DPP calls on KMT to back truth panel - Taipei Times

DPP calls on KMT to back truth panel - Taipei Times: "The KMT said the shooting of Chen Shui-bian and Annette Lu in 2004 was completely different from that of Sean Lien, as the latter had ‘real’ bullets

- 已使用 Google 工具列寄出"

Judge files appeal, alleges persecution - Taipei Times

Judge files appeal, alleges persecution - Taipei Times: "Shilin District Court Chief Judge Hung Ying-hua (洪英花) yesterday filed an appeal with the Control Yuan, accusing Judicial Yuan President Rai Hau-min (賴浩敏) and Judicial Yuan Secretary-General Lin Ching-fang (林錦芳) of political persecution.

Hung filed the charges after she was deemed unfit to be a chief judge by an anonymous vote conducted by the Judicial Yuan’s review committee in June. The Judicial Yuan is scheduled to convene a meeting on Monday to decide whether Hung should be removed from her post.

- 已使用 Google 工具列寄出"

Commissioner threatens probe protest - Taipei Times

Commissioner threatens probe protest - Taipei Times: "- 已使用 Google 工具列寄出"

Taiwan mass-producing missiles to counter China threat - Tibetan Review

Taiwan mass-producing missiles to counter China threat - Tibetan Review: "Taiwan confirmed for the first time Dec 8 that it was mass-producing cruise missiles to be able to defend itself from possible attacks from China,

- 已使用 Google 工具列寄出"

Tseng wins LPGA Player of the Year - Taipei Times

Tseng wins LPGA Player of the Year - Taipei Times: "The 21-year-old golfer was teary-eyed as she accepted the trophy, saying that hearing her name called out had been ‘kind of overwhelming’

- 已使用 Google 工具列寄出"

WikiLeaks' Julian Assange on Secrets, the U.S. and China - TIME

WikiLeaks' Julian Assange on Secrets, the U.S. and China - TIME: "he said, secrecy 'shouldn't be used to cover up abuses.'

- 已使用 Google 工具列寄出"

This kind of freedom of speaking

2010 ELECTIONS: KMT threatens lawsuit over TV show - Taipei Times: "The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) threatened legal action after guests on a talk show criticized President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), but the party said it was only defending its reputation against political talk show guests and comments it regarded as departing from the truth, and was not taking action against media outlets themselves.

- 已使用 Google 工具列寄出"

EDITORIAL: Chen’s ghost returns to haunt Ma - Taipei Times

EDITORIAL: Chen’s ghost returns to haunt Ma - Taipei Times: "Ever since he was taken into custody in December 2008, the Presidential Office has made sure that former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) — the nation’s top “troublemaker,” if we believe the propaganda — did not make waves. It did so via a complicit judiciary that time and again denied the former president his freedom by using tenuous claims to justify extensions to his detention, which now approaches 700 days.

- 已使用 Google 工具列寄出"

Notice from ministry sparks outrage - Taipei Times

Notice from ministry sparks outrage - Taipei Times: "Another wrote: “The ministry now wants PTT to tone it down after we made fun of [former president] Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) for eight years.”

- 已使用 Google 工具列寄出"

A right to know how money’s spent - Taipei Times

A right to know how money’s spent - Taipei Times: "it mean that the general public should not question problematic details.

- 已使用 Google 工具列寄出"

MOE takes on Chinese diplomas - Taipei Times

MOE takes on Chinese diplomas - Taipei Times: "Minister of Education Wu Ching-ji (吳清基) said the ministry was considering recognizing Chinese educational certificates received after 1992

- 已使用 Google 工具列寄出"

PRC official targeted Tibetans: reports - Taipei Times

PRC official targeted Tibetans: reports - Taipei Times: "- 已使用 Google 工具列寄出"

China threat growing: reports

The Associated Press: Taiwan official says China threat growing: reports: "Taiwan official says China threat growing

- 已使用 Google 工具列寄出"

Taipei Times - archives

Taipei Times - archives: "It’s no secret that politicians often use opinion polls to support, rather than determine, policy decisions. Knowing this, the public is well advised to always approach such polls released by government agencies with skepticism, as numbers can be massaged to fit predetermined policy, just as intelligence can be used to buttress just about any plan, however frivolous

- 已使用 Google 工具列寄出"

Taipei Times - archives

Taipei Times - archives: "The Referendum Review Committee has already rejected two public plebiscites championed by the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU). The reason: The referendum would make no difference even if it were passed because the TSU versed the yes/no question in affirmative terms despite the fact it was opposed to the thing referred to.

- 已使用 Google 工具列寄出"

Taipei Times - archives

Taipei Times - archives: "Gunmen on motorbikes shot at a tourist bus near the main mosque in the Indian capital yesterday,

- 已使用 Google 工具列寄出"

Taipei Times - archives

Taipei Times - archives: "Not too long ago the Kaohsiung District Court handed down a jail term of three years and two months to a man who had abused a six-year-old girl on the grounds that the youngster had failed to resist her attacker. The rationale was that since it could not be demonstrated that the act was non-consensual, the defendant was to be charged only with statutory rape. News of the verdict had the online community up in arms and, not long after, the Supreme Court requested another case of sexual assault on a child to be reopened.

- 已使用 Google 工具列寄出"

Taipei Times - archives

Taipei Times - archives: "there will be a shortage of 70,000 students by 2021, which would mean about 60 universities would be likely to disappear.

