I am not a fan of political correctness but labeling a woman minister a "whore" makes me feel very uneasy. Yes, there is prostitution involved, but a term more apt at describing the French government's role would be "mama san." They are indeed selling the founding virtues of our Republic, this is repulsive and there is no excuse for it.
The French push to lift the arms embargo against China is a political and economic decision taken by the French government. Does this automatically mean that the French people are supportive of this policy? As you state in your editorial, the Taiwanese government has taken bribes in the Lafayette deal. Does that mean that all Taiwanese are corrupt?
As this is an economic and political decision, economic and political actions could be taken, such as a boycott of French products, halt to any official exchanges or visits, and so on. While I certainly do not wish for this to happen, such measures would be understandable.
Then you forgo any rational thought when you propose "the ending of scholarships for French students, refusal to grant or renew French nationals alien residency." If French students cannot get scholarship to study in Taiwan, they will go to other countries.
If they want to study Chinese they will go you guess where, they will be trained there and won't know anything about Taiwan except for official propaganda.
Then the second proposition is even more nonsensical. I have lived in Taiwan for ten years, I know many other French people who call Taiwan their home. We love it here, and I don't know of anybody who would support lifting the arms embargo.
I see two reasons you should consider for not applying your second proposition. Firstly, kick us out of our homes, make us leave our lives, our families, our friends and see how much goodwill you will generate. Secondly, even if you don't find any redeeming values in the "low-lifes" that according to your piece we are, you might consider keeping us as human shields; Saddam did it, so should you.
Remi Hasenohr
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.