Taiwan's unprecedented two gold and three silver medals at the Athens Olympics excited the nation as a whole. President Chen Shui-bian (
So, with the Beijing Olympics only four years away, what should Taiwan do? Various approaches are already appearing. Senior presidential advisor Peng Ming-min (
Chen's talk of winning seven gold medals in the Beijing Olympics suggests that Taiwan not only intends to take part in the 2008 Games, but will also send its top athletes to create a stir there. This will certainly heighten international awareness of Taiwan. The country does not have the resources to play tough with China over the cross-strait issue, and any victory will have to be the result of strategic flexibility. There is no hurry on the issue of Taiwan's name. The question of whether or not to go to Beijing is a problem, but there are many variables to deal with in the meantime, and Taiwan has no need to make a snap decision about it.
The private sector in Taiwan is already exploring the possibility of winning the bid to host the Olympics in 2016. This is food for thought for both the government and the public. In competing for this bid, Taiwan will show itself to have a place and status in the international community, earning a higher degree of visibility within it.
Bidding to host the 2016 Olympic Games is a campaign that will require the mobilization of society as a whole. In addition to the participation of the entire sports sector, the assistance of the government and non-governmental organizations will be necessary. The process would also help consolidate Taiwanese unity and stimulate citizens' sense of honor. Of course, China's attitude will be key to a Taiwanese bid for the 2016 Olympic Games.
When Beijing was bidding for the 2008 Olympic Games, Taiwan cast its vote of approval, disregarding cross-strait tension. This allowed Beijing to stand out from its major competitors and win the bid. Therefore, this would be the best time for China to return the favor and express its goodwill toward Taiwan.
If China opposes an Olympic bid by Taiwan, the international community and the Taiwanese people will clearly see the true face of Chinese arrogance. But if Beijing supports a Taiwanese bid, and the two countries' teams were to appear side by side in Taipei, it would be the ultimate reflection of the peaceful spirit of the Olympics. The host of the 2016 Olympic Games will be decided prior to the 2008 Olympic Games. Perhaps Taiwan could decide whether to attend the event in Beijing based on China's attitude toward a Taiwanese Olympic bid.
There is much evidence that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is sending soldiers from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — and is learning lessons for a future war against Taiwan. Until now, the CCP has claimed that they have not sent PLA personnel to support Russian aggression. On 18 April, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelinskiy announced that the CCP is supplying war supplies such as gunpowder, artillery, and weapons subcomponents to Russia. When Zelinskiy announced on 9 April that the Ukrainian Army had captured two Chinese nationals fighting with Russians on the front line with details
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
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), joined by the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), held a protest on Saturday on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei. They were essentially standing for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which is anxious about the mass recall campaign against KMT legislators. President William Lai (賴清德) said that if the opposition parties truly wanted to fight dictatorship, they should do so in Tiananmen Square — and at the very least, refrain from groveling to Chinese officials during their visits to China, alluding to meetings between KMT members and Chinese authorities. Now that China has been defined as a foreign hostile force,
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