“Never say never” are words to live by, not only for ordinary people, but especially for politicians.
When President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) declared in a recent interview with CNN that “We will never ask the Americans to fight for Taiwan,” he committed a big blunder, especially as the president of a country.
In this instance, he did not speak for the overwhelming majority of Taiwanese.
In fact, what he said is contrary to the popular will of the Taiwanese and contradicts the enlightened national interest of Taiwan.
The overwhelming majority of Taiwanese understand and appreciate that the US’s defense commitment, as expressed in the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, has contributed enormously to the peace, security and stability of Taiwan for over 30 years, enabling Taiwan to achieve economic growth and to experience political transformation from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) oppression under “the perpetual martial law” to a free, democratic country committed to protecting and honoring human rights.
As Benjamin Franklin wrote, “God helps those who help themselves.” We the Taiwanese people realize that we must do our utmost to defend and protect our island nation.
But in a globalized world of ever-increasing interdependence and danger, which country can really stand alone? Collective security for mutual defense and assistance is the answer.
The Taiwanese are a democratic, peace-loving people. For decades, though, we have been constantly threatened by a rising, powerful neighbor — the People’s Republic of China — that has more than 1,400 missiles aimed at Taiwan.
Internally, we now have a president who has shown every sign of leaning on China and of submitting to China’s will in his pursuit of the so-called “ultimate unification with China” — betraying his campaign promises and acting against the popular will of the Taiwanese people.
Taiwan must remain strong and courageous, but we do need friends in this dangerous world.
The US has been a real friend of Taiwan. We cherish its friendship and appreciate its defense assistance and commitment, and will continue to do so.
Together, we can continue to keep Taiwan a free, democratic country, contributing to peace, security and democracy in the Asia-Pacific community.
Chen Lung-chu is the chairman of the Taiwan New Century Foundation.
Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) on April 9 said that the first group of Indian workers could arrive as early as this year as part of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India and the India Taipei Association. Signed in February 2024, the MOU stipulates that Taipei would decide the number of migrant workers and which industries would employ them, while New Delhi would manage recruitment and training. Employment would be governed by the laws of both countries. Months after its signing, the two sides agreed that 1,000 migrant workers from India would
Japan’s imminent easing of arms export rules has sparked strong interest from Warsaw to Manila, Reuters reporting found, as US President Donald Trump wavers on security commitments to allies, and the wars in Iran and Ukraine strain US weapons supplies. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s ruling party approved the changes this week as she tries to invigorate the pacifist country’s military industrial base. Her government would formally adopt the new rules as soon as this month, three Japanese government officials told Reuters. Despite largely isolating itself from global arms markets since World War II, Japan spends enough on its own
On March 31, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs released declassified diplomatic records from 1995 that drew wide domestic media attention. One revelation stood out: North Korea had once raised the possibility of diplomatic relations with Taiwan. In a meeting with visiting Chinese officials in May 1995, as then-Chinese president Jiang Zemin (江澤民) prepared for a visit to South Korea, North Korean officials objected to Beijing’s growing ties with Seoul and raised Taiwan directly. According to the newly released records, North Korean officials asked why Pyongyang should refrain from developing relations with Taiwan while China and South Korea were expanding high-level
When 17,000 troops from the US, the Philippines, Australia, Japan, Canada, France and New Zealand spread across the Philippine archipelago for the Balikatan military exercise, running from tomorrow through May 8, the official language would be about interoperability, readiness and regional peace. However, the strategic subtext is becoming harder to ignore: The exercises are increasingly about the military geography around Taiwan. Balikatan has always carried political weight. This year, however, the exercise looks different in ways that matter not only to Manila and Washington, but also to Taipei. What began in 2023 as a shift toward a more serious deterrence posture
RSS