A perplexing struggle
The struggle for independence is a long unresolved matter. US President Barack Obama’s confirmation of arms sales to Taiwan was a symbolic gesture, condemning Taiwan never to be an independent country — a verdict that has been confirmed by former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) in previous statements.
A recent front-page article in this paper (“Obama informs Congress of arms sales,” Jan. 27, page 1) raises the question of how to define “true independence.”
While Taiwan has sovereignty in terms of an independent government, it does not have sufficient arms to protect itself. Instead, it has to rely on overpriced arms from the US.
The truth is, no country can be truly independent of others economically or culturally.
So the question becomes: “What are we fighting for?”
Mandy Chou
Taipei
Scientology is humanitarian
I am writing in response to the Guardian’s article on Scientology that appeared in this paper (Planet Pop, Jan. 25, page 13).
Scientology’s Volunteer Ministers are well known for their effective work in disaster response and have served at 145 worst-case disaster sites, including Ground Zero after Sept. 11, the Southeast Asian Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, as well as after Typhoon Morakot hit southern Taiwan last year.
In Taiwan, our volunteer ministers have worked with other relief agencies and government organizations and have been commended for truly selfless work many times with the Ministry of the Interior’s Excellent Religious Group Award (績優宗教團體表揚).
The Volunteer Ministers’ great work has been acknowledged by a number of officials.
Emily Tsai
Director of Public Affairs
Church of Scientology Taiwan
Hey, ISO: Taiwan isn’t China
While doing some research for business I happened to reference the International Organization for Standardization’s (ISO) country code listing for Taiwan. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the ISO, which I would assume to be non-political, has listed Taiwan (ISO country code TW) as: Taiwan, Province of China.
I find this insulting — and I’m not even a citizen of this country. This should be outrageous and unacceptable to all citizens. I urge the people of Taiwan to visit the ISO Web site at: www.iso.org/iso/english_country_names_and_code_elements to express their distaste.
Craig Crawford
Tainan, Taiwan
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has long been a cornerstone of US foreign policy, advancing not only humanitarian aid but also the US’ strategic interests worldwide. The abrupt dismantling of USAID under US President Donald Trump ‘s administration represents a profound miscalculation with dire consequences for global influence, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. By withdrawing USAID’s presence, Washington is creating a vacuum that China is eager to fill, a shift that will directly weaken Taiwan’s international position while emboldening Beijing’s efforts to isolate Taipei. USAID has been a crucial player in countering China’s global expansion, particularly in regions where
With the manipulations of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), it is no surprise that this year’s budget plan would make government operations difficult. The KMT and the TPP passing malicious legislation in the past year has caused public ire to accumulate, with the pressure about to erupt like a volcano. Civic groups have successively backed recall petition drives and public consensus has reached a fever-pitch, with no let up during the long Lunar New Year holiday. The ire has even breached the mindsets of former staunch KMT and TPP supporters. Most Taiwanese have vowed to use
Despite the steady modernization of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the international community is skeptical of its warfare capabilities. Late last month, US think tank RAND Corp published two reports revealing the PLA’s two greatest hurdles: personnel challenges and structural difficulties. The first RAND report, by Jennie W. Wenger, titled Factors Shaping the Future of China’s Military, analyzes the PLA’s obstacles with recruitment, stating that China has long been committed to attracting young talent from top universities to augment the PLA’s modernization needs. However, the plan has two major constraints: demographic changes and the adaptability of the PLA’s military culture.
US President Donald Trump has gotten off to a head-spinning start in his foreign policy. He has pressured Denmark to cede Greenland to the United States, threatened to take over the Panama Canal, urged Canada to become the 51st US state, unilaterally renamed the Gulf of Mexico to “the Gulf of America” and announced plans for the United States to annex and administer Gaza. He has imposed and then suspended 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico for their roles in the flow of fentanyl into the United States, while at the same time increasing tariffs on China by 10