Here is an interesting lesson about Taiwanese newspapers.
The background is this: former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Randy Schriver met with Taiwanese officials and spoke to Taiwanese reporters.
In his briefing he disagreed with the characterization of China's invitations to Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) to visit China as "flexibility," -- something which the pan-blue media and parties have trumpeted.
Instead, he correctly characterized these moves as "more creative," which, while the Chinese increase the pressure on Chen Shui-bian (
This is not to mention the loving gaze of 800 Chinese ballistic missiles and the pan-blue forces blocking arms purchases.
These new, more creative Chinese tactics then, he asserts, are clever traps from which Taiwan must maneuver carefully. Most importantly, he characterized China as the real trouble-maker -- a phrase given to Taiwan by former US president Bill Clinton and members of his government.
The coverage:
The usually pro-blue China Times, [http://news.chinatimes. com/Chinatimes/newslist/newslist-content/0,3546,110502+112005060400021,00.html ] was quick to make sure that readers know that Schriver is "very friendly to Taiwan," and gave this fair headline: "Schriver: China is the real troublemaker."
The pan-green Taiwan Daily [http://www.taiwandaily.com.tw/index03.php?news_id=44987&datechange=2005-06-04&news_top=c1] ran a story with the headline: "Schriver: Chinese policy towards Taiwan more creative, but from international pressures and threats of invasion one cannot see `flexibility.'"
The pan-green Liberty Times [Editor's note: the Liberty Times is the Taipei Times' sister newspaper.] ran the headline: "Schriver: Hu Jintao's (
In terms of content, all the articles read relatively the same, even the China Times noted that according to Schriver, Bush's "whatever it takes" to defend Taiwan comment was genuine.
Now let's turn to the United Daily News [http://udn.com/NEWS/FINANCE/FIN2/2713746.shtml]. It tucked the story deep inside its subsidiary Economic Daily News with a headline that misleadingly read: "Schriver: Taiwan must wisely utilize Beijing's creativity."
If you spend the time to parse the grudging UDN story closely, you pretty much get the main point, which is entirely contrary to the misleading headline. The UDN also strikingly took time to emphasize that Schriver "does not think the KMT and PFP leaders meant to hurt Taiwan" with their tours of China.
Strikingly, it also omitted the "troublemaker" observation. It should be noted that UDN is the Taiwanese strategic partner of the New York Times, and the publisher of that paper happens to be visiting Taiwan.
Liang Hong-ming
Shaker Heights, Ohio
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
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.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, people have been asking if Taiwan is the next Ukraine. At a G7 meeting of national leaders in January, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida warned that Taiwan “could be the next Ukraine” if Chinese aggression is not checked. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said that if Russia is not defeated, then “today, it’s Ukraine, tomorrow it can be Taiwan.” China does not like this rhetoric. Its diplomats ask people to stop saying “Ukraine today, Taiwan tomorrow.” However, the rhetoric and stated ambition of Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on Taiwan shows strong parallels with