- 已使用 Google 工具列寄出"

Taipei Times - archives

Taipei Times - archives: "A leading national security expert is calling for a major change in US policy toward Taiwan.

“It is time for US clarity on Taiwan — strategic ambiguity has run its course,” said Joseph Bosco, a former China desk specialist at the Pentagon.

In a Taiwan analysis printed by the Los Angeles Times, he added: “Neither Beijing nor Washington wants war, but as long as China believes the US will ultimately abandon democratic Taiwan to avoid it, the danger of conflict increases.”


- 已使用 Google 工具列寄出"

Taipei Times - archives

Taipei Times - archives: "The massive size of the Chinese market is a fatal attraction for foreign capital, as every investor dreams of entering the Chinese market. Unfortunately, for many people, such as media mogul Rupert Murdoch, it remains nothing but a dream.

- 已使用 Google 工具列寄出"

Taipei Times - archives

Taipei Times - archives: "“Aborigines will never be able to return home. They are compelled to live in separate places. We are on our way to extinction,” Lituan said at a forum held by the Taiwan Association of University Professors on the eve of the first anniversary of Morakot.

- 已使用 Google 工具列寄出"

Taipei Times - archives

Taipei Times - archives: "US and South Korean officials held more talks yesterday about tightening the sanctions on North Korea as Pyongyang’s military threatened to hit back at a South Korean naval exercise.


- 已使用 Google 工具列寄出"

you do believe this liar ma

Taipei Times - archives: "President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday said it was necessary to establish an anti-corruption commission following a recent slew of government corruption cases, including a scandal involving judges.

Ma said he felt distressed over the corruption scandals, but regret was not enough. Concrete action must be taken, he said.

- 已使用 Google 工具列寄出"

china terror

Taipei Times - archives: "Despite repeated displays of goodwill by the government of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) since it came to power in 2008, China’s military preparations for an attack on Taiwan continue to accelerate, a report by the Ministry of National Defense’s intelligence research branch says.


- 已使用 Google 工具列寄出"

Taipei Times - archives

Taipei Times - archives: "The US is seeking to take over two properties in New York and Virginia owned by former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and his wife.

The US Justice Department filed complaints on Wednesday in New York and Virginia alleging part of US$6 million paid in bribes to Chen’s wife, Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍), was used to purchase an apartment in Manhattan and a house in Keswick, Virginia. The complaints state that Yuanta Securities Co (元大證券) paid a bribe to ensure its bid to acquire additional shares in Fuhwa Financial Holding Co (復華金控) would not be blocked by authorities.


- 已使用 Google 工具列寄出"

Taipei Times - archives

Taipei Times - archives: "A Chinese dissident seeking refuge in Taiwan accused President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) of failing to speak up for human rights in China and said he feared he could face a lengthy prison sentence, or worse, if deported back home.

Cai Lujun (蔡陸軍), a 53 year-old former businessman who escaped China disguised as a fisherman almost three years ago, spent more than three years behind bars in a Chinese prison after he posted a series of online articles criticizing Beijing’s leadership and blasting the Chinese Communist Party for what he called “holding fake elections.”


- 已使用 Google 工具列寄出"

Taipei Times - archives

Taipei Times - archives
The Korean War began with North Korean leader Kim Il-sung launching an attack on Seoul, South Korea’s capital on June 25, 1950. This attack, was made with the tacit approval of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin and three days later, Seoul succumbed to Kim’s forces.

Taipei Times - archives

Taipei Times -
archives
A day of action against a landmark trade deal with China will take place across Taipei City today, as more than 100,000 protesters — including former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) — are expected to gather and demand the government first hold a public referendum on the issue.

Taipei Times - archives

Taipei Times - archives
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) often asks his critics why they question his determination to uphold Taiwan’s national interests and dignity as a sovereign nation. A review of some of his remarks will perhaps provide the president with a hint as to why so many people continue to remain stubbornly unconvinced.

Taipei Times - archives

Taipei Times - archives
Since taking office, Ma has said time and again that Taiwan will be marginalized if it adopts a “closed-door” policy and avoids dealing with China. Ma has also likened this “closed-door” mentality with the regimes of the two Chiangs and the way they dealt with China. However, with the indirect and transit trade that was opened in 1985 being extremely limited, it wouldn’t have made sense for Taiwan to have made China its focus for economic development.

Taipei Times - archives

Taipei Times - archivesIn the 1960s, peace and conflict studies pioneer Johan Galtung proposed the thought-provoking concept of “structural violence.” Structural violence refers to a kind of social structure under which, although there may be no direct physical violence by one group of people against another, one group of people does not have the same access as others to the conditions needed for existence and this constitutes a threat against the less privileged group. Although this threat to survival is not caused by direct violence, such a social structure and environment can be said to constitute structural violence against those in a weaker position.

Taipei Times - archives

Taipei Times - archives
On Thursday, the Cabinet’s Referendum Review Committee rejected a referendum proposal on an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA). After some media outlets and members of the public had directed strong attacks against a referendum, many members of the Referendum Review Committee also raised doubts over the issue, resulting in the expectation by many that the proposal would be rejected.

Taipei Times - archives

Taipei Times - archives
Other “early warning” signs are China’s response to the crises in Tibet and East Turkestan (Xinjiang) over the past years: Harsh repression is the only answer Beijing knows how to use in response to the widespread discontent with Chinese rule, while heavy-handedness is also the only way it deals with its own dissidents, such as Falun Gong and underground churches.

