other countries to circumvent US restrictions on providing China access to advanced US chips, particularly those used in artificial intelligence applications, as well as other chip technologies and manufacturing equipment. Taiwan has always contended with talent competition from China, but the situation is worsening. The Hsinchu District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday said that China’s ARK Semi and
RSS