Police scapegoat Africans
I read with great shock and dismay a news analysis which appeared in your respected newspaper ("`Certain' foreigners scrutinized," Dec. 16, page 2) with the subheading "Security: Police have urged stricter visa measures after they found that criminals from Africa and the Middle East are using false papers to legally live in Taiwan."
I felt the story was so biased and unbalanced that I was breathless.
But I made copies of the page, and handed them out to some well-respected Africans, including members of the African diplomatic corps. They, of course, did not take the matter lightly.
The question that some of these Africans and diplomats kept asking after reading the article was: How many Africans actually reside in Taiwan?
Frankly speaking, there are very few. So it is wrong and unprofessional for the police to say that they weren't able to act if some Africans were faking documents to gain entry and commit crimes.
I don't know any Africans living here who are involved in criminal activity. There might be some cases in which a few greedy "short cutters" may have entered to make a quick buck, with the help of non-African foreigners or locals, before leaving. But these people give a bad name to those who remain. It's unjustifiable for the police to brand all Africans this way.
The story cited police examples of how Africans could lie or provide false academic documents in order to teach English, though they had not even finished high school in their home countries. The question is: Since when have Africans taught English in Taiwan? And if so, how many?
And how many "native speakers" who teach English have themselves graduated from university, let alone stepped inside a classroom? Is it because these people are from some of the world's most powerful countries that they are allowed to get away with it. I think it is grossly unfair and racist of Mark Hsin (
Working without proper documents has existed since time immemorial and it will continue to do so.
It is not a big secret that there are a lot of foreigners working illegally here. Putting the blame solely on Africans and people from the Middle East doesn't solve the problem.
Joseph Musa
Taipei
A return to power for former US president Donald Trump would pose grave risks to Taiwan’s security, autonomy and the broader stability of the Indo-Pacific region. The stakes have never been higher as China aggressively escalates its pressure on Taiwan, deploying economic, military and psychological tactics aimed at subjugating the nation under Beijing’s control. The US has long acted as Taiwan’s foremost security partner, a bulwark against Chinese expansionism in the region. However, a second Trump presidency could upend decades of US commitments, introducing unpredictability that could embolden Beijing and severely compromise Taiwan’s position. While president, Trump’s foreign policy reflected a transactional
There appears to be a growing view among leaders and leading thinkers in Taiwan that their words and actions have no influence over how China approaches cross-Strait relations. According to this logic, China’s actions toward Taiwan are guided by China’s unwavering ambition to assert control over Taiwan. Many also believe Beijing’s approach is influenced by China’s domestic politics. As the thinking goes, former President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) made a good faith effort to demonstrate her moderation on cross-Strait issues throughout her tenure. During her 2016 inaugural address, Tsai sent several constructive signals, including by acknowledging the historical fact of interactions and
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has prioritized modernizing the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to rival the US military, with many experts believing he would not act on Taiwan until the PLA is fully prepared to confront US forces. At the Chinese Communist Party’s 20th Party Congress in 2022, Xi emphasized accelerating this modernization, setting 2027 — the PLA’s centennial — as the new target, replacing the previous 2035 goal. US intelligence agencies said that Xi has directed the PLA to be ready for a potential invasion of Taiwan by 2027, although no decision on launching an attack had been made. Whether
Taiwanese men doing their alternative military service within Taipei’s and Taichung’s Department of Compulsory Military Service independently reported outlandish incidents of brainwashing. Below is a story related to propagandizing as it manifests overseas. One of my Chinese friends and a group of Taiwanese friends set off together from Sydney, Australia, in a tour group to northern Europe. The travel agency arranged for a Chinese tour guide to lead the group. The guide would start off on a propaganda blitz every afternoon at a set time, singing the praises of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The Taiwanese members of the tour seemed