Taipei Times - archives

Taipei Times - archives
Would an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) violate the principles of the WTO? Would its arbitration follow the judicial remedies of the WTO framework? These questions are crucial when monitoring the government’s plan to sign an ECFA and in trying to avoid a major disaster for the country.

Taipei Times - archives

Taipei Times - archives
If we take a closer look, however, we see that democracy cannot be simplistically described as just voting. The teacher who arranged the election did not explain the game’s rules. As a result, the students thought being class leader meant being a ruler who can order classmates about according to their own wishes. More importantly, when the candidates stirred up the crowd to make trouble or clearly practiced vote buying, the teacher simply sat back and didn’t interfere

Taipei Times - archives

Taipei Times - archives
In the build-up to the anniversary, the media has been awash with surveys and polls rating almost everything, from Taiwan’s current economic situation and support for a planned economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China, to Ma’s popularity and even his chances of re-election against prospective opposition presidential candidates in 2012.

Taipei Times - archives

Taipei Times - archives
Hundreds of protesters wearing green shirts gathered in Taipei yesterday to begin a three-day sit-in calling for a referendum on the government's proposal to sign a trade agreement with China.

Taipei Times - archives

Taipei Times - archives
Regrettably, China maintains that Taiwan belongs to it and constantly threatens the nation. Since coming into power, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has echoed Beijing’s “one China” principle and made every effort to push free and democratic Taiwan toward authoritarian China. If Taiwan one day loses its sovereignty, freedom and democracy, all Taiwanese, regardless of ethnicity or political stripe, will be helpless.

Taipei Times - archives

Taipei Times - archives

http://help.funp.com/lib/exe/fetch.php/funp/tools/tools_postbtn_script.png?cache=cache
It would be tempting to blow the matter out of proportion, or to turn what remains an isolated incident into signs of a conspiracy. However, this does not mean that we should look the other way in cases like that of Ni Zichuan (倪子川), a Chinese official at the Fengze District office in Quanzhou, Fujian Province, who was caught stealing skincare products in Hsinchu on Friday.

Taipei Times - archives

Taipei Times - archives

http://help.funp.com/lib/exe/fetch.php/funp/tools/tools_postbtn_script.png?cache=cache
However, if China really were to attack Taiwan, the US is unlikely to make a unilateral decision to get involved unless Taiwan were to request that it do so. When Ma said that Taiwan would not ask the US to fight for it, he was also hinting to the outside world that Taiwan had no intention of seeking US help even if a war were to break out in the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan-US military cooperation is based on defense against a Chinese military invasion, so his assertions have repercussions that go to the very core of this alliance.

Taipei Times - archives

Taipei Times - archives

http://help.funp.com/lib/exe/fetch.php/funp/tools/tools_postbtn_script.png?cache=cache
On Wednesday, China once again put conditions on the government of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九). This time it was Wang Yi (王毅), director of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, who set the conditions by saying that, as long as the two sides of the Taiwan Strait can work together to oppose Taiwanese independence and uphold the “1992 consensus,” that will be the political guarantee for cross-strait cooperation.

Taipei Times - archives

Taipei Times - archives
More than 10,000 workers from across the country marched on the streets of Taipei to voice their anger at the increasing trend of temporary hiring and the exclusion of labor issues in talks for an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) the government plans to sign with China.

Taipei Times - archives

Taipei Times - archives
Despite the increase, last month’s figure means that Ma’s approval ratings have remained below 30 percent for 19 consecutive months, since just four months into his term — a disastrous run by any standards.

this man ma---liar

Taipei Times - archive
No matter how much the Ma government has achieved or will achieve in warming ties with China, a head of state’s ability to better people’s welfare and lives should be considered his or her priority.

Taipei Times - archives

Taipei Times - archives

http://help.funp.com/lib/exe/fetch.php/funp/tools/tools_postbtn_script.png?cache=cache
In 2004, I published a paper in the National Taiwan University Law Journal (臺大法學論叢) entitled “A Tentative Proposal for a Speedy Trials Act in Taiwan” (建構我國速審法之芻議). Recently, the legislature has been deliberating a draft fair and speedy criminal trials act (刑事妥速審判法), proposed by the Judicial Yuan. However, I am not happy with this development at all and debate thus far has done nothing to assuage my concerns.

business hagemony

Taipei Times - archives

http://help.funp.com/lib/exe/fetch.php/funp/tools/tools_postbtn_script.png?cache=cache
China’s unfair competition, and the worsening conditions it is offering foreign investors operating there, has soured US companies’ marriage of convenience with China. Beijing’s arrogant nationalism has put other countries on their guard, too

Taipei Times - archives

Taipei Times - archives

http://help.funp.com/lib/exe/fetch.php/funp/tools/tools_postbtn_script.png?cache=cache
In the complicated world of politics, it is pathetic for a government to act as though it is unaware of hostile schemes, but downright despicable if it is well aware of an adversary’s scheming yet chooses to look the other way. In view of the latest developments concerning the proposed economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China, one can’t help but wonder if the latter scenario is the direction in which the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government is heading.

liar ma doing what???

Taipei Times - archives
However, Ma’s ultimate goal is not to protect and stand up for the ROC or Taiwan; but to try and establish what he thinks to be the truth: That Taiwan is a part of the PRC.

