The front page story in yesterday's Taipei Times reported that the EU has temporarily suspended moves to lift the 15-year-old arms embargo on China. The EU should be commended for showing its concern for international security and upholding human rights, rather than bowing to commercial interests.
The EU's arms embargo on China was first put in place following China's bloody suppression of the Tiananmen Square democracy demonstrations in 1989. It was intended to prevent Europe from becoming an accomplice in China's suppression of human rights through the use of arms bought from EU nations. In order for the ban to be lifted, it must first be shown that the human rights situation in China has improved -- and that is clearly not the case.
First, EU records on the human rights situation in China show that although China has made progress in some areas, there has been little improvement in freedom of speech, religion and association. Moreover, the "Anti-Secession" Law passed by China earlier this year allows the use of "non-peaceful means" when dealing with Taiwan or Chinese regions seeking independence from Beijing. This is nothing less than a blank check for war, allowing China to use "non-peaceful means" as it deems necessary against Taiwan, Xinjiang or Tibet. If China were to take any such action, the results would be many times worse than Tiananmen.
China is already a regional power, with a national defense budget of approximately US$70 billion. The Rand Corporation, a US think tank, published a report yesterday suggesting that China's military expenditure exceeds the officially recognized figure by an additional 40-70 percent, and that it will reach levels higher than that of any of the US' allies within 20 years.
At present China has more than 100 ICBM missiles and 600 conventional missiles, a navy of more than 2,000 ships, and an air force with over 3,000 combat aircraft. Its military might far outstrips its defensive needs. Even Japan, after witnessing the surge of anti-Japanese sentiment in China, is beginning to worry over the military threat posed by China. If the EU removes its arms embargo on China, and China gets its hands on advanced European weapons systems, it could pose a real threat to regional security.
The international community is concerned about peace in the Taiwan Strait, but the risk to security there does not come from the possibility of an attack from Taiwan: it comes from China, with its 700 missiles aimed at our country. If European states choose to sell China advanced military equipment such as radar systems, the threat posed to Taiwan will increase. The result will be continued military escalation across the Taiwan Strait, jeopardizing stability in the Asia Pacific, and even endangering international security.
China has now initiated a "united front" campaign -- through which it aims to divide and conquer the Taiwanese -- as a response to international pressure following its enactment of the "Anti-Secession" Law. The campaign has included visits to China by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (
All of which demonstrates that China has zero credibility as a supporter of human rights. The EU has maintained its arms embargo for 15 years, and there's no good reason to lift it now.
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
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