We've finally come to the historical turning point at which Taiwan will start sailing towards China's grasp. The world's consensus has been formed. In the early 1990s, didn't some European journalist make a comment to the effect that nobody can help Taiwan if she doesn't help herself?
President Chen [Shui-bian (陳水扁)] has been doing exactly the opposite. He has been telling the world that Taiwan is fine with the current arrangement and with the perspective of a future "one China." Chen has been telling the world not to bother siding with Taiwan. How in the world would any country risk the accusation of imperialism by speaking up for Taiwan, in spite of his "Don't bother" message?
Chen has proven that he has neither a deep vision for Taiwan nor an understanding of world politics. He has shown since his inauguration that he is a politician of convention, not one of conviction. As such, he doesn't know where he is leading the country. He will not accomplish anything visionary except for holding on to power for as long as he can. Involuntarily or not, he has been dragging Taiwan into China's hungry mouth.
Sing Young
Taoyuan
DPP has to straighten up
If pompous rhetoric would solve the nuclear question -- see the article by Christopher Macdonald ("Nuclear power in its last hurrah," Feb. l2, page 8) -- then Taiwan could move on.
Unfortunately, the article offered no constructive suggestions on realistic alternatives, and while we might concede the obstructionist attitude of the KMT, it ignored the ideological rigidity that DPP has demonstrated in the face of a democratic, consensus favoring the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant (核四) and the government's woeful but near complete incompetence generally.
To suggest that the latter will encourage the electorate to favor the DPP in the fall is folly. Without a change in what has been a totally sophomoric approach to governing, the country is doomed to four years of the current gridlock. A dangerous situation.
John Hanna
Taoyuan City
Language as a living tool
With reference to Paul Li's (
Li and his colleagues should design programs to teach these languages -- not as dead languages, but as living languages, just like English and Mandarin. They should strive for the opportunities to teach these courses in universities and other institutions, and on radio and television programs. They should strive for the cooperation of Christian churches and Aboriginal elders of tribes for such courses and the help from singers like A-mei (
We should urge the government to support this initiative, not for any direct economic benefit, but simply because it is what our government should do. We should also try to get the support of various enterprises. No matter how many students will attend these courses, they should be maintained.
If nobody wants to publish the course material for Aboriginal languages, the government should do it. That is one of the reasons why we need a government. I know it is difficult and it's hard to find incentive to motivate people to learn these languages. But the government should try to let people know that learning an Aboriginal language is a matter of great pride.
The idea behind this proposal is that just urging Aboriginal people to keep their mother tongues is not enough. And someone like me, who has to work very hard everyday, finds that it's not easy to find a way to learn any of these languages.
Liao Lip-bun
Taipei
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
The past few months have seen tremendous strides in India’s journey to develop a vibrant semiconductor and electronics ecosystem. The nation’s established prowess in information technology (IT) has earned it much-needed revenue and prestige across the globe. Now, through the convergence of engineering talent, supportive government policies, an expanding market and technologically adaptive entrepreneurship, India is striving to become part of global electronics and semiconductor supply chains. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vision of “Make in India” and “Design in India” has been the guiding force behind the government’s incentive schemes that span skilling, design, fabrication, assembly, testing and packaging, and
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.