I have read many of the letters published in the Taipei Times. Understandably, most of these concern the future of Taiwan as an independent nation.
Like most other contributors, I passionately believe in Taiwan's right to self-determination as a sovereign republic that is recognized by all other countries, embraced by the international community and free from Chinese intimidation.
However, I notice that many letters are based on academic analysis and historical interpretations of the cross-strait situation.
While these articles may be interesting to readers, I am doubtful whether it carries any weight or significance to Taiwan's current predicament.
Despite what politicians would have us believe, decisions are based on realpolitik, not ideological notions.
The limitations of international law and institutions also need to be recognized; the former is largely unenforceable, while the latter will never be truly independent and powerful entities while they are controlled by powerful nations for their own benefit.
Once we accept the reality of this, however disillusioning and unjust it is, can we concentrate on what can be done. Change is inevitable, and even if Taiwan isn't currently in control of its own destiny, we should be considering potential future events and scenarios, and discussing how these would effect Taiwan.
For example, what would be the ramifications of China's economy collapsing? If its miraculous growth continues, but disparities between rich and poor widen, leading to civil unrest and the collapse of the Communist Party, could Taiwan take advantage of such an opportunity to declare independence? What would happen if the US becomes isolationist again or enters into a collision course with a China seeking to end its dominance as the pre-eminent world superpower?
Taiwan should therefore also consider how best to prepare itself for future change.
As Gandhi once said, "Be the change you want to see in the world."
Taiwan has achieved an incredible amount in a relatively short time as a fledgling democracy, of which it should be suitably proud. I would still urge its people to strive for a fairer society and to learn from the mistakes of other (allegedly) mature democracies.
Philip Wallbridge
Rochester, England
Whether in terms of market commonality or resource similarity, South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co is the biggest competitor of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC). The two companies have agreed to set up factories in the US and are also recipients of subsidies from the US CHIPS and Science Act, which was signed into law by former US president Joe Biden. However, changes in the market competitiveness of the two companies clearly reveal the context behind TSMC’s investments in the US. As US semiconductor giant Intel Corp has faced continuous delays developing its advanced processes, the world’s two major wafer foundries, TSMC and
The first Donald Trump term was a boon for Taiwan. The administration regularized the arms sales process and enhanced bilateral ties. Taipei will not be so fortunate the second time around. Given recent events, Taiwan must proceed with the assumption that it cannot count on the United States to defend it — diplomatically or militarily — during the next four years. Early indications suggested otherwise. The nomination of Marco Rubio as US Secretary of State and the appointment of Mike Waltz as the national security advisor, both of whom have expressed full-throated support for Taiwan in the past, raised hopes that
Authorities last week revoked the residency permit of a Chinese social media influencer surnamed Liu (劉), better known by her online channel name Yaya in Taiwan (亞亞在台灣), who has more than 440,000 followers online and is living in Taiwan with a marriage-based residency permit, for her “reunification by force” comments. She was asked to leave the country in 10 days. The National Immigration Agency (NIA) on Tuesday last week announced the decision, citing the influencer’s several controversial public comments, including saying that “China does not need any other reason to reunify Taiwan with force” and “why is it [China] hesitant
We are witnessing a sea change in the government’s approach to China, from one of reasonable, low-key reluctance at rocking the boat to a collapse of pretense over and patience in Beijing’s willful intransigence. Finally, we are seeing a more common sense approach in the face of active shows of hostility from a foreign power. According to Article 2 of the 2020 Anti-Infiltration Act (反滲透法), a “foreign hostile force” is defined as “countries, political entities or groups that are at war with or are engaged in a military standoff with the Republic of China [ROC]. The same stipulation applies to
RSS