The Hong Kong public learned something this week that may shock people even outside Asia: Bored young movie stars who have a libido and know how to operate a camera sometimes combine the two for their personal amusement.
It is difficult to believe that many Hong Kong men were not quietly in awe of Edison Chen's (
Yet this silly tale of projected sexual ego and unsecured computers has now blown up into an international news story as prosecutions commence over the distribution of "obscene" materials.
The only obscene thing about this affair was that Hong Kong and international media almost completely ignored the simultaneous release of Ching Cheong (
The Edison Chen that groveled at Thursday's press conference was not a man involved in obscenity; he was a coward who didn't have the guts to tell the truth: He enjoyed photographing himself and his female companions, and would have continued to do so had his hard disk not been stolen and ransacked. His pleas for people to learn from his experience and his apology for not being a role model were as ridiculous as they were craven.
The curious thing about the fuss is that Hong Kong has traditionally been a progressive place in terms of sex, erotica and pornography. Now, under indirect Chinese rule, the maxim that political tyranny must extend to public expressions of sexuality has been reinvigorated as Hong Kong cracks down on the most minor sexual infractions in the press, and particularly on the medium that China fears above all others: the Internet.
Back in Taiwan, police have arrested a man trying to make hay out of the pictorial material taken from Chen's computer. But the police reasoning for the raid on that unlucky Internet user deserves comment.
Rather than target the man over the commercial misuse of "copyright" material, the prosecutors want to jail him on indecency charges, which smacks of professional nest-feathering through the prosecution of victimless crimes. What about the real online crooks -- sexual predators, pedophiles, organized crime activity and piracy groups?
Taiwan has been heading down the same progressive road that Hong Kong now seems to have forsaken, as evidenced by the release of films such as Shortbus, 9 Songs and A Wayward Cloud -- each containing unsimulated sexual material -- in theaters and on DVD. This suggests that Government Information Office (GIO) film classifiers have warmed to the idea of artistic and dramatic context in handling adult material.
Meanwhile, Taiwanese police are threatening to prosecute anyone who downloads any image whatsoever of sexual activity, a futile strategy that infringes upon the private lives of ordinary people -- and one that would be selectively enforced. There is a clear and growing disjuncture between the civilian sensibilities of the GIO's public servants and the prudish legalism of the police and prosecutors.
Forget clumsy images of Edison Chen romancing Hong Kong "talent." We would prefer Taiwanese police offer a reason why they haven't prosecuted anyone yet for "downloading" and enjoying Ang Lee's (
As strategic tensions escalate across the vast Indo-Pacific region, Taiwan has emerged as more than a potential flashpoint. It is the fulcrum upon which the credibility of the evolving American-led strategy of integrated deterrence now rests. How the US and regional powers like Japan respond to Taiwan’s defense, and how credible the deterrent against Chinese aggression proves to be, will profoundly shape the Indo-Pacific security architecture for years to come. A successful defense of Taiwan through strengthened deterrence in the Indo-Pacific would enhance the credibility of the US-led alliance system and underpin America’s global preeminence, while a failure of integrated deterrence would
It is being said every second day: The ongoing recall campaign in Taiwan — where citizens are trying to collect enough signatures to trigger re-elections for a number of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators — is orchestrated by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), or even President William Lai (賴清德) himself. The KMT makes the claim, and foreign media and analysts repeat it. However, they never show any proof — because there is not any. It is alarming how easily academics, journalists and experts toss around claims that amount to accusing a democratic government of conspiracy — without a shred of evidence. These
Taiwan is confronting escalating threats from its behemoth neighbor. Last month, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army conducted live-fire drills in the East China Sea, practicing blockades and precision strikes on simulated targets, while its escalating cyberattacks targeting government, financial and telecommunication systems threaten to disrupt Taiwan’s digital infrastructure. The mounting geopolitical pressure underscores Taiwan’s need to strengthen its defense capabilities to deter possible aggression and improve civilian preparedness. The consequences of inadequate preparation have been made all too clear by the tragic situation in Ukraine. Taiwan can build on its successful COVID-19 response, marked by effective planning and execution, to enhance
Since taking office, US President Donald Trump has upheld the core goals of “making America safer, stronger, and more prosperous,” fully implementing an “America first” policy. Countries have responded cautiously to the fresh style and rapid pace of the new Trump administration. The US has prioritized reindustrialization, building a stronger US role in the Indo-Pacific, and countering China’s malicious influence. This has created a high degree of alignment between the interests of Taiwan and the US in security, economics, technology and other spheres. Taiwan must properly understand the Trump administration’s intentions and coordinate, connect and correspond with US strategic goals.
RSS