I had assumed that Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (
It also seems likely that they want to negotiate special arrangements for themselves within a "Taiwan Special Administrative Region." China, for its part, wants to enlist their assistance in softening up Taiwan prior to an invasion. It's a win-win situation for them.
It's not possible to get too upset about this. The people of Taiwan freely elected these two parties, one run by a martial law authoritarian, the other by a serial kleptomaniac, into a position where they can do their endless undemocratic mischief. Taiwan is getting precisely what it deserves.
Stephen Carter
Taichung
Watch your back door closely. The Chinese will make the KMT look good in an effort to bring them back to power in Taiwan. Remember, a wolf in sheep's clothing is still a wolf. As any deposed dictator would, the KMT wants to resume power.
Taiwan has outgrown dictatorship, and the KMT ought to be moved into a category like the KKK in the US. We allow them to babble in our free society, but are quick to prosecute. I think the KMT will continue to be a problem until the land and money it stole from the Taiwanese people have been taken back for the public good.
Democracy is a beautiful thing. Every individual counts. Look past the rhetoric and lies. Look past the offers of free fertilizer when you know there is a high probability of that it contains weed seeds that will affect the rice crop.
Mike McKenzie
Lebanon, Missouri
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
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
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
As former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) wrapped up his visit to the People’s Republic of China, he received his share of attention. Certainly, the trip must be seen within the full context of Ma’s life, that is, his eight-year presidency, the Sunflower movement and his failed Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, as well as his eight years as Taipei mayor with its posturing, accusations of money laundering, and ups and downs. Through all that, basic questions stand out: “What drives Ma? What is his end game?” Having observed and commented on Ma for decades, it is all ironically reminiscent of former US president Harry