Taiwan not a part of China-ragin

Taipei Times - archives

http://help.funp.com/lib/exe/fetch.php/funp/tools/tools_postbtn_script.png?cache=cache
After months of high expectations, tour organizers confirmed over the weekend that music legend Bob Dylan would not be coming to Taiwan. In fact, he won’t be going to Hong Kong and China either, because Chinese authorities feared the political message behind some of his songs is “too sensitive.” After permission to perform in Shanghai and Beijing was denied, the promoter pulled the other dates — including Taiwan.

liar ma do as hagemony ??

Taipei Times - archives
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) should step down if the government failed to hold a referendum on the issue.

Ma sell out Taiwan

Taipei Times - archives
The second round of negotiations on a proposed economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China opened yesterday in Dasi (大溪), Taoyuan County, amid scuffles between police and protesters who accused the government of attempting to sell out Taiwan.

China threat

Taipei Times - archives
“The PLA has focused considerable effort on building up its integrated air defense capabilities and has deployed an increasing number of upgraded Russian SA-20 PMU 2 along the Taiwan Strait,” Admiral Robert Willard said, ­confirming ­earlier reports by a Canadian defense magazine that said China has deployed eight battalions of advanced missile systems in Fujian Province.

Liar KMT still a liar

Taipei Times - archivesIt may be too much to ask KMT legislators not to defend their government’s policies, but for legislators to blindly stand behind any policies proposed by their party without prioritizing voters’ interests is delinquency. It is equally unacceptable for them to support motions that would institutionalize — by signing into law — discriminatory policies.

justice

Taipei Times - archivesFor example, Huang promised in the report that if anyone violates the principle of confidentiality in ongoing investigations, he would immediately look into the legal implications for their behavior in criminal and administrative law. This is a step in the right direction, although it might be difficult to put into practice. However, he will be able to win the public’s approval if he gives assurances that he will step down of his own accord if there are more information leaks even after he has had a shot at reprimanding previous offenders. It should also keep the people working for him in check.

liar ECFA

Taipei Times - archives“People in Taiwan are very much concerned about an ECFA, but strangely the government is keeping them in the dark,” he said during an interview in Washington, where he is currently visiting family.

China rolls out sticks and carrots

Taipei Times - archivesPublished on Taipei Times
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2010/03/11/2003467715

China rolls out sticks and carrots
By Paul Lin 林保華

Thursday, Mar 11, 2010, Page 8

China wants to absorb Taiwan. That’s its policy, which it calls “complete reunification” (完全統一). The policy will change as circumstances change. The basic strategy is a two-pronged approach of military force and the so-called “united front strategy,” a classic carrot-and-stick policy that is manifested in a variety of ways. Intimidation by violence is relatively simple, but Beijing can be more creative with the carrots.

What is the united front strategy? Put simply, it’s the use of underhanded tactics to divide the enemy, win over the majority and come down on the minority, in order to crush both — divide and conquer. In the past it spouted noble concepts like equality and justice, but then the world found out how Beijing ruled its own country. After that, it needed to offer some incentives to implement the united front policy. It had little choice.

Beijing has used these incentives to lure Taiwanese businesspeople, and dangled other carrots to tempt the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) to move from opposing the communists to colluding with them. Fast forward to when President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) came to power, and even Beijing was surprised by how pro-China his administration became.

And so Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) collects incentives he can parcel out to Ma so he can keep up the litany of demands. An example is the promise to reduce restrictions on tourists, which fell through, leaving Ma having to make more concessions.

The same is happening with the signing of an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA). Meanwhile, we have not seen an actual improvement in diplomatic relations since Ma gave up and conceded to the use of “Chinese Taipei.”

There have been improvements in other regards, in that Ma is being rewarded for pressing on with his pro-China stance, but only because this very stance is being met with fierce opposition in Taiwan, and Ma’s popularity is sinking like a stone. These rewards are an emergency measure to prevent the government from crashing.

During the Typhoon Morakot disaster in August, Beijing offered to help, ostensibly to help the rescue efforts, but actually to gather some intelligence. When the US got wind of this it rushed a US rescue team to Taiwan to diffuse a potential crisis. Beijing wasn’t happy, and is still fuming.

In mid-November, Zheng Bijian (鄭必堅) from Hu’s staff came to Taipei with some retired generals to take part in the first round of cross-strait talks, where they blasted the pro-independence faction. One week later, Chinese Major General Luo Yuan (援), a known hawk, publicly accused Ma of following a policy of “peaceful secession” with his “three noes” — no unification, no independence, and no use of force — obliging Ma to backtrack.

Then there was another perceptible shift. When China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait Chairman Chen Yunlin (陳雲林) made his second visit to Taiwan, he was met not only by protests from Taiwanese but also Ma’s inability to quell unrest within his own party. When the US sold arms to Taiwan, Beijing blamed the US for selling, not Ma for buying, making allowances for him.

During the Lunar New Year break Hu went to Fujian to address Taiwanese businesspeople there, dangling still more carrots. After this, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶) made concessions to speed up the ECFA process.

Wouldn’t it be nice if these were offered with no strings attached? Unfortunately, there were two conditions: First, Taiwan was to accept the “one China” principle, and second, China was to get something in return down the road.

For the first condition, Beijing was not actually asking for a written acceptance of the “one China” principle, but more of a tacit agreement — which would have gone on record nonetheless — and a public announcement that Taiwan accepted the principle. Although this would not be a formal agreement, the government would have a difficult time backtracking on it and would end up hoist by its own petard.

