Taiwan wants to participate in the World Health Assembly (WHA) meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, that begins on May 22, but China has made it clear that it would not extend an invitation to Taiwan unless the nation were to acknowledge the so-called “1992 consensus.”
Taiwanese, just like other people around the world, not only need access to the WHO, but also justice and fair treatment. How can Taiwan convince other countries to treat it that way?
To be resourceful, one must be brave. Do not seek material wealth, but rather wealth of the mind. Without courage, it is not possible to overcome problems.
The Jewish people wandered from place to place for thousands of years until, in 1948, they re-established a nation bordering the Dead Sea, despite pressure from neighboring countries.
Today, 69 years after Israel was founded, it has a population of 8.43 million people. Although it is a small nation, it has always stood its ground when dealing with bigger countries, making it clear that it must be treated as an ally, not a bargaining chip.
That the nation has continued to exist for so long can only be because of the great courage of its people.
Everything we have today we have as a result of the efforts of people in the past. What is most lacking in Taiwanese society is courage and people who keep their promises. We must understand the importance of finding the courage within ourselves to make promises and to keep the promises we make.
Courage comes from hope. Hope motivates action. During World War II, the Russian song Katyusha told the story of a woman longing for her lover’s return from war. People’s hope of reunion with their loved ones kept them strong, and the BM-13 Katyusha rocket launcher was named after the song.
US writer Helen Keller said: “No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.”
The emergence of a new concept often heralds the birth of a new era. How a society defines, understands and uses new things and how much it values them is often an indication of how advanced it is.
The nature of languages is to enable communication. As languages go through changes in form and meaning, do they enable people to promote change in a more balanced manner?
We must first crush falsehoods and pretense: The best strategy for Taiwan would be to reveal the truth and allow the general public to become the true masters of the nation instead of slaves to lies and deceit. All Taiwan has to do is stick to the truth and then implement this approach using scientific methods, high-tech tools and systematic action.
Taiwan needs an overall strategy not only because of sudden changes in the environment, but also because of the constant international disputes and the treacherous situation in the Taiwan Strait. Generational and ethnic conflict abound within Taiwan, so the nation needs an overall strategy to help it survive.
The Bible says, “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:17). What is needed to turn Taiwan around is action and hope and it is time that everyone started thinking about how to contribute.
Wu Chin-sheng is a director of the Northern Taiwan Society and publisher of Brain Magazine.
Translated by Tu Yu-an
There is much evidence that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is sending soldiers from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — and is learning lessons for a future war against Taiwan. Until now, the CCP has claimed that they have not sent PLA personnel to support Russian aggression. On 18 April, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelinskiy announced that the CCP is supplying war supplies such as gunpowder, artillery, and weapons subcomponents to Russia. When Zelinskiy announced on 9 April that the Ukrainian Army had captured two Chinese nationals fighting with Russians on the front line with details
On a quiet lane in Taipei’s central Daan District (大安), an otherwise unremarkable high-rise is marked by a police guard and a tawdry A4 printout from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicating an “embassy area.” Keen observers would see the emblem of the Holy See, one of Taiwan’s 12 so-called “diplomatic allies.” Unlike Taipei’s other embassies and quasi-consulates, no national flag flies there, nor is there a plaque indicating what country’s embassy this is. Visitors hoping to sign a condolence book for the late Pope Francis would instead have to visit the Italian Trade Office, adjacent to Taipei 101. The death of
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), joined by the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), held a protest on Saturday on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei. They were essentially standing for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which is anxious about the mass recall campaign against KMT legislators. President William Lai (賴清德) said that if the opposition parties truly wanted to fight dictatorship, they should do so in Tiananmen Square — and at the very least, refrain from groveling to Chinese officials during their visits to China, alluding to meetings between KMT members and Chinese authorities. Now that China has been defined as a foreign hostile force,
On April 19, former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) gave a public speech, his first in about 17 years. During the address at the Ketagalan Institute in Taipei, Chen’s words were vague and his tone was sour. He said that democracy should not be used as an echo chamber for a single politician, that people must be tolerant of other views, that the president should not act as a dictator and that the judiciary should not get involved in politics. He then went on to say that others with different opinions should not be criticized as “XX fellow travelers,” in reference to
RSS