Recent developments in Hong Kong are worthy of note. First, the ownership of Internet and communications industries in Hong Kong is becoming more and more concentrated in the hands of politically well-connected tycoons and financial conglomerates, making it look much like the industrial structure of China. Second, Beijing's political control over Hong Kong has completely drained any "autonomy" from the former colony under the pretense of implementing the "one country, two systems" program, going so far as to deny Taiwan's representatives in Hong Kong visas, further souring relations between Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Over the past two weeks, Hong Kong mega-tycoon Li Ka-shing (
The listing only took place, however, because of the close relations between the company's management and the government. Li Ka-shing was able to have his way because of his relations with Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa (
Later, the successful purchase of Cable & Wireless HKT by Li's second son, Richard (
Pacific Century CyberWorks Ltd (
In addition to a growing concentration of economic power in Hong Kong, the former colony is also swiftly developing into a proxy for China to demonstrate the feasibility of the "one country, two systems" concept for Taiwan.
It has become quite apparent that many of the actions of the special regional administration in Hong Kong are being undertaken on orders from Beijing. Afraid of going against Beijing's wishes, the government sets limits on actions that might rock the boat of the cozy Beijing-Hong Kong relationship. The media in Hong Kong -- having given up its role as government watchdogs -- likewise preempts Beijing by self-censoring its own reporting.
Worse still, Macao has begun to take lessons from Hong Kong and started denying visas to Taiwan representatives. Again, the government in Macao is trying to second-guess Beijing's intentions and is sacrificing its autonomy in the process.
The actions of the Hong Kong administration will only impede the development of cross-strait relations, while Beijing's misguided use of Hong Kong as a showcase for the "one country, two systems" model for Taiwan will only alienate and anger people here.
If the "one country, two systems" experiment in Hong Kong leads to the concentration of ownership and loss of governmental autonomy as we have seen, then in addition to our heartfelt sympathy for those who must suffer the government there, our reply to Beijing's insistence on "one country, two systems" is simple: forget it.
As China steps up a campaign to diplomatically isolate and squeeze Taiwan, it has become more imperative than ever that Taipei play a greater role internationally with the support of the democratic world. To help safeguard its autonomous status, Taiwan needs to go beyond bolstering its defenses with weapons like anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles. With the help of its international backers, it must also expand its diplomatic footprint globally. But are Taiwan’s foreign friends willing to translate their rhetoric into action by helping Taipei carve out more international space for itself? Beating back China’s effort to turn Taiwan into an international pariah
Typhoon Krathon made landfall in southwestern Taiwan last week, bringing strong winds, heavy rain and flooding, cutting power to more than 170,000 homes and water supply to more than 400,000 homes, and leading to more than 600 injuries and four deaths. Due to the typhoon, schools and offices across the nation were ordered to close for two to four days, stirring up familiar controversies over whether local governments’ decisions to call typhoon days were appropriate. The typhoon’s center made landfall in Kaohsiung’s Siaogang District (小港) at noon on Thursday, but it weakened into a tropical depression early on Friday, and its structure
Since the end of the Cold War, the US-China espionage battle has arguably become the largest on Earth. Spying on China is vital for the US, as China’s growing military and technological capabilities pose direct challenges to its interests, especially in defending Taiwan and maintaining security in the Indo-Pacific. Intelligence gathering helps the US counter Chinese aggression, stay ahead of threats and safeguard not only its own security, but also the stability of global trade routes. Unchecked Chinese expansion could destabilize the region and have far-reaching global consequences. In recent years, spying on China has become increasingly difficult for the US
Lately, China has been inviting Taiwanese influencers to travel to China’s Xinjiang region to make films, weaving a “beautiful Xinjiang” narrative as an antidote to the international community’s criticisms by creating a Potemkin village where nothing is awry. Such manipulations appear harmless — even compelling enough for people to go there — but peeling back the shiny veneer reveals something more insidious, something that is hard to ignore. These films are not only meant to promote tourism, but also harbor a deeper level of political intentions. Xinjiang — a region of China continuously listed in global human rights reports —
RSS