tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-159689972011-04-22T03:05:03.679+08:00A Western immigrant's perspective on politics in the Republic of China, Taiwan.Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.comBlogger831100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-16319497518675944362008-05-21T09:28:00.006+08:002008-12-12T15:43:56.691+08:00

When I started this blog three years ago, 陳水扁 Chen Shui-bian had just been re-elected and the DPP was still in relative ascendancy. You’ll have to take me at my word when I say that the English-speaking blogs were generally pro-Chen and pro-DPP, a position that was shared by only half the voting population of the island of Taiwan, that with hindsight was the apex of Chen’s popularity. Occasional

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-28254163101275671312008-01-13T08:30:00.000+08:002008-12-12T15:43:57.287+08:00

Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha. Haha.

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1154358709284650172006-07-31T23:11:00.000+08:002006-07-31T23:13:08.906+08:00

From ESWN, confirmation came today that First Daughter 陳幸妤 Chen Hsing-yu, wife of disgraced First Son-Law 趙建銘 Chao Chien-ming have a taxpayer-financed housekeeper - to the tune of NT$2 million (US$ 375,000). The cover story is that their home is supposedly an official residence of the president. Riiiight.The receipts scandal is picking up steam, as it is becoming apparent that ROC President 陳水扁

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1154098301243467082006-07-28T22:51:00.000+08:002006-07-28T22:55:33.763+08:00

Yet another potential presidential scandal is brewing as news came today that the Ministry of Audit has sent NT$36 million (approx. US$1.1 million) worth of unsupported expense claims by the Presidential Office to the High Prosecutors Office for formal investigation. Accusations are flying again and fingers are pointing (again) at First Lady 吳淑珍 Wu Shu-chen, who is accused of collecting receipts

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1153835727555204682006-07-25T21:55:00.000+08:002006-07-28T22:54:08.686+08:00

The news channels and the China Post brought us the story of student 黎文正 Li Wen-cheng today. Li has been on a hunger strike for some 120 hours at 中正紀念堂 Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei. Li is striking for the resignation of ROC President 陳水扁 Chen Shui-Bian. The irony here is that student protests were once the hallmark of those who supported the DPP and Chen. Chen’s apparent response

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1153407395795390822006-07-20T22:56:00.000+08:002006-07-20T23:08:04.550+08:00

ESWN, a respected Hong Kong based blog on China, has posted a series of translations from the book Extraordinary Sayings (非常道) by Yu Shicun (余世存). With Chen’s recent ploy for sympathy by having his wife offer to divorce him, this quote from Part 2 stands out:In 1915, Sun Yat-sen and Song Qinglin (宋庆龄) fell in love with each other in Japan. Sun was opposed to the idea of a concubine and he

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1153150393218669822006-07-17T23:33:00.000+08:002006-07-17T23:33:51.116+08:00

Woe to the president of the Republic of China. Never mind the benefits of power that have been reaped by him and his; toss out the scandals dogging him, his wife, and his children; ignore his arrogant and reckless disregard for the welfare of the people of this island - forget all your values and support 陳水扁 Chen Shui-Bian, because his wife has ‘volunteered’ to divorce him in a pathetic ploy for

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1153148749738939362006-07-17T23:05:00.000+08:002006-07-18T11:40:32.633+08:00

A recent Taipei Times editorial blasted the KMT for hypocrisy and obsequiousness in turning its back on a pan-blue supporter in Mainland China who was recently detained for displaying a KMT and ROC flag in 重慶 Chongqing. Oddly enough, a web search did not uncover the claimed ‘wide coverage in the overseas Chinese-language press’ - as a matter of fact the Taipei Times and Epoch Times were the

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1152803045151227192006-07-13T23:04:00.000+08:002006-07-30T20:52:50.896+08:00

For those of you new to Taiwan, or looking for a quick introduction to the maze that is Taiwan politics, I’ve prepared a short modern political history of the ROC, PRC, China, and Taiwan. This in part a response to the heavily-slanted timeline that is currently at the top of a Google search for “Taiwan History”.If you’re new to Taiwan or just don’t want to wade through page after page of

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1152542400182998282006-07-10T22:33:00.000+08:002006-07-10T22:40:00.216+08:00

'Nuff said.[Taiwan] [ROC] [Taiwan Corruption] [Chen Shui-bian]

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1152540347073903782006-07-10T22:05:00.000+08:002006-07-11T19:04:20.293+08:00

Breaking news in Taiwan as ROC President 陳水扁 Chen Shui-Bian’s son-in-law 趙建銘 Chao Chien-ming was officially charged today. Although he is still under investigation in several other matters, he was charged with insider trading today by the Taipei District Prosecutor’s Office, facing eight years in prison. Chen has been held since May 25th and missed the birth of his son while in custody last week

