In Western tradition, Christmas should be the day when people the world over celebrate the Savior's descent to the human realm. People expect this message of joy to bring peace for all humanity. Unfortunately, the situation this year has been very different. The US, the UK and Japan have all issued high-level alerts for terrorist attacks for fear that international terrorists may take advantage of a time when most people are steeped in merrymaking to launch massive terrorist attacks like ones on Sept. 11, 2001. It is ironic that a time for merrymaking has turned into a time of anxiety.
In Taiwan, we have no choice but to raise a topic that detracts from the fun of Christmas celebrations. For both Westerners and Easterners, the threat they face is only "potential." Whether terrorists will have their way depends on a contest of wits between terrorists and security personnel in various countries. It will not be easy for this gang of criminals to achieve their goals.
In comparison, the threat facing Taiwan is far more serious. The Taiwanese people face a concrete military threat. The language of this threat has been coming continuously from the mouths of People's Liberation Army generals via open media channels, saying that the Chinese military will not hesitate to sacrifice 2 million people to attack and occupy Taiwan.
The American people should recall that soon after the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, some Chinese military brass, in an interview with a Los Angeles Times reporter, threatened to fire long-range missiles at Los Angeles. The strong response from the US media at the time was impressive. Based on the same sentiment, we must reiterate that Beijing has been increasing the number of missiles deployed against Taiwan. The number of missiles is now close to 500. Taiwan certainly has the right and responsibility to tell the international community that Beijing is destroying peace in Asia with its missile deployments and that countries should not be duped by the Chinese Communist Party's charm offensive.
More importantly, President Chen Shui-bian (
In recent years, Chinese society seems to have been emulating the Western tradition of celebrating Christmas. While we are happy to see China's gradual integration into international society, we would also like to remind Beijing that Christmas is not merely about shiny decorations and partying. The day carries with it a message of peace. This is where the spirit of Christmas lies. Why won't China's leaders take the opportunity to consider the happiness and safety of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait?
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
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.
As Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu’s party won by a landslide in Sunday’s parliamentary election, it is a good time to take another look at recent developments in the Maldivian foreign policy. While Muizzu has been promoting his “Maldives First” policy, the agenda seems to have lost sight of a number of factors. Contemporary Maldivian policy serves as a stark illustration of how a blend of missteps in public posturing, populist agendas and inattentive leadership can lead to diplomatic setbacks and damage a country’s long-term foreign policy priorities. Over the past few months, Maldivian foreign policy has entangled itself in playing
A group of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers led by the party’s legislative caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (?) are to visit Beijing for four days this week, but some have questioned the timing and purpose of the visit, which demonstrates the KMT caucus’ increasing arrogance. Fu on Wednesday last week confirmed that following an invitation by Beijing, he would lead a group of lawmakers to China from Thursday to Sunday to discuss tourism and agricultural exports, but he refused to say whether they would meet with Chinese officials. That the visit is taking place during the legislative session and in the aftermath