President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) often stresses the importance of heeding popular opinion, cautioning his officials and agencies to show consideration in all they do to avoid leaving a negative impression with the public.
The state-owned Taiwan Tobacco & Liquor Corp (TTL) has become the latest agency to have a hard time understanding Ma’s words.
News that the company pledged 100 million yuan (US$14.6 million) to sponsor the Asian Games in Guangzhou in November next year outraged many people.
So much for creating a positive impression with the public. A state-run company that ignored the World Games in Kaohsiung and gave just NT$400,000 to the Deaflympics in Taipei is eager to hand over millions to support a sports event in China.
The company said the Asian Games deal was a cost-effective way to increase brand awareness of Taiwan Beer in the Chinese market. Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) was quick to approve the plan, saying “the tasty Taiwan Beer will sweep the mainland and the brand will promote Taiwan’s excellence.”
It is well and good to “promote Taiwan’s excellence” at every opportunity, but where was the corporate and government support when Taiwanese golfer Yani Tseng (曾雅妮) appealed to Ma earlier this year for funds to host a Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tournament in Taiwan?
Tseng boosted the standing of Taiwanese athletes in professional sports no end with her win in the McDonald’s LPGA Championship last year and another victory in the LPGA Corning Classic in May.
Many recall how Tseng appealed to Ma for the government to host an LPGA event. The LPGA had already expressed interest in the idea. While some critics were quick to claim Tseng just wanted to win money at home, she made it clear that she was willing to donate some of her winnings to make the tournament a reality.
Such a tournament would require US$2 million. Tseng’s hopes, however, were dashed by Ma, who after asking how much it would cost to sponsor a golf tourney here, said the amount would sponsor more than 10 marathons. The Sports Affairs Council also cited the “high cost” when rejecting the proposal.
Ma is better known as a runner than a golfer, so perhaps his uninterest is understandable. However, as a state-run company, TTL has a responsibility to support national sports development over sports in other countries. Its management stand condemned for promoting China while ignoring Taiwan’s struggle for greater visibility on the international stage.
If the government is interested in promoting excellence in all areas, there should be no difficulty in appropriating suitable funds — as TTL’s example shows. Given TTL’s generosity in spending taxpayers’ money to support sports in China, it appears that money is not the issue preventing Taiwan from hosting top-tier international tournaments.
The question is whether the government has the inclination and the backbone to promote Taiwan’s profile in the international sports arena — or any other stage — rather than give lip service.
China has not been a top-tier issue for much of the second Trump administration. Instead, Trump has focused considerable energy on Ukraine, Israel, Iran, and defending America’s borders. At home, Trump has been busy passing an overhaul to America’s tax system, deporting unlawful immigrants, and targeting his political enemies. More recently, he has been consumed by the fallout of a political scandal involving his past relationship with a disgraced sex offender. When the administration has focused on China, there has not been a consistent throughline in its approach or its public statements. This lack of overarching narrative likely reflects a combination
US President Donald Trump’s alleged request that Taiwanese President William Lai (賴清德) not stop in New York while traveling to three of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies, after his administration also rescheduled a visit to Washington by the minister of national defense, sets an unwise precedent and risks locking the US into a trajectory of either direct conflict with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) or capitulation to it over Taiwan. Taiwanese authorities have said that no plans to request a stopover in the US had been submitted to Washington, but Trump shared a direct call with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平)
Heavy rains over the past week have overwhelmed southern and central Taiwan, with flooding, landslides, road closures, damage to property and the evacuations of thousands of people. Schools and offices were closed in some areas due to the deluge throughout the week. The heavy downpours brought by the southwest monsoon are a second blow to a region still recovering from last month’s Typhoon Danas. Strong winds and significant rain from the storm inflicted more than NT$2.6 billion (US$86.6 million) in agricultural losses, and damaged more than 23,000 roofs and a record high of nearly 2,500 utility poles, causing power outages. As
The greatest pressure Taiwan has faced in negotiations stems from its continuously growing trade surplus with the US. Taiwan’s trade surplus with the US reached an unprecedented high last year, surging by 54.6 percent from the previous year and placing it among the top six countries with which the US has a trade deficit. The figures became Washington’s primary reason for adopting its firm stance and demanding substantial concessions from Taipei, which put Taiwan at somewhat of a disadvantage at the negotiating table. Taiwan’s most crucial bargaining chip is undoubtedly its key position in the global semiconductor supply chain, which led
RSS