Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) should explain his stance on appropriate defenses for Taiwan in the face of the Chinese military threat.
In order to explain his party's stance in opposing the arms purchase from the US, Ma claimed that the part of the budget for Patriot missiles had been vetoed by a referendum two years ago. He also said that President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) recent decision to cease the function of the National Unification Council (NUC) has made the arms deal more complicated.
We would like to remind the public that two years ago the referendum was overwhelmingly supported, but failed to gain enough votes to be valid. The KMT, as well as Ma, encouraged their supporters not to vote in the referendum because they did not believe it was legitimate for Chen to introduce such a referendum. In short, the Patriot missiles were never an issue and were never vetoed.
Moreover, before Chen announced his intention to halt the NUC in January, Ma's KMT had blocked the arms purchase plan more than 40 times in the Legislative Yuan.
Although Ma and his KMT officials have stated that Taiwan needs to maintain an appropriate capacity for self-defense, they have yet to provide an alternative plan in the midst of China's military builup.
According to Ma, cross-strait relations are one of the factors his party will look at when deciding on the arms purchase.
However, in his interview with TVBS on Feb. 28, Ma said that he suggested the EU consider lifting the arms embargo on China during his recent visits to London and Brussels.
Ma and the KMT should clarify whether the so-called "appropriate defense" has anything to do with the ongoing Chinese military threat.
We also demand that Ma explain why he initiated the discussion of lifting the arms embargo on China in Europe, while in Taiwan his party has repeatedly blocked weapons purchases from the US.
Chang-cen Ho
President
European Federation of Taiwanese Associations (EFTA)
Brussels, Belgium
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) were born under the sign of Gemini. Geminis are known for their intelligence, creativity, adaptability and flexibility. It is unlikely, then, that the trade conflict between the US and China would escalate into a catastrophic collision. It is more probable that both sides would seek a way to de-escalate, paving the way for a Trump-Xi summit that allows the global economy some breathing room. Practically speaking, China and the US have vulnerabilities, and a prolonged trade war would be damaging for both. In the US, the electoral system means that public opinion
They did it again. For the whole world to see: an image of a Taiwan flag crushed by an industrial press, and the horrifying warning that “it’s closer than you think.” All with the seal of authenticity that only a reputable international media outlet can give. The Economist turned what looks like a pastiche of a poster for a grim horror movie into a truth everyone can digest, accept, and use to support exactly the opinion China wants you to have: It is over and done, Taiwan is doomed. Four years after inaccurately naming Taiwan the most dangerous place on
In their recent op-ed “Trump Should Rein In Taiwan” in Foreign Policy magazine, Christopher Chivvis and Stephen Wertheim argued that the US should pressure President William Lai (賴清德) to “tone it down” to de-escalate tensions in the Taiwan Strait — as if Taiwan’s words are more of a threat to peace than Beijing’s actions. It is an old argument dressed up in new concern: that Washington must rein in Taipei to avoid war. However, this narrative gets it backward. Taiwan is not the problem; China is. Calls for a so-called “grand bargain” with Beijing — where the US pressures Taiwan into concessions
The term “assassin’s mace” originates from Chinese folklore, describing a concealed weapon used by a weaker hero to defeat a stronger adversary with an unexpected strike. In more general military parlance, the concept refers to an asymmetric capability that targets a critical vulnerability of an adversary. China has found its modern equivalent of the assassin’s mace with its high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) weapons, which are nuclear warheads detonated at a high altitude, emitting intense electromagnetic radiation capable of disabling and destroying electronics. An assassin’s mace weapon possesses two essential characteristics: strategic surprise and the ability to neutralize a core dependency.
RSS