In the wake of a recent dispute over the government’s plan to use the Chinese classics as an educational tool, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday said Chinese literature represented ancient wisdom and should not be misunderstood as promoting feudalism and authoritarianism.
“Confucianism does not promote blind loyalty and autocratic systems ... The ancient wisdom contained in the classics can still inspire us in the 21st century. We should not discard wisdom that has been tried and tested over thousands of years as if it were a broken shoe,” Ma said when attending an awards ceremony for teachers in Taipei.
Ma made the remarks on Teachers’ Day yesterday, dismissing recent criticism of a TV advertisement released by his re--election campaign team that highlights his commitment to the promotion of Chinese culture.
Photo: Pichi Chuang, Reuters
The ad lauded the study of the Four Books and Five Classics (四書五經), a collection of Confucian writings dating back to 300 BC, and invited children and parents across the Taiwan Strait to share their experiences of attending such classes.
The DPP criticized Ma and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) over their focus on the promotion of Chinese literature rather than Taiwanese culture.
Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) echoed the DPP’s criticism on his Facebook page on Tuesday, saying that while the collection’s emphasis on filial piety and trust was commendable, it was not right to use such classic works “on the political front” in an attempt to control the public through ideology.
Defending the government’s promotion of the Chinese classics, Ma cited the work of Mencius (孟子), who he said addressed a wide range of issues, from environmental protection to the art of political negotiation, much of which remains relevant and applicable to modern times.
“We use traditional Chinese characters in Taiwan, but we also know the simplified version. With the growing popularity of Mandarin, we have the chance to build the nation into a hub of advanced education for Chinese language and literature,” he added.
ENTERTAINERS IN CHINA: Taiwanese generally back the government being firm on infiltration and ‘united front’ work,’ the Asia-Pacific Elite Interchange Association said Most people support the government probing Taiwanese entertainers for allegedly “amplifying” the Chinese Communist Party’s propaganda, a survey conducted by the Asia-Pacific Elite Interchange Association showed on Friday. Public support stood at 56.4 percent for action by the Mainland Affairs Council and the Ministry of Culture to enhance scrutiny on Taiwanese performers and artists who have developed careers in China while allegedly adhering to the narrative of Beijing’s propaganda that denigrates or harms Taiwanese sovereignty, the poll showed. Thirty-three percent did not support the action, it showed. The poll showed that 51.5 percent of respondents supported the government’s investigation into Taiwanese who have
South Korean K-pop girl group Blackpink are to make Kaohsiung the first stop on their Asia tour when they perform at Kaohsiung National Stadium on Oct. 18 and 19, the event organizer said yesterday. The upcoming performances will also make Blackpink the first girl group ever to perform twice at the stadium. It will be the group’s third visit to Taiwan to stage a concert. The last time Blackpink held a concert in the city was in March 2023. Their first concert in Taiwan was on March 3, 2019, at NTSU Arena (Linkou Arena). The group’s 2022-2023 “Born Pink” tour set a
A Philippine official has denied allegations of mistreatment of crew members during Philippine authorities’ boarding of a Taiwanese fishing vessel on Monday. Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) spokesman Nazario Briguera on Friday said that BFAR law enforcement officers “observed the proper boarding protocols” when they boarded the Taiwanese vessel Sheng Yu Feng (昇漁豐號) and towed it to Basco Port in the Philippines. Briguera’s comments came a day after the Taiwanese captain of the Sheng Yu Feng, Chen Tsung-tun (陳宗頓), held a news conference in Pingtung County and accused the Philippine authorities of mistreatment during the boarding of
88.2 PERCENT INCREASE: The variants driving the current outbreak are not causing more severe symptoms, but are ‘more contagious’ than previous variants, an expert said Number of COVID-19 cases in the nation is surging, with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) describing the ongoing wave of infections as “rapid and intense,” and projecting that the outbreak would continue through the end of July. A total of 19,097 outpatient and emergency visits related to COVID-19 were reported from May 11 to Saturday last week, an 88.2 percent increase from the previous week’s 10,149 visits, CDC data showed. The nearly 90 percent surge in case numbers also marks the sixth consecutive weekly increase, although the total remains below the 23,778 recorded during the same period last year,
RSS