Only in Taiwan
Only in Taiwan is the candidate who lost the presidential election more popular than the re-elected president. The well-educated president is “incompetent” and Taiwanese are helpless and must suffer for the next four years.
Only in Taiwan does the president not care about the 1,500 missiles China has aimed at Taiwan. In contrast, the late US president John F. Kennedy treated the Soviet Union’s deployment of a few missiles in Cuba as a crisis.
Only in Taiwan is the constitution obsolete and out of touch with reality. The claimed territories include Taiwan, China, Mongolia and Tibet. The president uses this old constitution and the so-called “1992 consensus” to justify his “one China” policy.
Only in Taiwan does the president implement a China-dependent economic policy after heavy capital and high-tech investments in China. His final destination is China.
Only in Taiwan do some academics think Taiwan should negotiate politically with China if China agrees to democratize. What are they thinking?
Only in Taiwan are people confused about their nationality. Their passports indicate the Republic of China (Taiwan), but the International Olympic Committee and other organizations label Taiwan as “Chinese Taipei.” Hong Kong is not called “Chinese Hong Kong.”
Only in Taiwan do all necessary and sufficient conditions of a nation exist, yet still Taiwan is not even recognized by the US. The US president has completely given up on Taiwan’s application for UN membership and instead promotes a “diplomatic ceasefire.”
Only in Taiwan are politicians with Taiwanese consciousness often discriminated against as “local” (本土派). Unless Taiwan is a colony of a foreign country, shouldn’t all politicians be Taiwanese and have a strong love for Taiwan?
Only in Taiwan is the judicial system partial. The courts are “operated by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)” and “punish the green but acquit the blue.” “The law will turn when it meets Ma.” Nothing is done to confiscate the KMT’s vast illegal assets.
Only in Taiwan are students educated with a focus more on the history and geography of China than of Taiwan. The history of Taiwan is often biased or twisted.
Taiwan is far from a normal democracy.
Charles Hong
Columbus, Ohio
I came to Taiwan to pursue my degree thinking that Taiwanese are “friendly,” but I was welcomed by Taiwanese classmates laughing at my friend’s name, Maria (瑪莉亞). At the time, I could not understand why they were mocking the name of Jesus’ mother. Later, I learned that “Maria” had become a stereotype — a shorthand for Filipino migrant workers. That was because many Filipino women in Taiwan, especially those who became house helpers, happen to have that name. With the rapidly increasing number of foreigners coming to Taiwan to work or study, more Taiwanese are interacting, socializing and forming relationships with
Chinese social media influencer “Yaya in Taiwan” (亞亞在台灣), whose real name is Liu Zhenya (劉振亞), made statements advocating for “reunifying Taiwan [with China] through military force.” After verifying that Liu did indeed make such statements, the National Immigration Agency revoked her dependency-based residency permit. She must now either leave the country voluntarily or be deported. Operating your own page and becoming an influencer require a certain amount of support and user traffic. You must successfully gain approval for your views and attract an audience. Although Liu must leave the country, I cannot help but wonder how many more “Yayas” are still
Earlier signs suggest that US President Donald Trump’s policy on Taiwan is set to move in a more resolute direction, as his administration begins to take a tougher approach toward America’s main challenger at the global level, China. Despite its deepening economic woes, China continues to flex its muscles, including conducting provocative military drills off Taiwan, Australia and Vietnam recently. A recent Trump-signed memorandum on America’s investment policy was more about the China threat than about anything else. Singling out the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as a foreign adversary directing investments in American companies to obtain cutting-edge technologies, it said
The recent termination of Tibetan-language broadcasts by Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) is a significant setback for Tibetans both in Tibet and across the global diaspora. The broadcasts have long served as a vital lifeline, providing uncensored news, cultural preservation and a sense of connection for a community often isolated by geopolitical realities. For Tibetans living under Chinese rule, access to independent information is severely restricted. The Chinese government tightly controls media and censors content that challenges its narrative. VOA and RFA broadcasts have been among the few sources of uncensored news available to Tibetans, offering insights
RSS