For the second condition, Beijing stands to lose precious little, but gain a huge amount. It says there will be a temporary ban on importing Chinese agricultural products in Taiwan, but this means the Taiwanese market will be flooded in the future, putting local farmers at a distinct disadvantage, unless the ECFA includes a clause stating the ban would be in place for 50 years. This is another reason why we need a referendum on the ECFA.



Paul Lin is a political commentator.

TRANSLATED BY PAUL COOPER
Copyright © 1999-2010 The Taipei Times. All rights reserved.

liar ma

Taipei Times - archives

http://help.funp.com/lib/exe/fetch.php/funp/tools/tools_postbtn_script.png?cache=cacheWhen Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) was president of Taiwan, he introduced a policy called “innovation and protection of Taiwan” in response to the political situation at the time. Writing about the Kaohsiung Incident in Biographical Literature magazine, Ruan Da-ren (阮大仁), who had close connections with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), made some interesting revelations. Apparently, when the incident broke out, Chiang’s Taiwanese staff were sickened by what was happening. There was one voice among them, that of Hsieh Tung-min (謝東閔), the first Taiwanese to serve as vice president, who suggested “the firing squad for the lot of ’em.”

228 massacre

Taipei Times - archivesThe 228 Incident of 1947 has been interpreted in different ways, depending on the changing political environment and varying political standpoints. During the martial law period, starting from the time of the 228 Incident itself, the ruling Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) offered two official explanations.

ohh China

Taipei Times - archives

Having earned praise for keeping its economy chugging along at an impressive rate, China is now cause for concern because its economy may overheat.

The Chinese government seems concerned, too, having taken some steps to tighten the free flow of credit, including raising interest rates and banks’ reserve ratio.

However, the situation appears to have raced ahead of the policymakers, creating a serious danger of inflationary pressures.
http://help.funp.com/lib/exe/fetch.php/funp/tools/tools_postbtn_script.png?cache=cache

Taipei Times - archives--liar ma

Taipei Times - archivesMa should be all the more careful in drawing a clear distinction between president and chairman in his public appearances if he has any intention of honoring his pledge to be a “people’s president” (全民總統).

REd Beijing saying

Taipei Times - archivesThere is a certain pattern of events when it comes to relations with China that every US president has had to face. The first phase is characterized by working hard to create an amicable atmosphere. In the second phase, frictions appear as the US president addresses practical issues and this is where relations become more tense. The third phase is where the two sides accept their differences and find ways to work together, feeling out their counterpart’s bottom line and gradually moving into the fourth, more pragmatic phase.

political persecution

Taipei Times - archivesBoth Chen Shui-bian and his wife, Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍), were sentenced to life in prison on Sept. 11 last year by the Taipei District Court and fined NT$200 million (US$6.13 million) and NT$300 million respectively on several counts of corruption, including embezzling money from a discretionary state affairs fund and taking bribes from local businessmen.

How big as red china

Taipei Times - archives: "China yesterday demanded the White House cancel a meeting between US President Barack Obama and the Dalai Lama, warning that already strained ties between the two powers would be damaged further.

Beijing reacted angrily to the White House announcement that Obama would next week receive the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, accused by China of seeking independence for his homeland.

“We firmly oppose the Dalai Lama visiting the United States and US leaders having contact with him,” foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu (馬朝旭) said."

Arms sales: the right move at the right time

Taipei Times - archives

Arms sales: the right move at the right time By Nat Bellocchi 白樂崎 Tuesday, Feb 09, 2010, Page 8 The decision by the administration of US President Barack Obama to approve the sale of an additional package of arms to Taiwan comes just in the nick of time. It does show a realization on the part of the US administration that Taiwan should not be left to fend for itself, but needs both support and encouragement from the US. For too long, the people of Taiwan have had the impression that the US was too busy with issues elsewhere in the world — Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, North Korea, Iran — to be concerned with Taiwan’s drift toward China’s sphere of influence. The arms sale has changed that: It is a signal that the US will stand by its commitments under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act and may help defend Taiwan. Having said that, we may want to ask if the signal is strong enough? This depends on how much further the Obama administration is willing to go. Will it keep the door open to further packages such as the 66 F-16C/D jet fighters requested by Taipei in 2006 or the submarines that have been under discussion since at least 2001? And there might be other items required to redress the increasing imbalance in air and naval power across the Taiwan Strait. In particular, is there anything that has truly addressed the imbalance of missiles across the Strait? It is essential that the US works with Taiwan on these issues. The announcement of the sale also comes at a time of increasing belligerence and recalcitrance by Beijing on a wide array of issues: the sentencing of human rights activist Liu Xiaobo (劉曉波) — author of Charter 08 — to 11 years in prison; the blocking of a meaningful accord at the global warming conference in Copenhagen; the refusal to agree on sanctions against Iran; the harsh crackdowns in Tibet and East Turkestan; cyber terrorism against Google and other Western companies and even government offices. These developments are prompting a fundamental reassessment among Western governments and companies on the nature of engagement with China. The assumption behind US and European policy toward China until now has been that economic opening would lead to political liberalization. This basic premise seems increasingly less tenable: What we see is the rise of China — both economically and politically — accompanied with increasing authoritarianism at home and a willingness to throw its weight around in support of unsavory regimes and causes. The Obama administration needs to stand firm on the basic principles of human rights and democracy. These cannot be whittled away in exchange for expediency in getting China to move a few inches on issues such as Iran or North Korea. Against this background, it is also essential that Taiwan clearly shows it wants to remain a free and democratic nation and wants to strengthen its ties with the democratic West instead of moving into the sphere of influence of an undemocratic and repressive China. All too often, economic and business interests push a government in the direction of narrow and short-term gains. Taiwan’s government needs to keep a longer-term vision of a free and democratic Taiwan in mind. It also needs to be emphasized that peace and stability in the Strait can only be achieved if Taiwan maintains strong political, economic and social ties with the many democratic countries, especially its neighbors, and keeps a healthy distance from China. The new arms sale by the Obama administration is a good beginning to help make this possible. Nat Bellocchi is a former chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan and a special adviser to the Liberty Times Group. The views expressed in this article are his own. This story has been viewed 232 times.

