A perplexing struggle
The struggle for independence is a long unresolved matter. US President Barack Obama’s confirmation of arms sales to Taiwan was a symbolic gesture, condemning Taiwan never to be an independent country — a verdict that has been confirmed by former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) in previous statements.
A recent front-page article in this paper (“Obama informs Congress of arms sales,” Jan. 27, page 1) raises the question of how to define “true independence.”
While Taiwan has sovereignty in terms of an independent government, it does not have sufficient arms to protect itself. Instead, it has to rely on overpriced arms from the US.
The truth is, no country can be truly independent of others economically or culturally.
So the question becomes: “What are we fighting for?”
Mandy Chou
Taipei
Scientology is humanitarian
I am writing in response to the Guardian’s article on Scientology that appeared in this paper (Planet Pop, Jan. 25, page 13).
Scientology’s Volunteer Ministers are well known for their effective work in disaster response and have served at 145 worst-case disaster sites, including Ground Zero after Sept. 11, the Southeast Asian Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, as well as after Typhoon Morakot hit southern Taiwan last year.
In Taiwan, our volunteer ministers have worked with other relief agencies and government organizations and have been commended for truly selfless work many times with the Ministry of the Interior’s Excellent Religious Group Award (績優宗教團體表揚).
The Volunteer Ministers’ great work has been acknowledged by a number of officials.
Emily Tsai
Director of Public Affairs
Church of Scientology Taiwan
Hey, ISO: Taiwan isn’t China
While doing some research for business I happened to reference the International Organization for Standardization’s (ISO) country code listing for Taiwan. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the ISO, which I would assume to be non-political, has listed Taiwan (ISO country code TW) as: Taiwan, Province of China.
I find this insulting — and I’m not even a citizen of this country. This should be outrageous and unacceptable to all citizens. I urge the people of Taiwan to visit the ISO Web site at: www.iso.org/iso/english_country_names_and_code_elements to express their distaste.
Craig Crawford
Tainan, Taiwan
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.