Ban double parking Macabe Keliher seemingly suggested that Taipei, on par with other international cities, widen streets to make room for bus lanes ("City buses turn Taipei streets into death zones," August 2, Page 8). This approach lays too much blame on the bus drivers and avoids the real problem. Spending more public money to resolve the problem of aggressive driving by building wider streets is not the solution in the near or long term. Simply stated, the bus driver (in a recently reported case) "swerved to avoid a double-parked van." Therein lies your final solution -- ban all double parking. Current traffic regulations allow drivers to double park if they leave their emergency lights flashing and engine running. That wishy-washy solution to the lack of parking spaces in front of a 5m wide store is the root cause of these dangerous situations. Buses and cars must swerve to avoid a double-parked car putting cyclists and cars in other lanes in a compromising situation. Many streets already make this allowance for double parking with a solid white line to separate the traffic lane. Cars routinely double and triple park beyond the solid white line and into the traffic lane, causing headaches and anxiety for all traffic flowing along. Banning and most importantly, enforcing the double parking rule removes the danger to all who must travel down Taiwan's roads. The numerous double-parked cars who are ticketed and impounded will generate sufficient revenue to fund a separate traffic or parking enforcement arm of the police. Education about the solution by the enforcers of public safety laws -- the police, Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and bureaucrats -- can cut back on public sympathy appearances over tragic traffic deaths as well as tireless speeches about punishing those responsible for another needless death. Public safety, a revolution for the new Taiwan, begins with political action rather than speeches. Jeff Chen
Taipei Gore owes China a lot I just finished reading an article written by Li Thian-hok (李敦厚) ("What would Al Gore's Taiwan policy be?", August 1, Page 8) with which I generally agree. Let there be no mistake, Al Gore owes China big time. The Chinese government was a weighty factor in the 1996 re-election of Bill Clinton and Al Gore, and Gore knows it. He denies it of course, but doubtlessly he does grant the Chinese favors. However, Li's claim that "As president, Gore is more likely to place US national interests ahead of personal political calculations in making foreign policy and national security decisions" is false. Al Gore is more swayed by political polls and paybacks he owes the Chinese government than what is the right thing to do. Let us keep hoping Bush gets elected, which appears to be a probable conclusion. I believe he will support the Taiwan Security Enhancement Act and will take a much friendlier position toward Taiwan. It is also clear that his vision will not be skewed by the Chinese government. He does not owe them anything and will take on a much more logical view toward the Chinese as well. Bryan Huft
Minnesota Energy options I read Chiu Yu-Tzu's interview with John Byrne ("Taiwan does indeed have nuclear alternatives," August 2, Page 4) about developments in the global energy system. He emphasized the development of micro-tarbines and fuel cells. He said he would also suggest to the MOEA the use of fuel cells as alternatives to the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant. The Dispersive Power Coalition of America (DPCA, 美國分散型電源連) forecasts that there will be 35,000 mwDP (Dispersive Power) to be constructed from 2000 to 2020. This amount accounts for 20 percent of newly constructed generating power during same period. In the US, there are a lot of gas piping lines (not LNG); their costs are very cheap in comparison with Taiwan. In such beneficial circumstances, DPCA foresees that dispersive power will only make up 3.7 percent of generated power in the US even in 2020. I don't think DP (such as micro-gas turbine, fuel cells, wind power generating) will be possible energy options for Taiwan. Liu Chen-chien
Taipei
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