It may just be because of where I sit that the Chinese government appears to be controlling the debate over its "Anti-Secession" Law, which was passed on Monday. The international media have been picking up and regurgitating the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) line, which holds that the law "seeks a peaceful reunification with Taiwan," according to Tuesday's China Daily, and that the "law is meant to strengthen and promote cross-strait relations," which is what Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (
True to form, the Beijing government is distorting and ignoring the crux of its disagreement with Taipei over the "one China" principle and attempting to mischaracterize its belligerent declaration as a conciliatory gesture meant only to caution the "small minority" of Taiwanese independence seekers.
The disagreement over the "one China" principle is not a dispute between the people of China and "secessionist forces" -- it is the struggle between a small cadre of CCP officials in Beijing who are attempting to impose their will on a nation of people who have fought long and hard for democratic representation and desire only to exert their fundamental right to self-determination.
Democracy is still in its nascent stage in Taiwan, but it is not too soon for the Taiwanese to recognize that the primary function of a democracy is not to protect the rights of the majority, but rather to safeguard the rights and aspirations of the minority. In this respect the Beijing government has failed miserably. Taiwan need look no further than across the strait to Hong Kong, where "one county, two systems" is fast being replaced by "one country, one dictatorship."
Now is the time for Taiwan to be proactive instead of reactive to China's bullying tactics. It is incumbent upon the government of President Chen Shui-bian (
It is also incumbent upon those of you who take to the streets on March 26 to make it clear that Taiwan not only marches against the Anti-Secession Law but also marches for the hopes and aspirations of those Chinese people whose voices have been silenced.
Edward Ewing
Tianjin, China
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
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
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