Proud to have helped
I read with deep interest the letter by Kaifeng Dai (Letters, June 14, 2007, page 8) on the seminar called “The Black Squadron in Hsinchu — A Salute to the Brave.”
My interest is deep because I myself was part of a major US effort with the 7th Fleet of the US and in the air off the coast of Taiwan. Our Squadron of WV-2 Radar Reconnaissance Aircraft flew hundreds of missions to detect Chinese aircraft coming off the China coast and then directing your pilots to shoot them down. This was during the 1950s and 1960s, when Big and Little Quemoy [Kinmen] and Matsu were being bombed relentlessly by China.
Our missions were flown out of Japan (Naval Air Station Atsugi); Naha, Okinawa and Subic Bay, Philippines (Cubi Point).
Fortunately, we lost no aircraft during those missions, but the North Koreans shot down a WV-2 aircraft in the mid 1960s and all 28 crewmen were lost.
Most Americans, and other people for that matter, do not know of these missions, which employed electronic countermeasures, surveillance and radar reconnaissance similar to your Black Bats and Black Cats.
I flew with VW-3; our squadron was based out of Agana, Guam, and detached to the three bases mentioned above.
I would love to watch the documentary by Ting Wen-chin (丁雯靜) about Taiwan’s Bats Squadron.
Our squadron emblems included both the Bat and the Liberty Bell. Our squadrons have semiannual reunions, the next being held tomorrow through Sunday at Rantoul Air Force Base in Illinois.
For a history of our squadrons and their Cold War activities visit www.willievictor.com.
I treasure my Taiwan flag and am proud to have assisted in the defense of your country.
Kenneth Morin
Skandia, Michigan
Who wants our votes?
I voted for Democratic Senator John Kerry in the last US election and supported Democratic Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in the primaries this year.
I was upset Democratic Senator Barack Obama had sent a letter to the American Chamber of Commerce in China in support of cross-strait mutual trust (published on www.libertytimes.com.tw last Wednesday). I also do not like Republican Senator John McCain’s decision to pick Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate.
Neither Obama nor McCain seem to take Taiwan seriously right now.
I searched both candidates’ Web sites, and only found the congratulation letters they had sent to President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) on March 22.
According to the US census in 2000, 1 percent of the US population was born in Taiwan. (Similar information cannot be found in the US census in 2006).
In an election this close, Taiwanese Americans need to exercise their voting rights.
The candidate that wants to win the Taiwanese-American vote must first identify and condemn President Ma for breaking his campaign promise and aggressively changing the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait.
The candidate must also support the idea that the future of Taiwan can only be decided by the 23 million Taiwanese through a referendum.
Neither McCain nor Obama can demand that China play by international rules and respect human rights.
But they should not treat the Taiwan issue as an inconvenient truth.
Whoever can admit that the international community has traded Taiwan for economic benefits will get the Taiwanese-American vote.
Chen Meng-mei
Taipei
We don’t need Hanyu Pinyin
Here are a few reasons why I think Taiwan should not adopt Hanyu Pinyin:
One, for those who don’t know Chinese, Hanyu Pinyin is not better than other Romanization systems, such as Wade-Giles.
If you can’t read characters, you won’t be able to pronounce Zhongxiao Fuxing any better than Chunghsiao Fuhsing.
Two, for those who know Chinese, using Wade-Giles is not a problem.
There are modern dictionaries that still use Wade-Giles, like the Grand Ricci (published in 2001).
Three, when we see a name written in a system other than Hanyu Pinyin, we know it probably comes from Taiwan. If, however, Hanyu Pinyin is adopted, foreigners will not be able to discern if the name comes from Taiwan or China and may assume that China and Taiwan are getting closer not only economically and politically, but also culturally.
If this trend persists, the fact cannot be ignored that traditional characters could be abandoned in favor of simplified characters in order to further “internationalize” Taiwan.
In this context, “internationalize” is equivalent to submitting to pressure from China. Some nationalistic Chinese bloggers already interpret the introduction of Hanyu Pinyin in Taiwan as one step toward final “reunification with the mainland.”
Finally, does the government in Taiwan really think that if it does not adopt Hanyu Pinyin, Taiwan will be less attractive to visitors and investors?
Let’s be serious. It is only one more gesture to please the leaders of the PRC and signal to them that their policy of eroding Taiwanese self-esteem and pride is finally paying off.
Catherine Ly
Berlin, Germany
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
The past few months have seen tremendous strides in India’s journey to develop a vibrant semiconductor and electronics ecosystem. The nation’s established prowess in information technology (IT) has earned it much-needed revenue and prestige across the globe. Now, through the convergence of engineering talent, supportive government policies, an expanding market and technologically adaptive entrepreneurship, India is striving to become part of global electronics and semiconductor supply chains. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vision of “Make in India” and “Design in India” has been the guiding force behind the government’s incentive schemes that span skilling, design, fabrication, assembly, testing and packaging, and
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.