Chinese-American historian and Tang Prize winner Yu Ying-shih (余英時) yesterday praised Taiwan’s democratic achievements and expressed the hope that the nation would not throw away its freedom.
Over China’s thousands of years of history, Taiwan is the only democracy that has emerged, with its people able to elect their leaders every four years, Yu said at a press conference in Taipei.
“This is precious. It is because of this that [Taiwanese] are able to enjoy true human rights and the rule of law,” the 84-year-old Princeton University professor emeritus said.
Yu won the first Tang Prize in Sinology.
On Hong Kong’s current fight for democracy, Yu said he believes that the Chinese Communist Party would rather sacrifice its economy than compromise its authoritarian rule.
The Chinese government was tolerant toward Hong Kong because it wanted to convince Taiwanese that it would be alright to become “another Hong Kong,” he said.
Yu, a critic of the Chinese government, cautioned Taiwanese against Chinese infiltration, saying “China can buy your newspapers.”
He said that he hopes Taiwanese will not “absentmindedly throw away” freedom.
Meanwhile, commenting on the proliferation of Confucius Institutes, which promote Chinese language and culture, Yu said Taiwan does not have to compete with China by establishing similar institutes.
“You should be yourself,” said the China-born academic, who quoted a news report alleging that Confucius Institutes engage in political and intelligence activities.
Asked about his views on the Sunflower movement, Yu said he approves of the student-led opposition to the cross-strait service trade pact, as the nation runs the risk of being exploited by China.
However, he stopped short of expressing full support for the demonstrations, saying that he is against violence because it is an undemocratic approach.
He said protesters in a democratic society should try to bring about changes by persuading people to vote differently.
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
The US Department of State on Monday reaffirmed that US policy on Taiwan remains unchanged, following US President Donald Trump’s use of the term “unification” while commenting on recent trade talks with China. Speaking at a wide-ranging press conference, Trump described what he viewed as progress in trade negotiations with China held in Geneva, Switzerland, over the weekend. “They’ve agreed to open China — fully open China, and I think it’s going to be fantastic for China. I think it’s going to be fantastic for us,” Trump said. “I think it’s going to be great for unification and peace.” Trump’s use of the
RSS