To the women of Taiwan still trying to recover from an offensive local court ruling last year that a forcible kiss on the cheek lasting several minutes did not constitute sexual harassment, it is probably no comfort to find out that their Italian sisters are not faring any better. As if trying to out-perform the previous Taiwan court ruling, the highest court of Italy ruled last week that a pat on the bottom is just a pat, not sexual harassment. The court justified its ruling by explaining that the "pat" was not an "act of libido" (intentional act), because it was "isolated" and "impulsive." Again, between this explanation and its Taiwan counterpart (ie, that a kiss on the cheek is an international custom), the absurdity race is a dead heat. Was the ruling just a slip in performance by the Italian court possibly undergoing caffeine withdrawal at the time? It is hard to think so. This was, after all, the very same court that had reasoned in a 1999 ruling on rape that the women in question had consented to sex with the defendant because the jeans she was wearing were so tight that she must have helped the defendant take them off.
What is the lesson of the day from these seemingly amusing yet truly offensive court rulings? Ignorance about the opposite sex is the fundamental cause of much sexual harassment. How far apart are the two sexes in terms of understanding? The title of the book Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus gives us a glimpse of the distance. Many do not seem to understand that in judging what constitutes sexual harassment, it is the woman's feeling that should count. Seemingly innocent bodily contacts such as a pat on the bottom or a squeeze of the hand or harmless dirty jokes may have already offended or violated a woman's integrity. What men need to do is to learn to think from the standpoint of the women before making the contact or uttering the jokes.
Back at home in Taiwan, women do not have much time to spare to sympathize with their Italian sisters. But there is much that needs to be done. Currently, Taiwan has yet to pass any law against sexual harassment. The most encouraging progress so far in terms of government action is a guideline on the prevention of workplace sexual harassment and a guideline on the handling of sexual harassment incidents within the Taipei City government, approved by the Taipei City government in, respectively, 1988 and 2000. However, these guidelines do not have any legal force.
What is keeping the government from passing laws against sexual harassment? A very important reason is the under-representation of women in the government. Certainly, the Chen Shui-bian (
Before our court has time to enter a ruling that patting a women's bottom is a compatible with international etiquette, we urge our government to quickly pass laws banning sexual harassment and ensuring adequate representation of women in the government.
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, people have been asking if Taiwan is the next Ukraine. At a G7 meeting of national leaders in January, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida warned that Taiwan “could be the next Ukraine” if Chinese aggression is not checked. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said that if Russia is not defeated, then “today, it’s Ukraine, tomorrow it can be Taiwan.” China does not like this rhetoric. Its diplomats ask people to stop saying “Ukraine today, Taiwan tomorrow.” However, the rhetoric and stated ambition of Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on Taiwan shows strong parallels with