The commander of US forces in the Pacific expressed concern on Wednesday that the new Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) administration may be overly optimistic in its willingness to expand cooperation with China. Admiral Timothy Keating, however, welcomed the easing of tensions across the Taiwan Strait that Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) presidential victory heralded.
Speaking at a press conference in Washington, Keating cautioned that the improvement in cross-strait relations, epitomized by the current visit to Beijing of KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄), may be a case of the KMT viewing its opening to Beijing through “rose-colored glasses,” hinting that the KMT may be overly optimistic if not naive.
Keating’s comments echo those in Washington who have cautioned against the “euphoria” that swept the nation after Ma’s election, with many believing it would bring a sudden new era of peace and stability in the Strait. Many observers noted that while Ma’s presidency and the return of the KMT would effect changes in Taiwan’s cross-strait policies, it would not immediately change Chinese policies or behavior, which has been hostile toward Taiwan.
Asked whether Wu’s meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) signals a change in the wind in China’s attitude toward Taiwan, Keating answered affirmatively, but immediately added: “I have to temper that.”
“We’re cautiously optimistic about all this, but, you know, you-all expect us to be a little bit conservative and reserved,” he said.
“You want us to be prepared in case what we’re seeing is a little bit rose-colored … tinted through rose-colored glasses,” he said.
Nevertheless, “we are encouraged by the dialogue between the new government in Taiwan and the current government of the People’s Republic of China,” he said.
Despite the fact that Wu is a party representative, rather than a government official, Keating said of Wu’s Beijing trip: “We’re encouraged by [a] Taiwan leader’s presence in China to offer assistance and relief aid to the [Chinese] earthquake victims. All of these are positive signs, in our view.”
The press conference was held for Keating to present the role of the US in offering relief to the victims of the earthquake in China and US attempts to help victims of the devastating cyclone in Myanmar.
Kenting National Park service technician Yang Jien-fon (楊政峰) won a silver award in World Grand Prix Photography Awards Spring Season for his photograph of two male rat snakes intertwined in combat. Yang’s colleagues at Kenting National Park said he is a master of nature photography who has been held back by his job in civil service. The awards accept entries in all four seasons across six categories: architectural and urban photography, black-and-white and fine art photography, commercial and fashion photography, documentary and people photography, nature and experimental photography, and mobile photography. Awards are ranked according to scores and divided into platinum, gold and
More than half of the bamboo vipers captured in Tainan in the past few years were found in the city’s Sinhua District (新化), while other districts had smaller catches or none at all. Every year, Tainan captures about 6,000 snakes which have made their way into people’s homes. Of the six major venomous snakes in Taiwan, the cobra, the many-banded krait, the brown-spotted pit viper and the bamboo viper are the most frequently captured. The high concentration of bamboo vipers captured in Sinhua District is puzzling. Tainan Agriculture Bureau Forestry and Nature Conservation Division head Chu Chien-ming (朱健明) earlier this week said that the
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