Advertising

Copyright © 1999-2010 The Taipei Times. All rights rese

自由電子報 - ECFA記者會 有問題

自由電子報 - ECFA記者會 有問題從「沒有綠卡」變「自動失效」卻提不出證明，您的誠信已經被人民打了個大問號。對於ＥＣＦＡ，您說過簽了 ＥＣＦＡ才能和其他國家簽ＦＴＡ，中國官員已經不只一次揭穿您的謊言；您說過世界各國沒有ＦＴＡ公投的前例，很多學者也舉例證實您說錯了！所以，請不要說 謊，誠實的告訴我們：ＥＣＦＡ為什麼不能公投？

China’s New Year gift is unpalatable

Taipei Times - archives

EDITORIAL : China’s New Year gift is unpalatable

Friday, Feb 05, 2010, Page 8

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications cried foul this week after China took advantage of Taiwan in the allocation of cross-strait flights for next week’s Lunar New Year holiday.

Of the 350 extra flights laid on for the expected increase in cross-strait travel during the holiday period, Taiwanese airlines were only allocated 98, compared with 252 flights for Chinese airlines. To add insult to injury, the departure slots awarded to Taiwanese airlines for major Chinese cities are at extremely inconvenient times.

The imbalance occurred after the Chinese rejected numerous flight requests by Taiwanese carriers on “technical” grounds, while Taiwan accepted all of China’s applications.

While the government may have expected it would be granted the same number of flights as China during this busy period, it should not be news to officials that China does not view Taiwan as its equal and will resort to almost anything to get the upper hand.

What was the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) doing while this was playing out? If it wanted to ensure flights were distributed equally, then why did it not notice a pattern developing and bring it up with its Chinese counterpart?

CAA Director-General Lee Long-wen (李龍文) may have been right on Tuesday when he said the Chinese airlines would not necessarily benefit from the extra flights as the occupation rate for Taiwanese airlines was currently much higher, but his comments smack of closing the stable door after the horse has bolted, and hint at an official trying to cover up for his organization’s incompetence.

The government would be well within its rights to inform China it is canceling a certain number of flights in retaliation for the lack of fairness in distribution, but that is highly unlikely given this administration’s lack of backbone when it comes to dealing with its cross-strait adversary.

In fact, this order of affairs is fully consistent with the pattern that has developed over the last 20 months of exchanges between Taiwan and China since this government came to power.

Before any talks start, Taiwan announces its bottom line, saying the announcement will not compromise the nation’s interests or sovereignty while putting on a show for consumption by the Taiwanese public. Then, when China refuses to budge, Taiwan caves in to its demands and tries to pass off its capitulation as a show of Chinese “goodwill” that serves the best interests of Taiwan.

The pattern is all too familiar, while the outcome is always the same. China gets exactly what it wants while Taiwan ends up compromising.

And while this issue may not be that important to most people — as long as passengers get home, they probably don’t care which airline they take — it has ominous implications.

If this government and its agencies are unwilling to stand up to China on such a trivial matter as flight arrangements, there is little chance they will stand up for Taiwan’s interests and block Beijing’s trickery on more important issues.

With negotiations over an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) now under way, this is an extremely worrying prospect.
This story has been viewed 317 times.

http://help.funp.com/lib/exe/fetch.php/funp/tools/tools_postbtn_script.png?cache=cache

Taiwan ready to follow HK’s example?

