China’s double standards
In a recent exclusive interview, President William Lai (賴清德) said that if China is truly concerned about territorial integrity, it should withdraw from the Treaty of Aigun (璦琿條約) and reclaim the territory it ceded to Russia, rather than covet Taiwan. China has yet to respond to Lai’s comments and make its position known.
Lai’s interview led to heated international online debate, with particularly surprising criticism coming from people in China. Many Chinese commentators believe that their government would not dare to directly respond to such a sensitive topic, demonstrating internal conflict. These comments clearly indicate that China’s nationalist assertions on the international stage are actually just tools for manipulating public opinion internally, while it is guided by realism externally.
From a historical perspective, the relationship between Russia and China has more often been based on realistic political considerations rather than genuine strategic cooperation. The territorial agreements signed between the two countries not only make clear that China is willing to submit to Russia, but also demonstrate that China’s diplomatic tactics are motivated by its own self-interest. However, it is certainly worth observing how long this “marriage of convenience” can last.
China’s double standard toward territorial integrity reveals its true strategic intentions to threaten Taiwan through military force, attempt to challenge the international order and force other democratic countries to accept its hegemonic assertions. In this context, Taiwan must establish a firm position in the international community, defend its right to sovereignty and join hands with other democratic countries to jointly resist threats from China.
Mei Hsin-hsin
Taipei
TPP’s unconstitutional bill
In April, the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) political donations report was rejected by the Control Yuan due to errors. It was a shock last month when more controversies emerged regarding misleading campaign finance account statements. These controversies even involved allegations that the party chairman had used cash to purchase a commercial office for personal use, a truly shocking revelation.
However, let us put aside the TPP chairman’s string of legal cases for now. At the start of the Legislative Yuan’s new session this month, TPP legislators submitted a proposal to cut the budget of the Control Yuan. This motion has raised significant concern over the state of our government’s five-branch system.
In Taiwan’s five-branch system, the independent nature and functions of each of the five yuans are protected under the Constitution. Even if a political party or organization intended to change the situation, they would have to do so by following the procedures for a constitutional amendment. Rashly cutting the budget in an attempt to weaken or strip away the function of an independent yuan regulated by the Constitution clearly does not conform with the standard practices of democratic countries.
Instead, this measure seems to serve as a kind of retaliation against the Control Yuan. Taiwanese must pay constant attention to this matter as it would likely cause issues in the future. If the TPP’s proposal enters the committee for substantive review, we could end up in a situation similar to the prior session. The blue and white coalition could work together, using budget cuts to impede the Control Yuan’s ability to independently exercise its powers. It is hard to rule out the possibility of other interest groups lobbying to bring about similar situations.
For example, business owners could form political organizations or use representatives to lobby for the cancellation of the Ministry of Environment’s budget to regulate pollution. Even criminal groups could use lobbyists to influence the law, doing away with the police’s budget to crack down on criminal activity. Scenarios like this would not only jeopardize the independent nature of the constitutional system, but also threaten the nation’s law and order.
While the public is unable to dismiss the TPP legislators from their various positions, support for the party has plummeted rapidly. TPP legislators should think very carefully and not sacrifice their political futures for the sake of indiscriminately introducing bills. Only by making careful and rational decisions can they maintain their political position and safeguard the nation’s democracy, law and order.
Wu Lu-jen
Changhua City
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