There used to be a rarely-seen beautiful Chinese cypress forest in Chilanshan (
I was recently invited to attend a seminar on the issue of forest protection. Taiwan was originally an island covered with lush vegetation. A Japanese philosopher once said that the Japanese are proud of their forest civilization. Two thirds of Japan used to be covered with forests, 40 percent of which was left unexploited. The reason the Japanese kept their lush forests is because they began to grow rice relatively late -- and when they did, they grew it on the plain. It is said that the Japanese outlook on life has been influenced by the forest civilization, which resulted in cooperation between peoples as well as smooth intergenerational relations.
Fifty-eight percent of Taiwan is also covered with forests; but, sadly, in the last century or so, our nation was under the control of foreign colonizers who had no intention of preserving natural resources. We could have enjoyed beautiful forests on Taiwan, but what we frequently see is seriously depleted woodland. What we see in satellite photos are the scars on our nation.
In 1980, I wrote a poem titled "Stream," where I mourned the dwindling of our forests:
When losing forests, we also lose all the streams,
No more singing and murmuring of the flowing water,
No more nourishment and moisture,
The image of drought and death reflects the pain of the day,
The image of corruption and vanishing hides the sorrow of the night.
The loss of forests means the loss of forest civilization -- and the deterioration and incomple-teness of the nation. Due to long-term self destruction, our nation has become the symbol of drought, death, corruption and loss. The pain of the day is reflected by the sunshine; while the sorrow of the night is hidden by the moon beam. The faces of the demonstrators in front of the Council of Agriculture rose in my mind. Many went to protest the exploitation of the forest. On their faces, I saw their love of our nation and their passion for our society. How they feel for our nation is full of pain and sorrow.
Lee Ming-yung is a poet.
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) were born under the sign of Gemini. Geminis are known for their intelligence, creativity, adaptability and flexibility. It is unlikely, then, that the trade conflict between the US and China would escalate into a catastrophic collision. It is more probable that both sides would seek a way to de-escalate, paving the way for a Trump-Xi summit that allows the global economy some breathing room. Practically speaking, China and the US have vulnerabilities, and a prolonged trade war would be damaging for both. In the US, the electoral system means that public opinion
They did it again. For the whole world to see: an image of a Taiwan flag crushed by an industrial press, and the horrifying warning that “it’s closer than you think.” All with the seal of authenticity that only a reputable international media outlet can give. The Economist turned what looks like a pastiche of a poster for a grim horror movie into a truth everyone can digest, accept, and use to support exactly the opinion China wants you to have: It is over and done, Taiwan is doomed. Four years after inaccurately naming Taiwan the most dangerous place on
In their recent op-ed “Trump Should Rein In Taiwan” in Foreign Policy magazine, Christopher Chivvis and Stephen Wertheim argued that the US should pressure President William Lai (賴清德) to “tone it down” to de-escalate tensions in the Taiwan Strait — as if Taiwan’s words are more of a threat to peace than Beijing’s actions. It is an old argument dressed up in new concern: that Washington must rein in Taipei to avoid war. However, this narrative gets it backward. Taiwan is not the problem; China is. Calls for a so-called “grand bargain” with Beijing — where the US pressures Taiwan into concessions
Wherever one looks, the United States is ceding ground to China. From foreign aid to foreign trade, and from reorganizations to organizational guidance, the Trump administration has embarked on a stunning effort to hobble itself in grappling with what his own secretary of state calls “the most potent and dangerous near-peer adversary this nation has ever confronted.” The problems start at the Department of State. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has asserted that “it’s not normal for the world to simply have a unipolar power” and that the world has returned to multipolarity, with “multi-great powers in different parts of the
RSS