Taipei Times - archives

s Taiwan ready to follow HK’s example? By Wu Hui-lin 吳惠林 Wednesday, Feb 03, 2010, Page 8 Milton Friedman, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1976, once said: “If you want to see capitalism in action, go to Hong Kong.” Hong Kong was handed over to China in 1997 under the “one country, two systems” principle, with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) saying it would maintain the territory’s capitalist system and way of life unchanged for 50 years. For the last 13 years, Hong Kong has, on the surface, remained unchanged, but in real terms, conditions are already changing. Based on the annual Index of Economic Freedom report compiled by the Wall Street Journal and the Heritage Foundation, while Hong Kong has kept its high level of economic freedom, the system is in fact rotten. This became more evident after Hong Kong signed the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) with China in 2003. With Hong Kong’s economy falling under CCP control, the overall environment and quality of life in the territory deteriorated, the rich-poor gap widened and social problems worsened. Not long ago, a CNN feature showed 19 Hong Kong residents squeezed into a 58m² “cage-like home,” drawing a stark contrast with the territory’s astronomically expensive luxury mansions. Last October, BusinessWeek cited a report by the UN Development Program that said Hong Kong’s rich-poor gap, based on the Gini coefficient, was the widest among the world’s advanced economies. Generally, a coefficient of 0.4 is seen as a warning sign: Hong Kong already shot past this level by scoring 0.434. The report also said Hong Kong has both a large number of extremely wealthy people and the world’s biggest public housing sector. Moreover, other than foreign workers, workers in the territory do not enjoy minimum wages. Aside from the economic drop-off, political freedoms have fared even worse. General elections for chief executive and members of the Legislative Council and Executive Council have repeatedly been postponed. Hong Kong also blindly follows Beijing’s lead in issuing entry permits. For instance, six key members of the US-based Shen Yun Performing Arts (神韻藝術團) troupe were refused visas at the last moment last week, forcing the entire group to cancel seven sold-out performances. Taiwanese should pay close attention to Hong Kong as it serves an example of what could happen here if the government continued to desperately seek an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China. The current economic recovery already reflects this — a stock market awash in funds and speculation in the housing market. Taiwan’s richest 20 percent continues to be more than six times wealthier than the poorest 20 percent. Its Gini coefficient hovers between 0.34 and 0.35, unemployment is near 6 percent and wage hikes in the industrial and service sectors since 1991 have lagged significantly behind economic growth figures. Since 2000, salary growth has slowed further and even begun to drop. Aside from rising housing prices, there has also been an influx of hot money from abroad. It is hard to imagine what will happen if these problems are compounded by massive amounts of Chinese investment. More importantly, the reason Hong Kong has been able to maintain the appearance of “one country, two systems” is that Taiwan has not yet fallen into the CCP’s hands. As soon as Taiwan becomes a special administrative region like Hong Kong and Macau, the three and China will become “one system” — the CCP-controlled Chinese system. We must ask ourselves if we are willing to see this happen. Wu Hui-lin is a researcher at the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research. TRANSLATED BY DREW CAMERON This story has been viewed 251 times.

Advertising

Copyright © 1999-2010 The Taipei Ti

二年後你的老闆會是大陸man - TaiwanYes

二年後你的老闆會是大陸man - TaiwanYes

二年後你的老闆會是大陸人

請正視這篇文章吧！

我老了起碼還有退休俸好拿
也許十幾二十年錢會變少
但沒關係我吃苦吃慣了
但我兒孫們呢我們全台灣人呢
努力再努力但效果沒多大

用觀念要改才行啊

二年後你的老闆會是大陸人
看到這篇文章心裡覺得難過，我也常常把這個想法掛在嘴邊，
不過我個人擔心的是五年後，沒想到理財週刊
說我們只剩下二年的時間來拼了。

我認識幾個外商銀行的年輕大陸人個個都是來自MIT或牛津
或長春藤名校，而且每個的工作態度都十分認真，每天都像是
7-11一樣，真的是很不簡單。
有一次我和他們下班約出來打籃球，還有一個大陸仔居然說
打完球、晚上洗完澡，還要回辦公室，看到他們追求成功的渴望
和認真的態度，我心裡長想，我那裡比人家強，所幸我現在是有
比他們多點人脈和經驗，如果我不趕快爬上再高一點的位置，
很快就會被長江後浪推前浪，前人準備死在沙灘上了。
看到現在台灣的很多年輕人的抗壓性和態度都不是很好，我真
的十分擔心，我想現在我們大家都要更加互相勉勵也多加油了！
希望大家都能持續增加自己的價值而不要在未來隨便被別人
取代。
十年前，台灣企業要調派一個員工到中國去工作，薪水起碼要
增加1/3，甚至更多，還不見得有人願意去，那個時候，台灣人
的「優越感」很強，大家最想要做的工作，是到外國公司上班，
到Apple、IBM這種國際大公司謀個一官半職，可以光宗耀祖。
但是，IBM的筆記型電腦部門已經被中國聯想集團買走，抱著
這種夢想進入IBM工作的台灣人，無論是不是已經取得綠卡，
他的老闆現在是中國人。十年後的現在，很多企業的員工都說：
「我做好心理準備了，願意去中國闖闖，請給我個機會。」
最近幾年，想要前進中國的人更多了，很多前進中國的台商或
外商更聰明了，聰明調整他們的人事策略，不管是從美國或
台灣被派去中國，除非你是副總(VP)級以上的高層職位，他們
大多會要求你接受所謂的「localpay」，也就是根據當地分公
司物價水準所制訂的薪水標準。
更令人訝異的是，短短五年，「大陸人管台灣人」正在增加。
近五年來，包括中國聯想電腦、中國海爾電器、中國華為科技，
以及北大方正與中興通訊等中國企業，陸續來台成立分公司，
這些公司的最高階主管都是大陸人，而員工，都是台灣人，
這些台灣分公司的台灣員工，領的是大陸老闆的薪水。
如果，你只注意台灣二次金改的金融業併購；那麼，你可能
不知道，中國的銀行正不斷的往全世界併購。
如果，你只注意外資買賣超台股多少；那麼，你可能不知道，
外資擠破頭想進入中國投資，卻不得其門而入。
如果，你只注意台灣高科技與製造業世界聞名；那麼，你可能
不知道，現在全世界龍頭企業面對最大的競爭對手，就是中國
的企業。
如果，你只擔心中國阻擋台灣加入聯合國；那麼，2年後，你
可能就要準備讓中國人當你的老闆。
過去政府鎖國，造就台灣企業無法與世界接軌，導致現在面臨
競爭力不足的情況；現在政府對中國的門戶開放政策，一位金控
業的專業總經理說：「只要一家中國建設銀行的財力，便能買下
兩個台灣的所有金融機構，顯示台灣正面臨著來自中國強大金融
實力，將可能會有無力招架的窘境，這是對台灣人發出的重要
警訊，如果再不努力提升自己的競爭力，可能就必須面臨被對岸
取代的壓力。
在全世界競爭激烈下，企業透過併購提升自己的競爭力，早已
屢見不鮮。但現在中國的企業經營困境是欠缺人才、技術與創新，
唯獨不缺資金，反正有的是錢，只要花錢買，照樣可以突破這些
經營上的困境，並進一步將企業規模放大，增強實力與全世界競爭。
所以，朝全世界龍頭產業進行戰略性布局，收購國際大型企業，
是中國慣用的方式，台灣人不僅必須正視這個議題，更應該加緊強化
自己的實力，將格局定位在全世界，將企業立足於制高點，聯合
其他國家資金，以共同迎接未來。

