Clean and green
Distributing potassium iodide pills to people living near nuclear power plants ("Potassium iodide pills part of nuclear safety campaign," June 1, page 2) does little to improve the safety of the power plants.
It is in fact an acknowledgment of the inherent dangers of nuclear power.
It is astounding that the Taiwanese government continues to expose its citizens and environment to the risks associated with generating nuclear power.
Taiwan has major problems with managing its current stockpiles of nuclear waste. Why then, it must be asked, does it continue to maintain and build nuclear power plants when it can't properly manage the waste that already exists?
Taiwan should take action to close its nuclear power plants as a matter of urgency. Greater investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy sources would ensure Taiwan's energy needs could still be met.
Taiwan needs a clean, green energy future -- not a nuclear nightmare.
David Reid Taradale
Victoria, Australia
Pan-blues are right
Following the presidential inauguration, I was returning to my hotel room to get out of my rain-soaked clothes.
On the way, I happened to glance toward the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) headquarters and it dawned on me that I agreed with the words on the pan-blue banner hanging there: "No truth, no president."
The truth is that in a democracy, presidents are not appointed by a few men meeting behind closed doors, with the public having no choice but to accept pre-arranged decisions; instead, people in democracies choose their leaders in an open, transparent and fair process.
The truth is that those dissatisfied with the election process may resort to the legal system to address their complaints, but they must accept the final judgments made under the rule of law. Those dissatisfied with election results must accept the decision of the people.
KMT Chairman Lien Chan (
If you want to win the presidency, accept the truth.
Kenneth Choy
Hong Kong
Don't blame it on Mike
Your recent article on Nike's apology ("Nike's apologizes for Jordan visit fiasco," May 29, page 1) has proven to be a great relief to many of my friends and me after the weeklong controversy about Michael Jordan's recent one-day visit to Taiwan.
Over the past week, I have been appealing to all parties for efficient and reasonable communication to eliminate the squabbles between the public and Nike Taiwan so as to safeguard the reputation of Jordan, who has become the scapegoat in this unfortunate incident.
It's evident that the unprecedented controversy that erupted among Jordan's fans over his brief public appearance was sparked by negligent communication between Nike Taiwan and Jordan's agent. Moreover, proper crisis management was not undertaken.
As a matter of fact, when a boycott was brewing, Nike Taiwan had every reason to voluntarily and sincerely clarify the situation to its demanding customers. I am glad that measures were eventually taken for an acceptable reconciliation, even with the Consumers' Foundation. This is indeed an important lesson for us to learn.
To better understand the legacy of Jordan, it is advisable that all Jordan fans read the Feb. 29, 1999 issue of Newsweek about the compassion and personality that he demonstrated to all, young and old, Americans and others.
In his retirement speech, "he exhibited the character and class that made him the greatest player who ever lived." And in responding to an inner-city fifth-grade teacher in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Jordan stated that "his proudest moments in life were not winning an NBA championship, but every time he crossed a stage to receive a diploma."
In 1996, when I was invited to visit the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, former chancellor Michael Hooker proudly told me how much the prestigious university appreciated this great alumnus for his service to his alma mater and for helping the university basketball team every year.
It is imperative that Nike Taiwan and all Jordan fans better understand his character.
People in Taiwan should learn to solve problems through communication. I do not think that Michael Jordan intended to disappoint his fans.
Li Chen-ching
Taipei
In an article published in Newsweek on Monday last week, President William Lai (賴清德) challenged China to retake territories it lost to Russia in the 19th century rather than invade Taiwan. “If it is really for the sake of territorial integrity, why doesn’t China take back Russia?” Lai asked, referring to territories lost in 1858 and 1860. The territories once made up the two flanks of northern Manchuria. Once ceded to Russia, they became part of the Russian far east. Claims since then have been made that China and Russia settled the disputes in the 1990s through the 2000s and that “China
China has successfully held its Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, with 53 of 55 countries from the African Union (AU) participating. The two countries that did not participate were Eswatini and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, which have no diplomatic relations with China. Twenty-four leaders were reported to have participated. Despite African countries complaining about summit fatigue, with recent summits held with Russia, Italy, South Korea, the US and Indonesia, as well as Japan next month, they still turned up in large numbers in Beijing. China’s ability to attract most of the African leaders to a summit demonstrates that it is still being
Trips to the Kenting Peninsula in Pingtung County have dredged up a lot of public debate and furor, with many complaints about how expensive and unreasonable lodging is. Some people even call it a tourist “butchering ground.” Many local business owners stake claims to beach areas by setting up parasols and driving away people who do not rent them. The managing authority for the area — Kenting National Park — has long ignored the issue. Ultimately, this has affected the willingness of domestic travelers to go there, causing tourist numbers to plummet. In 2008, Taiwan opened the door to Chinese tourists and in
Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) on Thursday was handcuffed and escorted by police to the Taipei Detention Center, after the Taipei District Court ordered that he be detained and held incommunicado for suspected corruption during his tenure as Taipei mayor. The ruling reversed an earlier decision by the same court on Monday last week that ordered Ko’s release without bail. That decision was appealed by prosecutors on Wednesday, leading the High Court to conclude that Ko had been “actively involved” in the alleged corruption and it ordered the district court to hold a second detention hearing. Video clips
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