On Monday, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (
Lee also said that Taiwan may not have a very good understanding of the international situation. He pointed out that the US is deeply involved in dealing with the war in Iraq and the resolution of the North Korean nuclear crisis and needs China's assistance to resolve these sensitive issues. The implication is that Taiwan may be overestimating US determination to assist it in the event of war.
We will not comment on the diplomatic dispute that has broken out between China and Singapore over Lee's visit to Taiwan, nor do we want to offer any guesses as to how this dispute may have affected Lee's comments. We do, however, thank Lee for making public his reflections on his visit. His statement also offers the nation an opportunity to respond to the blind spots in his conclusion.
For a long time, the people of Taiwan and the international community have been wondering whether China will attack Taiwan. Dealing with this question has consumed the vast majority of the nation's efforts in facilitating dialogue across the Strait, as it seems there is no better way to resolve this deadlock. In the end, all but a few nations have come down on the side of China and its armed threats -- and sometimes acting as apologists for this aggression.
Is a Chinese invasion inevitable? To answer this we must seek an answer in China's historical character and its recent military development. The answer is a guarded "yes." Since ancient times China has used its armies to expand its territory. It only takes a casual acquaintance with Chinese history to realize this.
As for the US, it is bound by the Taiwan Relations Act and President George W. Bush's promises to defend Taiwan. We do believe that if China did invade Taiwan, the US would come to its aid. After all, the promises of great powers are not made lightly.
With China's propensity for using military might, we agree that it may well act has Lee suggests -- but in no way do we take the US' defense promises for granted. For this reason, Taiwan has been working to improve its defensive capabilities and is actively seeking the purchase of AEGIS-equipped destroyers and other advanced military systems from the US.
Taiwan's efforts to improve the livelihood of its people should not be constrained by the uncertainty in the Taiwan Strait, nor should its national development be conceived under the shadow of invasion. The development of diplomatic relations, creating a vibrant economy, raising the level of education, striving for ethnic harmony and strengthening national identity should not be neglected because of cross-strait tensions.
It is as Lee said: only by visiting Taiwan and understanding the thinking of both its government and opposition is one able to make an accurate assessment. This cannot be done simply by reading reports and newspapers. We fully agree with Lee and welcome him to visit again. We also echo Lee's "hands on" approach and call on leaders in China, the US and our own to visit one another. Only through increased communication will leaders be able to make wise decisions and avoid the chance of a conflict in the region.
Saudi Arabian largesse is flooding Egypt’s cultural scene, but the reception is mixed. Some welcome new “cooperation” between two regional powerhouses, while others fear a hostile takeover by Riyadh. In Cairo, historically the cultural capital of the Arab world, Egyptian Minister of Culture Nevine al-Kilany recently hosted Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki al-Sheikh. The deep-pocketed al-Sheikh has emerged as a Medici-like patron for Egypt’s cultural elite, courted by Cairo’s top talent to produce a slew of forthcoming films. A new three-way agreement between al-Sheikh, Kilany and United Media Services — a multi-media conglomerate linked to state intelligence that owns much of
The US and other countries should take concrete steps to confront the threats from Beijing to avoid war, US Representative Mario Diaz-Balart said in an interview with Voice of America on March 13. The US should use “every diplomatic economic tool at our disposal to treat China as what it is... to avoid war,” Diaz-Balart said. Giving an example of what the US could do, he said that it has to be more aggressive in its military sales to Taiwan. Actions by cross-party US lawmakers in the past few years such as meeting with Taiwanese officials in Washington and Taipei, and
Denmark’s “one China” policy more and more resembles Beijing’s “one China” principle. At least, this is how things appear. In recent interactions with the Danish state, such as applying for residency permits, a Taiwanese’s nationality would be listed as “China.” That designation occurs for a Taiwanese student coming to Denmark or a Danish citizen arriving in Denmark with, for example, their Taiwanese partner. Details of this were published on Sunday in an article in the Danish daily Berlingske written by Alexander Sjoberg and Tobias Reinwald. The pretext for this new practice is that Denmark does not recognize Taiwan as a state under
The Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan has no official diplomatic allies in the EU. With the exception of the Vatican, it has no official allies in Europe at all. This does not prevent the ROC — Taiwan — from having close relations with EU member states and other European countries. The exact nature of the relationship does bear revisiting, if only to clarify what is a very complicated and sensitive idea, the details of which leave considerable room for misunderstanding, misrepresentation and disagreement. Only this week, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) received members of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations