China's government has not only ignored the conciliatory tone of President Chen Shui-bian's (
There have now been three presidential elections in Taiwan, and attempts by Beijing to influence the outcome of each have proven ineffective. The idea of "one country on either side of the strait" has become accepted among Taiwan's grassroots, and this year's election result has confirmed "Taiwanese consciousness" as the majority opinion. The conflict between Beijing and Taipei has therefore entered a new stage.
In Beijing, the Jiang Zemin (
The menacing aspect of those involved in Taiwan affairs and the official media is an indication of difficulties created by the struggle for succession. The harsh language used by the Taiwan Affairs Office, the People's Daily and Xinhua News Agency succeeds superficially in putting down Taiwan, but what it really indicates is that the realization of the Chinese people's dream of democratic reform is receding ever further into the distance.
Targeting the Chi Mei Group (
As China has overtaken the US as Taiwan's main export market, Taipei's political sensibilities are continually at the mercy of Beijing's maneuvering. But trade runs both ways, and capital's movement powerfully shapes interactions between nations. Given the degree to which China is dependant on Taiwanese businesses and the extent that multinational companies permeate their markets, the threats that Beijing has leveled against the Chi Mei Group are reminiscent of the actions of the Society of Harmonious Fists during the Boxer Revolution. While these threats indicate internal pressures within China's government, the ultimate result may impact upon that nation's financial structures, which are already rife with problems. If this slow-moving giant starts to wield his club, it is more likely that he will hit himself in the head rather than strike his more nimble opponent.
Yet this unwieldy club deters westward expansion by Taiwanese businesses. This helps the Chen administration, which wants to widen trade on an international basis. It has also given force to former President Lee Teng-hui's adherence to the insightful policy of "no haste, be patient" (
China's massive bureaucracy is corrupt and unprofessional. Its leaders must adopt macro-economic controls on investment to prevent a chain reaction that will bring down its financial system. But with its overdependence on foreign investment to fuel growth, China is being pulled in opposing directions.
A fundamental principle of political strategy is to "find the right pretext to wage war " (師出有名). Chen has a firm handle on the discourse of "peace," an issue that China, Taiwan, the US and other leading powers are all constrained to respect. Now that Taiwan has achieved a consensus about facing China's threats with docility, even as China chooses to play the club-wielding giant, the time of awakening has come for the international community.
Saudi Arabian largesse is flooding Egypt’s cultural scene, but the reception is mixed. Some welcome new “cooperation” between two regional powerhouses, while others fear a hostile takeover by Riyadh. In Cairo, historically the cultural capital of the Arab world, Egyptian Minister of Culture Nevine al-Kilany recently hosted Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki al-Sheikh. The deep-pocketed al-Sheikh has emerged as a Medici-like patron for Egypt’s cultural elite, courted by Cairo’s top talent to produce a slew of forthcoming films. A new three-way agreement between al-Sheikh, Kilany and United Media Services — a multi-media conglomerate linked to state intelligence that owns much of
The US and other countries should take concrete steps to confront the threats from Beijing to avoid war, US Representative Mario Diaz-Balart said in an interview with Voice of America on March 13. The US should use “every diplomatic economic tool at our disposal to treat China as what it is... to avoid war,” Diaz-Balart said. Giving an example of what the US could do, he said that it has to be more aggressive in its military sales to Taiwan. Actions by cross-party US lawmakers in the past few years such as meeting with Taiwanese officials in Washington and Taipei, and
Denmark’s “one China” policy more and more resembles Beijing’s “one China” principle. At least, this is how things appear. In recent interactions with the Danish state, such as applying for residency permits, a Taiwanese’s nationality would be listed as “China.” That designation occurs for a Taiwanese student coming to Denmark or a Danish citizen arriving in Denmark with, for example, their Taiwanese partner. Details of this were published on Sunday in an article in the Danish daily Berlingske written by Alexander Sjoberg and Tobias Reinwald. The pretext for this new practice is that Denmark does not recognize Taiwan as a state under
The Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan has no official diplomatic allies in the EU. With the exception of the Vatican, it has no official allies in Europe at all. This does not prevent the ROC — Taiwan — from having close relations with EU member states and other European countries. The exact nature of the relationship does bear revisiting, if only to clarify what is a very complicated and sensitive idea, the details of which leave considerable room for misunderstanding, misrepresentation and disagreement. Only this week, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) received members of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations