Attitudes about peace
In politics, even though you are doing something for the right reasons, you might still need to figure out what attitude to adopt to get the public on your side. There is no room for complacency — people will not follow you just because you think you are right.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has floated the idea of signing a peace agreement between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait — an idea that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) consistently opposes.
Although the DPP has legitimate reasons for its opposition, if it adopts the wrong attitude in response, it could easily give the public the impression that it is hostile to China and is going out of its way to create tension across the Strait.
To avoid giving the public this impression, the DPP should respond with a benevolent attitude by saying that the two sides of the Strait are willing to engage in negotiations to sign a peace agreement out of respect for each other’s sovereignty, treating each other as equals and supporting each other’s interests — and that the door to peace will always be wide open.
Of course, we know that even if China were to sign a peace agreement, it would not respect the text of that agreement, so any such pact would give Taiwan no guarantees to speak of.
However, we can be even more certain that if the two sides want to sign a peace agreement, Beijing would certainly force Taiwan to accept as a precondition the “one China” principle, meaning that both sides of the Strait belong to “one China” and a “one country, two systems” arrangement.
When making preliminary statements, the Taiwan side could highlight China’s overbearing attitude — how if Taiwan does not capitulate and become part of China, there is nothing else to negotiate about.
By exposing China’s arrogance, the DPP can get the public to clearly understand the KMT’s capitulationist attitude. That would be the right way to get the public on the DPP’s side.
If Taiwan really moved toward signing a peace agreement with China, the US would be worried that its China-friendly position would tip it all the way over in China’s direction. To prevent secrets about advanced weapons technology from being leaked to China, the US is likely to stop selling arms to Taiwan.
Taiwan would then find it difficult to go on improving its defense capabilities. It would gradually sink into a relatively weak and disadvantaged position, making it easier for China to force it to surrender.
To prevent such an unfortunate outcome, the DPP, while responding to calls for the two sides of the Strait to sign a peace agreement, should use available channels to explain to the US government that the purpose of this political give-and-take is to break down the “united front” strategy being pushed by the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party — and that even though the DPP might concede some points, it will not really act on them.
Chen Kuo-hsiung
Taichung
The Chinese government on March 29 sent shock waves through the Tibetan Buddhist community by announcing the untimely death of one of its most revered spiritual figures, Hungkar Dorje Rinpoche. His sudden passing in Vietnam raised widespread suspicion and concern among his followers, who demanded an investigation. International human rights organization Human Rights Watch joined their call and urged a thorough investigation into his death, highlighting the potential involvement of the Chinese government. At just 56 years old, Rinpoche was influential not only as a spiritual leader, but also for his steadfast efforts to preserve and promote Tibetan identity and cultural
The gutting of Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) by US President Donald Trump’s administration poses a serious threat to the global voice of freedom, particularly for those living under authoritarian regimes such as China. The US — hailed as the model of liberal democracy — has the moral responsibility to uphold the values it champions. In undermining these institutions, the US risks diminishing its “soft power,” a pivotal pillar of its global influence. VOA Tibetan and RFA Tibetan played an enormous role in promoting the strong image of the US in and outside Tibet. On VOA Tibetan,
Former minister of culture Lung Ying-tai (龍應台) has long wielded influence through the power of words. Her articles once served as a moral compass for a society in transition. However, as her April 1 guest article in the New York Times, “The Clock Is Ticking for Taiwan,” makes all too clear, even celebrated prose can mislead when romanticism clouds political judgement. Lung crafts a narrative that is less an analysis of Taiwan’s geopolitical reality than an exercise in wistful nostalgia. As political scientists and international relations academics, we believe it is crucial to correct the misconceptions embedded in her article,
Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), the leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), caused a national outrage and drew diplomatic condemnation on Tuesday after he arrived at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office dressed in a Nazi uniform. Sung performed a Nazi salute and carried a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf as he arrived to be questioned over allegations of signature forgery in the recall petition. The KMT’s response to the incident has shown a striking lack of contrition and decency. Rather than apologizing and distancing itself from Sung’s actions,
RSS