Many years ago, US weather announcer Tex Antoine, who was live on air, said: “With rape so predominant in the news lately, it is well to remember the words of Confucius: ‘If rape is inevitable, lie back and enjoy it.’”
Who knows how Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je’s (柯文哲) supporters would respond to a remark like that. Antoine’s offensive and frivolous comment aroused public fury and he was suspended. Not long ago, a British Conservative Party councilor made similar remarks and was asked not to stand for re-election.
Of course Ko does not speak like that, but it is equally nonsensical to simplify something concerning the nation’s survival and compare it to daily life, such as when he said that the “two sides of the Strait are one family,” as if China’s threats were no greater than household arguments.
Even worse, he said that cross-strait ties resemble “a married couple saying bad things about each other in an argument, but a quarrel between lovers begins at one end of the bed and is mended at the other end.”
Ko has apologized, but only to those who felt offended, as if they were in the minority.
In the face of China’s military threat, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has called on like-minded democratic nations to stand together and take action to constrain Beijing.
Asked what he thought of Tsai’s call for international collaboration, Ko said that Taiwan also needs to strengthen itself, otherwise raising its voice would only bring derision for having delusions of grandeur.
In what way is Ko’s reaction different from saying “lie back and enjoy it”?
The law of the jungle, in which the strong prey on the weak, was prevalent during the age of imperialism. After two world wars, democratic nations turned to international organizations to maintain collective security and followed the principles of international law to resolve conflicts through peaceful means.
These are the dominant values among democratic nations. China, an anti-democratic country, is the only nation that conceals its desire of hegemony and expansionist mindset.
Taiwan cannot compete with China in terms of sheer size, population and military might.
Deluded former president Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) clamored about “retaking mainland China through military action.”
In contrast, what Taiwan really needs is to survive China’s forceful coercion. It is necessary for the nation to call for help in the name of maintaining collective and regional security — such as Tsai has done — rather than passively accepting China’s annexation and “enjoying” the consequences.
For decades, the US has wanted to change China by using various forms of communication and interaction. Nevertheless, China’s political system remained unaffected, while its economy grew by deceiving Western nations, and it even seeks to achieve further hegemony.
Now that the US has admitted its strategies of communication and interaction have failed, it has begun to adjust its foreign policies and set up countermeasures against China. Apparently, the Chinese political system and its aggressive ambition is the main danger facing world peace and stability.
Tsai has adopted a two-prong approach: improving the nation’s self-defense capabilities, while calling on other democratic nations to stand up and work together on constraining China. Such a strategy not only serves to maintain every country’s common interest, but also constitutes a necessary condition for safeguarding the survival of Taiwan as an independent sovereign nation.
Ko seems to think otherwise, and this explains why he would think calling for help is laughable.
James Wang is a senior media commentator.
Translated by Chang Ho-ming
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