Repeated warnings from the US and China about the holding of a referendum on UN entry under the name "Taiwan" have so far failed to dampen the enthusiasm of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for its plebiscite plan.

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By Herbert Hanreich
On Sept. 28, the birthday of Confucius (孔子), Taiwan and other parts of the Chinese cultural world commemorate the ideas of this sage, as he is generally called.

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By Bob Kuo 郭峰淵
In an interview with Germany's Der Spiegel magazine, the reporter asked President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) whether he envied the Dalai Lama for being able to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

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Leaving the primaries in the hands of traditional Republican voters may augur very poorly for the next Republican presidential candidate
By Alan Fram
Independent voters are tilting tellingly toward Democrats in their opposition to the Iraq war, their displeasure with President George W. Bush and their feeling that the country is moving in the wrong direction, according to data from recent Associated Press-Ipsos polls.

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`Frozen conflicts' in former Soviet states may thaw and spread conflict across a very large area. The only state to gain from such chaos is Russia, not the US
By Charles Tannock
"Look before you leap" is as sound a principle in foreign policy as it is in life. Yet, once again, the Bush administration is preparing to leap into the unknown. Even though lack of foresight is universally viewed as a leading cause of its Iraq debacle, the US (with British backing probable) is now preparing to recognize Kosovo's independence unilaterally -- irrespective of the consequences for Europe and the world.

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