Tiaoyutais belong to Chinese
I write to thank the Taipei Times for its prompt and forceful report on the Japanese government's reported leasing of the Tiaoyutai Islands, which belong to the Chinese people ("Taiwan affirms Tiaoyutai claim," Jan. 2, page 4).
It is my belief that the recent awarding to Malaysia of an island claimed by both Malaysia and Indonesia -- by the International Court of Justice at The Hague -- has prompted the Japanese government to make this move. Its action is opportunistic and expansionistic.
It is also ridiculous for the Japanese government to lease the islands from an individual who supposedly "owns" them, without this so-called owner being named. This pretext for trying to incorporate a piece of Chinese territory should be loudly condemned.
I highly commend Taiwan's Executive Yuan for coming forward promptly to oppose the nefarious action of the Japanese government.
To all Chinese people: the Tiaoyutai group of islands are historically ours and Japan's attempt to include them in its empire should be vigorously protested.
In this context, I appeal to the government of Taiwan to take this serious matter up with the Japanese government and tell them to keep their hands off this Chinese territory. Any further action by the Japanese government must be considered provocative and a direct challenge to both Chinese and international laws governing territorial rights.
Isaac Ho
Vancouver, BC, Canada
`Black gold' is embarrassing
Taiwan is as abundant in "black gold" as the US is. The difference is that "black gold" refers to oil in the US, but to dirty politics -- including vote-buying (Editorials, Dec. 27, 28 and 29) -- in Taiwan.
Votes for the speakership of the Kaohsiung City Council were allegedly "bought" by a candidate at NT$15,000,000 (or US$430,000) per vote from a large number of both ruling and opposition councilors.
A bribe of this magnitude must be some sort of record -- historically and globally.
What a shame. Taiwan wants to be No. 1 -- but not in this way.
How to deal with the deteriorating "black gold" situation in Taiwan is a major challenge for the DPP.
This is a crisis for democracy in Taiwan but it is also an opportunity for the DPP. In 2000, presidential candidate Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) pledged to his voters that he would wipe out black gold, if elected.
The voters trusted him. It's now time for President Chen to fulfill his pledge.
The voters of Taiwan treat their elected officials in the same manner as a circus audience treats the clowns and trapeze artists.
If a performer gives a superb performance, the audience will give him or her an enthusiastic applause and demand an extra performance by shouting "Encore!"
On the other hand, if the performance is poor, the audience will boo him or her so that the next performer can go on stage.
Charles Hong
Columbus, Ohio
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.