Bush must uphold values
Should US President George W. Bush betray the moral values his voters supported him for, he would have no leg to stand on. Not only will he fail to win back the "other half" of Americans who voted for Kerry and thereby achieve national unity, he would also lose "this half" of Americans who supported him. He would then be a complete failure.
Taking this context to Taiwan, Bush must not lose sight of freedom, democracy, God and family in dealing with China. Americans from the heartland to metropolises, are not keen on or easily intimidated by bullies, whether they be Nazis, Russians or North Koreans.
Bush will not need to run in another election, yet his legacy will remain. His legacy is to shape the US at the beginning of the 21st century.
His biggest mandate in this election is loud and clear: uphold American values, Mr. President; do not lose them in the Taiwan Strait.
Chen Ming-chung
Chicago, Illinois
Don't require early English
Parents in Taiwan believe that English is crucial for their children's future, and also believe schools should start English "as early as possible." ("Parents believe in English," Nov. 16, page 2). But starting early may not be the best way to help children acquire English proficiency.
Studies show that older children acquire language skills faster than younger children. Thus, starting later (eg, at grade three or grade four instead of kindergarten or grade one) is more efficient. It also means more time to develop a solid foundation in Chinese.
Studies show that those who have a better education in the first language make better progress in developing a second.
Cynthia Wu is correct when she emphasizes the importance of not cutting back on Chinese language classes in order to squeeze in more English.
I would not forbid early English, but I think it is a mistake to require it.
Stephen Krashen
Professor Emeritus
University of Southern California
On Sept. 3 in Tiananmen Square, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) rolled out a parade of new weapons in PLA service that threaten Taiwan — some of that Taiwan is addressing with added and new military investments and some of which it cannot, having to rely on the initiative of allies like the United States. The CCP’s goal of replacing US leadership on the global stage was advanced by the military parade, but also by China hosting in Tianjin an August 31-Sept. 1 summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which since 2001 has specialized
In an article published by the Harvard Kennedy School, renowned historian of modern China Rana Mitter used a structured question-and-answer format to deepen the understanding of the relationship between Taiwan and China. Mitter highlights the differences between the repressive and authoritarian People’s Republic of China and the vibrant democracy that exists in Taiwan, saying that Taiwan and China “have had an interconnected relationship that has been both close and contentious at times.” However, his description of the history — before and after 1945 — contains significant flaws. First, he writes that “Taiwan was always broadly regarded by the imperial dynasties of
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will stop at nothing to weaken Taiwan’s sovereignty, going as far as to create complete falsehoods. That the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has never ruled Taiwan is an objective fact. To refute this, Beijing has tried to assert “jurisdiction” over Taiwan, pointing to its military exercises around the nation as “proof.” That is an outright lie: If the PRC had jurisdiction over Taiwan, it could simply have issued decrees. Instead, it needs to perform a show of force around the nation to demonstrate its fantasy. Its actions prove the exact opposite of its assertions. A
A large part of the discourse about Taiwan as a sovereign, independent nation has centered on conventions of international law and international agreements between outside powers — such as between the US, UK, Russia, the Republic of China (ROC) and Japan at the end of World War II, and between the US and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) since recognition of the PRC as the sole representative of China at the UN. Internationally, the narrative on the PRC and Taiwan has changed considerably since the days of the first term of former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) of the Democratic
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