The supercharismatic first lady Wu Shu-chen (吳淑珍) yesterday set out on a cultural exchange trip to Germany and Italy, carrying the Taiwanese people's weighty expectations of a diplomatic breakthrough. Wu is also scheduled to meet with Pope John Paul II. She hopes to use the trip to expand Taiwan's diplomatic contact with European countries, elevate bilateral relations and foil Beijing's attempts to isolate Taiwan internationally. But Wu can also use this opportunity to let Europeans see for themselves how different democratic Taiwan is from communist China.
Not every Taiwanese has Wu's sense of humor; the people born in democratic Taiwan share her sincerity, simplicity and candor. This is the real character of Taiwanese women. This is vastly different from the pursuit of luxury and glamor among the wives of high officials during the KMT era. It is also very different from high-level Communist Party cadres like Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi (
What's most precious is Wu's determination to make an effort for the country's future and safeguard the dignity of Taiwanese people, while enduring the ailments besetting her -- all this in the face of Beijing's trampling. For this she has become the best role model for handicapped people in Taiwan. The people of Taiwan do not look down upon her because of her physical handicap. Instead, they respect her even more for her sincerity and congeniality.
The country needs people who dare to speak the truth at international events, dare to say that democratic Taiwan is different from Communist China.
China's Qing-dynasty government ceded Taiwan to Japan in 1895, making Taiwan a Japanese colony for half a century. Taiwan's separation from the mainland predates the split between the two Germanys or the two Koreas by more than half a century. More than a century of separation has caused Taiwan's local culture to develop in a completely different direction than that of China.
Meanwhile, China has gone through half a century of communist rule, further increasing the differences between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. China's communist society is completely different from Taiwan's, which is based on a free economy. Laws are enacted and implemented in very different ways in these two societies. In terms of political development, Taiwan has popular democratic elections for the president, legislature and local councils. The other side of the Strait is still going around in circles. The one-party rule established in 1949 is unchanged, and there is absolutely no democratic procedure. The difference is akin to the gulf between Singapore and China.
Beijing is working hard to force a name change on Taiwan, as they did at the World Health Organization by listing Taiwan as a province of China. But the people of Taiwan have always believed that they are not the citizens of the People's Republic of China. China is merely one of the many places around the world that Taiwanese business people go to invest. The Beijing government has nothing to do with us.
The Chinese government is becoming more and more fanatical in its suppression of Taiwan. We can expect various types of harassment against Wu during her trip, but we believe she is very much accustomed to handling Beijing's petty diplomatic maneuvers. Most importantly, we hope Wu will be able to bring the voice of the Taiwanese people to the world and make it heard at international events in Europe. We hope she will bravely point out that Taiwan has never had anything to do with communist China and that the Beijing regime has no right to claim sovereignty over the country.
The gutting of Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) by US President Donald Trump’s administration poses a serious threat to the global voice of freedom, particularly for those living under authoritarian regimes such as China. The US — hailed as the model of liberal democracy — has the moral responsibility to uphold the values it champions. In undermining these institutions, the US risks diminishing its “soft power,” a pivotal pillar of its global influence. VOA Tibetan and RFA Tibetan played an enormous role in promoting the strong image of the US in and outside Tibet. On VOA Tibetan,
On a quiet lane in Taipei’s central Daan District (大安), an otherwise unremarkable high-rise is marked by a police guard and a tawdry A4 printout from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicating an “embassy area.” Keen observers would see the emblem of the Holy See, one of Taiwan’s 12 so-called “diplomatic allies.” Unlike Taipei’s other embassies and quasi-consulates, no national flag flies there, nor is there a plaque indicating what country’s embassy this is. Visitors hoping to sign a condolence book for the late Pope Francis would instead have to visit the Italian Trade Office, adjacent to Taipei 101. The death of
By now, most of Taiwan has heard Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) threats to initiate a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet. His rationale is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government’s investigation into alleged signature forgery in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) recall campaign constitutes “political persecution.” I sincerely hope he goes through with it. The opposition currently holds a majority in the Legislative Yuan, so the initiation of a no-confidence motion and its passage should be entirely within reach. If Chiang truly believes that the government is overreaching, abusing its power and targeting political opponents — then
As the highest elected official in the nation’s capital, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) is the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) candidate-in-waiting for a presidential bid. With the exception of Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕), Chiang is the most likely KMT figure to take over the mantle of the party leadership. All the other usual suspects, from Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) to New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) to KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) have already been rejected at the ballot box. Given such high expectations, Chiang should be demonstrating resolve, calm-headedness and political wisdom in how he faces tough
RSS