Underground cables a waste
With much respect for retired professor Chang Kuo-tsai (張國財), spending time and money to lay high-voltage power lines under the ground may prove to be a waste (“Taipower is failing to secure supply,” Aug. 7, page 8).
With a plan to be nuclear-free by 2025, presumably having fewer coal-fired power stations as well, the existing above-ground power lines may well be in the wrong place.
As the world moves toward cleaner, more abundant wind and solar generation, the energy collecting sites will be distributed more widely across Taiwan.
Having more evenly distributed power production will make local tornado damage less of a problem as well. The future is with the sun, wind and water on a more local scale.
The giant monopolies have yet to learn this lesson.
Paul Cockram
Mongarlowe, Australia
Pride or insult?
The US promulgated the Taiwan Relations Act in 1979. It recognized Taiwan as a nation and officially derecognized the Republic of China (ROC).
The ROC then would not even qualify as an exiled government. It is simply nothing.
What is sad, is that Taiwanese still try to defend the ROC as their national identity.
There is a saying: “Know your enemy, know yourself then you can truly fight.”
Taiwanese are not even able to identify themselves. How can they fight?
Fortunately, through technology Taiwanese can research on the Internet and learn about the true sovereignty of Taiwan.
Today, democracy allows Taiwanese to elect a president and a legislature, but that only reflects the basic human right called “popular sovereignty,” not civil rights or territorial sovereignty, which is needed to be recognized by the international community as a sovereign nation.
On Saturday next week, the 29th Summer Universiade Games will open in Taipei. At the opening ceremony, the Taiwanese team will be officially listed as “Chinese Taipei” and bear the Olympic flag as their own. The five-ring Olympic flag has historically been used by refugee athletes.
Thanks to care and interest of Taiwanese from around the world, we now realize that we have faced difficulty and trouble.
Since 1542, when Portuguese sailors discovered Taiwan and called it Ilha Formosa, it has been occupied by the Dutch, Spanish, Koxinga (Cheng Cheng-kung, 鄭成功), the Qing Dynasty, the Japanese and the ROC for more than 475 years.
How do we get rid of these foreign forces? This is indeed a big challenge for all Taiwanese.
It is time for Taiwanese to make their own decision.
Only on July 12 did the Ministry of Foreign Affairs declare that Taiwan is not a part of China. If Taiwanese want to be recognized as a dignified people, they must stand up to echo the government and announce to the world that Taiwan is not part of China.
On Aug. 25, 1960, the Taiwanese Olympic team was named “Formosa,” but Yang Chuan-kwang (楊傳廣) and his teammates marched into the 1960 Summer Olympics Game opening ceremony in Rome behind a sign reading “Under Protest.”
Now it is time for all Taiwanese to voice who they are.
On Saturday next week, the Taiwanese team must also carry an “Under Protest” sign against the unacceptable name “Chinese Taipei” into the opening ceremony of the Universiade, to signify to the world that Taiwan is not Chinese Taipei and we are Taiwanese of Taiwan, not Chinese of China.
Pride or insult: It will depend on our actions.
John Hsieh
Hayward, California
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