Another CKS tale of woe
Dear Johnny,
In his letter on CKS airport (Johnny Neihu's Mailbag, Sept. 2, page 8), Benjamin Adams misses two key points.
First, have you ever noticed how much longer the lines are for people without a Taiwanese passport? While the locals can pass through immigration within a few minutes, as a foreigner you have to stand in line for up to 30 minutes. While most countries have this kind of "separation," normally the difference in waiting time is nowhere as big. Ironically, last year I was given a "Welcome to Taiwan" brochure directly behind immigration after standing in line for more than half an hour. How do you expect to ever have tourists?
Second, every time I check into CKS I am terrified by the security measures there (the total absence of any). I find it really hard to believe how careless and inattentive the staff at the security checkpoints are. I think you could easily smuggle a machine gun onto a plane without getting caught. Of course, I know that Taiwan is "such a peaceful country" and they don't have to be afraid of anything (that's what Taiwanese people tell me). But do the "bad guys" also know this?
Horst Kohlmeier
Frankfurt, Germany
Johnny replies: Points taken, Horst. There are times when it pays to be regarded as a backwater, but that's no excuse for negligence and complacency. I could lecture at length on how both points you raise reflect the mindset of a nation that has not purged itself of its colonized psychology, but both of us have better things to do. Who knows? Now that CKS airport is known as Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, maybe the staff will experience an epiphany and become super-efficient, super-courteous, super-alert and super-looking decked out in a gorgeous taoyuan (peach-green) outfit.
Meatball pacifism
Dear Johnny,
Satire is hard to do, even harder to do well, and as "Chinese tourists? Get the flags out" (Sept. 2, page 8) more than amply demonstrates, often is impossible for some people to do at all.
Where on Earth or any other semi-civilized planet did Taipei Times ever get the notion that we needed a pale reincarnation of Durdly Drinkright to further inflame this infernal era? Don't know who that is/was? Ask me nicely and I'll fill you in.
Vincent Battaglia
Chingshui
Johnny replies: Now, now, Vincent. I'm sure that the Taiwanese tourism industry -- or at least that part of it that thinks Chinese tourists will line its pockets -- is grateful that it has you as an amateur lobbyist.
But I'm much more interested in your claim that I'm "inflaming an infernal era." You're right: We wouldn't want to hurt the Chicoms' feelings, would we? The poor dears are, like Frankenstein's monster, so misunderstood. They have so much love to give.
I conclude that you must be having a seizure from wolfing down too many meatballs, that renowned delicacy of Chingshui, Taichung County. Unless you're from Chingshui in Hualien County, of course, in which case I can only say: Mind you don't fall off a cliff. But if you do, and you survive, ask me nicely and I'll pull you up.
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.
As Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu’s party won by a landslide in Sunday’s parliamentary election, it is a good time to take another look at recent developments in the Maldivian foreign policy. While Muizzu has been promoting his “Maldives First” policy, the agenda seems to have lost sight of a number of factors. Contemporary Maldivian policy serves as a stark illustration of how a blend of missteps in public posturing, populist agendas and inattentive leadership can lead to diplomatic setbacks and damage a country’s long-term foreign policy priorities. Over the past few months, Maldivian foreign policy has entangled itself in playing