It may just be because of where I sit that the Chinese government appears to be controlling the debate over its "Anti-Secession" Law, which was passed on Monday. The international media have been picking up and regurgitating the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) line, which holds that the law "seeks a peaceful reunification with Taiwan," according to Tuesday's China Daily, and that the "law is meant to strengthen and promote cross-strait relations," which is what Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (
True to form, the Beijing government is distorting and ignoring the crux of its disagreement with Taipei over the "one China" principle and attempting to mischaracterize its belligerent declaration as a conciliatory gesture meant only to caution the "small minority" of Taiwanese independence seekers.
The disagreement over the "one China" principle is not a dispute between the people of China and "secessionist forces" -- it is the struggle between a small cadre of CCP officials in Beijing who are attempting to impose their will on a nation of people who have fought long and hard for democratic representation and desire only to exert their fundamental right to self-determination.
Democracy is still in its nascent stage in Taiwan, but it is not too soon for the Taiwanese to recognize that the primary function of a democracy is not to protect the rights of the majority, but rather to safeguard the rights and aspirations of the minority. In this respect the Beijing government has failed miserably. Taiwan need look no further than across the strait to Hong Kong, where "one county, two systems" is fast being replaced by "one country, one dictatorship."
Now is the time for Taiwan to be proactive instead of reactive to China's bullying tactics. It is incumbent upon the government of President Chen Shui-bian (
It is also incumbent upon those of you who take to the streets on March 26 to make it clear that Taiwan not only marches against the Anti-Secession Law but also marches for the hopes and aspirations of those Chinese people whose voices have been silenced.
Edward Ewing
Tianjin, China
Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) on April 9 said that the first group of Indian workers could arrive as early as this year as part of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India and the India Taipei Association. Signed in February 2024, the MOU stipulates that Taipei would decide the number of migrant workers and which industries would employ them, while New Delhi would manage recruitment and training. Employment would be governed by the laws of both countries. Months after its signing, the two sides agreed that 1,000 migrant workers from India would
In recent weeks, Taiwan has witnessed a surge of public anxiety over the possible introduction of Indian migrant workers. What began as a policy signal from the Ministry of Labor quickly escalated into a broader controversy. Petitions gathered thousands of signatures within days, political figures issued strong warnings, and social media became saturated with concerns about public safety and social stability. At first glance, this appears to be a straightforward policy question: Should Taiwan introduce Indian migrant workers or not? However, this framing is misleading. The current debate is not fundamentally about India. It is about Taiwan’s labor system, its
Japan’s imminent easing of arms export rules has sparked strong interest from Warsaw to Manila, Reuters reporting found, as US President Donald Trump wavers on security commitments to allies, and the wars in Iran and Ukraine strain US weapons supplies. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s ruling party approved the changes this week as she tries to invigorate the pacifist country’s military industrial base. Her government would formally adopt the new rules as soon as this month, three Japanese government officials told Reuters. Despite largely isolating itself from global arms markets since World War II, Japan spends enough on its own
On March 31, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs released declassified diplomatic records from 1995 that drew wide domestic media attention. One revelation stood out: North Korea had once raised the possibility of diplomatic relations with Taiwan. In a meeting with visiting Chinese officials in May 1995, as then-Chinese president Jiang Zemin (江澤民) prepared for a visit to South Korea, North Korean officials objected to Beijing’s growing ties with Seoul and raised Taiwan directly. According to the newly released records, North Korean officials asked why Pyongyang should refrain from developing relations with Taiwan while China and South Korea were expanding high-level
RSS