The new Cabinet lineup has been gradually coming into the political and media spotlight following last month's presidential election. Economic, political and diplomatic issues are still the focus of attention in political circles and the media. However, issues emphasized by the candidates during campaigning -- including sustainable development and improving environmental quality -- were subordinated to the peaceful transition of power and China's bellicose remarks.
Environmental issues haven't been given priority in the new government lineup. There has also been little public discussion on the candidates for the director-general of the Environmental Protection Administration (
Environmental issues should be included more affirmatively into the nation's agenda and made an indispensable part of overall administrative considerations. Last year's 921 Earthquake should make the new government more aware that protecting Taiwan's environmental resources will not hinder economic prosperity. On the contrary, it is the lifeline that sustains society. With a fragile ecosystem that can damage and devastate people's lives, our defense and foreign relations policies could become meaningless.
During the presidential campaign, the DPP brought forth an Environmental Policy White Paper (
We therefore have three things to expect for the future head of the EPA and the direction pursued by national environmental institutions.
First, the new EPA chief should actively upgrade their agency and take on a mediator's role to coordinate different ministries. The national-level environmental administration should go beyond preventing pollution and create an overall policy for protecting eco-systems, using natural resources and improving environmental quality.
A vision -- and the ability to implement it -- will be the greatest challenge facing the new EPA chief. Their actions will greatly impact existing development projects and pave the way for sustainable environmental development.
Second, the new head of the EPA should have a vision for cooperating on environmental issues and a means to push their agenda. Environmental issues cross borders, making it impossible for any country to deal with environmental issues by themselves outside of international regulations. It will be important to cooperate with progressive international environmental groups and work for environmental protection. Equally important will be making domestic environmental policies catch up with international trends and raising the nation's environmental awareness. Because of Taiwan's special position in the international community and its diplomatic situation, the nation's environmental administration should coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and local organizations in order to coordinate an international agenda and promote grassroots activism.
Third, the new EPA chief should consider local environmental groups as an extension of their own administration. The environmental administration should stop opposing these groups as it has in the past. Instead, the new administration should seek a consensus with local organizations which have dedicated years to the issues. It takes communication, goodwill and positive interaction to implement environmental policies and improve the environment.
In this context, we expect the new head of the EPA to be someone who cares about and participates in various environmental issues and who enjoys social credibility and the trust of local groups.
Lastly, I hope that a clean and upright government for the people (
Tu Wen-ling is the co-chair of the executive committee of the Taiwan Environmental Action Network.
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
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
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