A story circulating in Taiwan's business circles has it that a member of the KMT's core leadership visited Beijing after the party lost political power last year. When he met with Chinese Vice Premier Qian Qichen (
In the conversation that followed, Qian told his visitor, "Now we've entered the 21st century. Comrade Jiang Zemin (
In the ears of the majority of the people of Taiwan -- those not from the pro-unification camps -- this is a story about crazy people with crazy ideas. Didn't the late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping (
For people like Deng and Jiang, who use the future of their nation and the welfare of its citizens -- as well as those of other countries -- as a wager, the only appropriate description of their actions can be "stupid."
Apart from overseeing a growing economy and being in the leader's chair when Beijing won its bid to host the Olympic Games, Jiang has little else to show for his 12 years in power except for China's entry into the WTO -- a doubtful legacy that is likely to lead to massive economic problems for his successors. His only expertise seems to be shouting political slogans -- such as "preaching politics, learning and righteousness" (
Not only does Jiang lack both political wisdom and strategy, but his breadth of vision is far inferior to the "Chinese greats" he hopes to emulate. Just think about his abysmal and embarrassing performances on the international stage. Remember how he lashed out at his hosts in Denmark for not knowing how to manage a country; how he imploded at a forum in Japan and yelled at Hong Kong reporters during a media event in Zhongnanhai.
If fact, if Jiang really wants to accomplish something in cross-strait relations, the first thing he needs to do is rid himself of the idea of using that arena to make a name for himself. Then he could start to treat Taiwan with the tolerance that becomes a great leader.
When it comes to how China could better deal with Taiwan, former US ambassador to China J. Stapleton Roy hit the nail on the head during a speech at Johns Hopkins University on Wednesday. He said that, rather than resorting to threats, China should give Taiwan some incentive to develop constructive cross-strait relationships.
Anyone with the slightest common sense should have figured this out by now. China's missile demonstrations and verbal threats during Taiwan's past two presidential elections have sent the candidates China abhorred, Lee Teng-hui (
Only if Jiang can manage to figure out how to stop shooting himself in the foot will he be able to take the first step toward greatness. Otherwise, he will be remain a footnote in the history books.
Concerns that the US might abandon Taiwan are often overstated. While US President Donald Trump’s handling of Ukraine raised unease in Taiwan, it is crucial to recognize that Taiwan is not Ukraine. Under Trump, the US views Ukraine largely as a European problem, whereas the Indo-Pacific region remains its primary geopolitical focus. Taipei holds immense strategic value for Washington and is unlikely to be treated as a bargaining chip in US-China relations. Trump’s vision of “making America great again” would be directly undermined by any move to abandon Taiwan. Despite the rhetoric of “America First,” the Trump administration understands the necessity of
In an article published on this page on Tuesday, Kaohsiung-based journalist Julien Oeuillet wrote that “legions of people worldwide would care if a disaster occurred in South Korea or Japan, but the same people would not bat an eyelid if Taiwan disappeared.” That is quite a statement. We are constantly reading about the importance of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), hailed in Taiwan as the nation’s “silicon shield” protecting it from hostile foreign forces such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and so crucial to the global supply chain for semiconductors that its loss would cost the global economy US$1
US President Donald Trump’s challenge to domestic American economic-political priorities, and abroad to the global balance of power, are not a threat to the security of Taiwan. Trump’s success can go far to contain the real threat — the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) surge to hegemony — while offering expanded defensive opportunities for Taiwan. In a stunning affirmation of the CCP policy of “forceful reunification,” an obscene euphemism for the invasion of Taiwan and the destruction of its democracy, on March 13, 2024, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) used Chinese social media platforms to show the first-time linkage of three new
Sasha B. Chhabra’s column (“Michelle Yeoh should no longer be welcome,” March 26, page 8) lamented an Instagram post by renowned actress Michelle Yeoh (楊紫瓊) about her recent visit to “Taipei, China.” It is Chhabra’s opinion that, in response to parroting Beijing’s propaganda about the status of Taiwan, Yeoh should be banned from entering this nation and her films cut off from funding by government-backed agencies, as well as disqualified from competing in the Golden Horse Awards. She and other celebrities, he wrote, must be made to understand “that there are consequences for their actions if they become political pawns of
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