I would like to express my total agreement with the article "Taiwan is not China" (Aug. 28, page 8). Indeed, the PRC has been recognized as China ever since it assumed the UN's "China seat." That Taiwan is not China is, therefore, a matter of common sense. Some Taiwanese, however, appear to wish to ignore the fact and insist that Taiwan still represents China. Citizens of Taiwan must understand the basic international position and the rules of the UN. I feel nothing but fury towards those Taiwanese diplomats in the Dominican Republic. How ignorant can they be? Those who claim that the ROC still represents China, are just like those who claim that a Republic of Taiwan (ROT) represents Taiwan. The only difference is that only 20 or so countries recognize the ROC, while none recognize the ROT. The number of countries who recognize the ROC is decreasing. Eventually, the only name that will be known will be "Taiwan," not "ROC."
By the same token, I would like to suggest that Chen Lung-chu (陳隆志) adopt the designation "Hua-jen" (華人) instead of "Chinese," for those people whose ancestors were from China. "Chinese," by definition denotes people who are from China. "Hua-jen" is more neutral and there is no nationality involved. By definition, Taiwanese are one type of Hua-jen, but not necessarily "Chinese." If, one day, China understands that Chinese are also Hua-jen, just like Hua-jen from Singapore, for example, they will respect Taiwan more. Yes, there is only "one China" in the world. But, there could be many countries with a majority of citizens who are Hua-jen.
Cheng Wen
Taipei, Taiwan
Foreign laborers' rights
In his article ("Foreign laborers' rights need work," Aug. 27, page 8), Jason Chin-hsin Liu (
If China does try to take control of Taiwan by force, the US may well come to the island's aid. But before committing itself, the US would consider the attitude of the Philippines -- which it would need as a forward base -- and of other countries in the region. Manila, Bangkok and Jakarta would, of course, consider many different factors before agreeing to or rejecting a US request for cooperation. But by failing to protect the rights of laborers from those countries, Taiwan risks incurring the antipathy of thier respective governments.
Southeast Asian neutrality would make US intervention less likely; if the US did go ahead on its own, the probability of success would be reduced. This is something Taiwan should not risk.
Steven Crook
Taipei, Taiwan
Because much of what former US president Donald Trump says is unhinged and histrionic, it is tempting to dismiss all of it as bunk. Yet the potential future president has a populist knack for sounding alarums that resonate with the zeitgeist — for example, with growing anxiety about World War III and nuclear Armageddon. “We’re a failing nation,” Trump ranted during his US presidential debate against US Vice President Kamala Harris in one particularly meandering answer (the one that also recycled urban myths about immigrants eating cats). “And what, what’s going on here, you’re going to end up in World War
Earlier this month in Newsweek, President William Lai (賴清德) challenged the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to retake the territories lost to Russia in the 19th century rather than invade Taiwan. He stated: “If it is for the sake of territorial integrity, why doesn’t [the PRC] take back the lands occupied by Russia that were signed over in the treaty of Aigun?” This was a brilliant political move to finally state openly what many Chinese in both China and Taiwan have long been thinking about the lost territories in the Russian far east: The Russian far east should be “theirs.” Granted, Lai issued
On Tuesday, President William Lai (賴清德) met with a delegation from the Hoover Institution, a think tank based at Stanford University in California, to discuss strengthening US-Taiwan relations and enhancing peace and stability in the region. The delegation was led by James Ellis Jr, co-chair of the institution’s Taiwan in the Indo-Pacific Region project and former commander of the US Strategic Command. It also included former Australian minister for foreign affairs Marise Payne, influential US academics and other former policymakers. Think tank diplomacy is an important component of Taiwan’s efforts to maintain high-level dialogue with other nations with which it does
On Sept. 2, Elbridge Colby, former deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy and force development, wrote an article for the Wall Street Journal called “The US and Taiwan Must Change Course” that defends his position that the US and Taiwan are not doing enough to deter the People’s Republic of China (PRC) from taking Taiwan. Colby is correct, of course: the US and Taiwan need to do a lot more or the PRC will invade Taiwan like Russia did against Ukraine. The US and Taiwan have failed to prepare properly to deter war. The blame must fall on politicians and policymakers