Painting Taiwan as needy
Concerns raised over a possible connection between the misguided “Apache tour” antics of Lieutenant Colonel Lao Nai-cheng (勞乃成) and pro-China sentiments held within his family are not without merit, while still perhaps somewhat illusive.
The mentality of the pro-unification camp seems to involve creating an image of Taiwan as being in need of intervention from a higher authority, indirectly evoking such an outcome by setting a poor example.
Even though Lao was more likely showing off than consciously advancing that agenda, his failure to foresee his current predicament underscores more than a lack of respect for the trust placed in him as an officer. He is not authentically loyal to serving his nation.
By contrast, while the Sunflower movement’s occupation of the Legislative Yuan’s main chamber a year ago gave voice to mostly young people wanting to forestall deeper economic integration with China, the images of chaos and disorder might have actually had a reverse effect by again suggesting Taiwan is not able to take care of itself.
People who allowed the takeover to succeed would seem to include those who, like the Laos, want to see another — and much more serious — brand of forced takeover.
Doug Miller
Puli
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
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.
As Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu’s party won by a landslide in Sunday’s parliamentary election, it is a good time to take another look at recent developments in the Maldivian foreign policy. While Muizzu has been promoting his “Maldives First” policy, the agenda seems to have lost sight of a number of factors. Contemporary Maldivian policy serves as a stark illustration of how a blend of missteps in public posturing, populist agendas and inattentive leadership can lead to diplomatic setbacks and damage a country’s long-term foreign policy priorities. Over the past few months, Maldivian foreign policy has entangled itself in playing
A group of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers led by the party’s legislative caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (?) are to visit Beijing for four days this week, but some have questioned the timing and purpose of the visit, which demonstrates the KMT caucus’ increasing arrogance. Fu on Wednesday last week confirmed that following an invitation by Beijing, he would lead a group of lawmakers to China from Thursday to Sunday to discuss tourism and agricultural exports, but he refused to say whether they would meet with Chinese officials. That the visit is taking place during the legislative session and in the aftermath