In Western tradition, Christmas should be the day when people the world over celebrate the Savior's descent to the human realm. People expect this message of joy to bring peace for all humanity. Unfortunately, the situation this year has been very different. The US, the UK and Japan have all issued high-level alerts for terrorist attacks for fear that international terrorists may take advantage of a time when most people are steeped in merrymaking to launch massive terrorist attacks like ones on Sept. 11, 2001. It is ironic that a time for merrymaking has turned into a time of anxiety.
In Taiwan, we have no choice but to raise a topic that detracts from the fun of Christmas celebrations. For both Westerners and Easterners, the threat they face is only "potential." Whether terrorists will have their way depends on a contest of wits between terrorists and security personnel in various countries. It will not be easy for this gang of criminals to achieve their goals.
In comparison, the threat facing Taiwan is far more serious. The Taiwanese people face a concrete military threat. The language of this threat has been coming continuously from the mouths of People's Liberation Army generals via open media channels, saying that the Chinese military will not hesitate to sacrifice 2 million people to attack and occupy Taiwan.
The American people should recall that soon after the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, some Chinese military brass, in an interview with a Los Angeles Times reporter, threatened to fire long-range missiles at Los Angeles. The strong response from the US media at the time was impressive. Based on the same sentiment, we must reiterate that Beijing has been increasing the number of missiles deployed against Taiwan. The number of missiles is now close to 500. Taiwan certainly has the right and responsibility to tell the international community that Beijing is destroying peace in Asia with its missile deployments and that countries should not be duped by the Chinese Communist Party's charm offensive.
More importantly, President Chen Shui-bian (
In recent years, Chinese society seems to have been emulating the Western tradition of celebrating Christmas. While we are happy to see China's gradual integration into international society, we would also like to remind Beijing that Christmas is not merely about shiny decorations and partying. The day carries with it a message of peace. This is where the spirit of Christmas lies. Why won't China's leaders take the opportunity to consider the happiness and safety of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait?
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