A Chinese dissident yesterday urged Taiwan to insist on its values of democracy and human rights in its dealings with Beijing and be a partner in the international community’s effort of containing China, instead of taking China’s side.
Expressing concerns over Taiwan’s tilting toward China, former Chinese democracy activist Wilson Chen (陳破空), now a US-based writer, told a symposium that Taiwan “cannot become a gap in the global China-containment strategy.”
As outgoing Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) brought up the issues of a peace treaty and a military confidence-building mechanism in his farewell speech at the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) 18th National Party Congress last week, Chen said Beijing would likely keep pushing for political negotiations with Taiwan after the new leadership takes over.
Photo: Chen Hui-ping, Taipei Times
If Taiwan did enter into negotiations with China, its best bargaining chip would be democracy and human rights, Chen said.
Citing Japan as an example, Chen said Tokyo had misjudged the political situation and misused its culture, which values humility. However, its deference toward Beijing did not bear fruit and improve Japan’s ties with China.
Taiwan should instead pattern itself after the Western powers, such as the UK, the US and France, by engaging China while bringing up democracy and human rights issues at every opportunity, he said.
“At the end of the day, China would not cut off its exchanges with Taiwan or attack Taiwan with missiles in retaliation. Taiwan should be brave enough to be a voice that hopefully will someday bring about changes in China,” Chen said.
In an analysis of the future political situation in China, the writer said that the recently concluded national party congress marked a major victory for the CCP’s conservative wing, so there would be neither political reform in China nor dramatic changes in Beijing’s Taiwan policy in the near future.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or