Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) recently responded to a letter he received from several US congressmen by saying the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government was responsible for stalling the arms-procurement bill.
Lien accused the government of delays in submitting the special budget for arms procurement to the legislature. He also queried why the size of the budget was much higher than the amount the Ministry of National Defense had proposed.
In addition, he rationalized the pan-blue camp's refusal to allow the bill onto the legislative agenda by saying that the arms deal had been rejected at the referendum held in tandem with last year's presidential election.
Lien's arguments are characteristically disingenuous. They also provide the real answer to why the bill has been put aside: The pan-blue camp, led by the KMT, has blocked it at every opportunity using whatever reason has seemed convenient at the time. And it seems that the pan-blue camp will continue to exclude the bill from legislative business into the future.
The awful truth is that the pan-blue camp has blocked the bill from proceeding to legislative review 72 times.
Lien said in his letter that the KMT believes Taiwan must be credible in its ability to defend itself, but also that it must not unilaterally change the cross-strait status quo. This "yes, but" argument clearly reflects the pro-China complex that energizes the pan-blue camp's refusal to do business with the Chen administration. It is reluctant to do anything that might anger Beijing. China is no longer a military threat since the KMT lost power: it is now the "motherland."
The dispatching of a navy frigate on Tuesday to near the Diaoyutais (
But for many Taiwanese, Japan is actually a regional ally in the face of China's military threat. It therefore makes perfect sense to set aside disputes over the Diaoyutais' sovereignty and work together with a good friend.
But KMT politicians, for example, have other commitments, including the need to juggle campaigning for party chairman with comforting China. Hence the provocative language in recent days toward Japan -- politically and militarily.
As Cabinet Spokesman Cho Jung-tai (
But instead, it continues to block the bill. Simple discussion of the problem at hand is completely out of order.
Before a united national identity can finally be forged, Taiwan's allies and friends need to reflect on just who their true friends in this country really are.
Taiwan needs to be equipped with advanced weaponry to strengthen its ability to defend itself against China's military juggernaut.
The US must continue to exert pressure, therefore, on the pan-blue camp so that a road can be paved for the passage of the arms bill.
Speaking at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit on May 13, former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said that democracies must remain united and that “Taiwan’s security is essential to regional stability and to defending democratic values amid mounting authoritarianism.” Earlier that day, Tsai had met with a group of Danish parliamentarians led by Danish Parliament Speaker Pia Kjaersgaard, who has visited Taiwan many times, most recently in November last year, when she met with President William Lai (賴清德) at the Presidential Office. Kjaersgaard had told Lai: “I can assure you that ... you can count on us. You can count on our support
Denmark has consistently defended Greenland in light of US President Donald Trump’s interests and has provided unwavering support to Ukraine during its war with Russia. Denmark can be proud of its clear support for peoples’ democratic right to determine their own future. However, this democratic ideal completely falls apart when it comes to Taiwan — and it raises important questions about Denmark’s commitment to supporting democracies. Taiwan lives under daily military threats from China, which seeks to take over Taiwan, by force if necessary — an annexation that only a very small minority in Taiwan supports. Denmark has given China a
Many local news media over the past week have reported on Internet personality Holger Chen’s (陳之漢) first visit to China between Tuesday last week and yesterday, as remarks he made during a live stream have sparked wide discussions and strong criticism across the Taiwan Strait. Chen, better known as Kuan Chang (館長), is a former gang member turned fitness celebrity and businessman. He is known for his live streams, which are full of foul-mouthed and hypermasculine commentary. He had previously spoken out against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and criticized Taiwanese who “enjoy the freedom in Taiwan, but want China’s money”
A high-school student surnamed Yang (楊) gained admissions to several prestigious medical schools recently. However, when Yang shared his “learning portfolio” on social media, he was caught exaggerating and even falsifying content, and his admissions were revoked. Now he has to take the “advanced subjects test” scheduled for next month. With his outstanding performance in the general scholastic ability test (GSAT), Yang successfully gained admissions to five prestigious medical schools. However, his university dreams have now been frustrated by the “flaws” in his learning portfolio. This is a wake-up call not only for students, but also teachers. Yang did make a big
RSS