台灣印象2010

台灣印象2010

http://help.funp.com/lib/exe/fetch.php/funp/tools/tools_postbtn_script.png?cache=cache

20100111自由時報　　　言論自由蒙羞

20100111自由時報　　　 日前，各報報導某媒體因「陳雲林Ｃ咖事件」，而進行編輯台高層的調動，該媒體沒有否認或承認是否與該事件有關，但整個事情確實已經透露出中國已相當程度掌控台灣的媒體。 事實上，中國掌握台灣媒體的消息，早就不是新聞，但這次竟然因一則報導，就能夠撼動編輯台，可見事態嚴重。不禁讓人擔憂，中國中宣部彷彿已經成為新聞局或ＮＣＣ太上機關，而該媒體總編輯的調動，更是之前中國新京報與南方都市報的翻版。 中國控制台灣媒體的統戰策略，根據作家袁紅冰所述，可說是「以台制台，為我所用；由點到面，全面控制。」從目前看來，此策略已開始奏效。許多台灣媒體因亟 欲進入中國市場，加上大環境不佳，對中國的資金與市場誘惑開始無法抵擋。而中共也就利用港資或台商投資的名義，開始入主台灣的媒體，相關媒體也開始自律性 的審查，除了對中國歌功頌德外，也不斷鼓吹統一。至於中國忌諱的議題，包括六四紀念二十週年、法輪功以及西藏與新疆的抗議事件等，則多避而不談；最誇張的 是，去年達賴來台祈福，竟有許多媒體的報導，彷彿中共中央電視台的分支，其口徑與論調讓人吃驚！至於少數堅持自由民主與台灣主體價值的媒體，如自由時報、 民視、三立等，中國則千方百計想要予以收買控制，或利用廣告贊助商來威脅，甚至低劣到不發記者證來限制採訪自由。許多所謂的名嘴或媒體人，更因為覬覦在中 國的發展性，不斷配合中國的演出，這些媒體人的自我設限及自我摧殘，無異使台灣的言論自由蒙羞！ 這一切，馬政府不但沒有進行監督管理之責，反而推波助瀾！所以，台灣社會要自我覺醒，瞭解到此議題的嚴重性，並慎選新聞訊息的接收，抗拒這些不肖媒體！ （作者王士維　現任大學講師）

liar ma need be punished

Taipei Times - archives

DPP must do more to rein in the president

By Chiu Hei-yuan 瞿海源

Sunday, Jan 10, 2010, Page 8

‘People have the impression that China could lead this horse away at will.’

Throughout last year, nothing went smoothly in Taiwan: not politics, not the economy, not cross-strait relations. And then there was a natural disaster and social problems.

The public is depressed. To blame is the administration of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), which, like an unbridled, dim-witted horse, pulls the nation around aimlessly. This places the country in an extremely dangerous position.

Under a normal democratic system, the executive branch must be checked and balanced by the legislature and the judiciary. These two branches should pull on the executive’s reins.

However, these checks and balances have all but disappeared. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has an overwhelming dominance in the legislature and Ma has broken a promise by taking over the party’s chairmanship. This has given him direct control over the legislature, while the judiciary is directing its energies toward the case against former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).

During the ongoing US beef debacle, however, the Ma administration’s less-than-intelligent decision-making angered the majority of voters, forcing KMT legislators to wield the whip and join the opposition in legislating against the importation of new categories of US beef.

In spite of this, the dull horse remains the unrestrained master.

A strong opposition is the crucial democratic force to restrain the ruling party. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), however, is extremely weak in the legislature and has not been the counterbalancing force that an opposition party must be.

Although the DPP diligently waved the whip last year, it mostly whipped into empty air. It did not even get close to the horse.

The government dug its own hole and landed itself in dire straits with its response to Typhoon Morakot and the decision to import more types of US beef. This returned some power to the DPP to put some constraints on the government. Although the number of votes cast for the DPP increased in the latest election, it still does not have enough seats to match the KMT.

It was public anger over Typhoon Morakot and the tussle over US beef imports that suddenly reined in the government. The government tried to break free, but the reins were strong, and the government had to give in.

The next time a typhoon is about to hit Taiwan, every level of government will be very nervous, while through the Consumers’ Foundation, public concern over US beef will give the legislature some force to restrain the government.

What is most worrying is that China seems to have put strong reins on the horse, which is behaving as if it wants the reins. People have the impression that China could lead this horse away at will.

A mustang that breaks free and goes on a rampage is dangerous, but a dull-witted horse that breaks free will make a mess of everything. As the new year begins, the DPP must do what it can to rein in that old horse.



Chiu Hei-yuan is a research fellow at the Institute of Sociology at Academia Sinica.