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1152260299281291172006-07-07T16:18:00.000+08:002006-07-07T21:14:44.383+08:00

Political news in Taiwan has been quiet over the past few weeks, with little of interest to comment on - 90 degree weather tends to sap even Taiwan’s politicians of the energy to fight.As expected, PFP chairman 宋楚瑜 James Soong’s pet motion to impeach the president failed miserably after KMT chairman 馬英九 Ma Ying-jeou poured some cold water on his efforts and mathematics prevailed. Ma managed to

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1150993604433522212006-06-23T00:26:00.001+08:002006-06-23T07:48:57.013+08:00

The pro-green Taipei Times has been trotting out a steady stream of editorials criticizing the motion to recall the president, with headlines that include “Don’t undermine our democracy“, ”Pan-blue recall bid a sick joke“ and ”When silence is not golden“. One might think that the island was under some real threat, rather than facing an attack on the hegemony of some unoriginal political

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1150380426924892832006-06-15T22:07:00.000+08:002006-06-15T22:24:06.690+08:00

With ROC President 陳水扁 Chen Shui-Bian’s popularity in a nosedive, both sides of the political divide in Taiwan are looking to the future for some sign of hope. Unfortunately, the silver lining in this cloud is proving hard to find. The DPP’s seemingly endless Taipei mayoral election problems point to stormy waters ahead.Former 謝長廷 Premier Frank Hsieh has been the expected candidate since nearly

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1150122240483364882006-06-12T22:24:00.000+08:002006-06-15T22:16:37.460+08:00

In a confusing, if not confused, response to the talk of presidential recall going around, embattled ROC president 陳水扁 Chen Shui-Bian claimed in an e-letter that the recall was an 'oppression of justice’. Chen’s rhetoric accused the KMT of such classics as "naked political interference in the judiciary process," "oppression of the justice system," and of conducting a "Chinese cultural revolution

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1149950443600950332006-06-10T22:40:00.000+08:002006-06-10T22:51:20.703+08:00

This isn’t a photoblog, but I came across this interesting image spray-painted on a wall in the 師大 Shi-Da night market area today.And the newest fad in Taipei, and perhaps in Taiwan, are ‘2260’ T-shirts. 2260 is First Son-in-law 趙建銘 Chao Chien-ming’s prisoner number. I’m not sure what exactly the symbol is supposed to represent - perhaps the frustration and outrage over the scandal, which

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1149783915249194142006-06-09T22:10:00.000+08:002006-06-09T22:10:54.150+08:00

KMT legislator 邱毅 Chiu Yi has effectively been prevented from giving a speech in China, after making public comments. Chiu is apparently something of a hero on the mainland, where he is credited with exposing the corruption that dogs the administration. He’s been labeled by some as the ‘king of exposes’ and seems to be in the news just about every other day with some new tidbit. He’s not liked

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1149518381257404702006-06-05T22:39:00.000+08:002006-06-05T22:51:36.616+08:00

With the arrest of First Son-in-law 趙建銘 Chao Chien-ming dogging him, current ROC president 陳水扁 Chen Shui-Bian has ‘ceded his powers’ to Premier 蘇貞昌 Su Tseng-chang. Chen’s made big deal out of giving up his powers - powers that he doesn’t even have. Poor A-bien is going to go hide in a corner of the Presidential Building feel sorry for himself. Plus he’s going to self-criticize some more (that’s

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1148912579550953972006-05-29T22:22:00.000+08:002006-05-29T22:30:12.943+08:00

While the arrest of current ROC president 陳水扁 Chen Shui-Bian’s son-in-law 趙建銘 Chao Chien-ming is dominating the headlines, a second, more confusing scandal has come out involving the hapless, scandal-plagued 高速鐵路即將通車 Taiwan High Speed Rail project. From what I can make out, the high-speed rail will pass through the Souther Taiwan Science Park and make a lot of noise. The Ministry of

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1148486196283127532006-05-25T09:45:00.000+08:002006-06-10T22:44:04.596+08:00

Current ROC president 陳水扁 Chen Shui-Bian’s son-in-law 趙建銘 Chao Chien-ming was brought in for questioning Wednesday morning in connection with the stock scandal and hasn’t been released. Mom’s house was raided this morning. He’s now in the Taipei District Courthouse, likely in front of a judge facing a request for detention, a precursor to formal charges being filed. UPDATE: Chao was formally

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1148484330642489082006-05-25T00:25:00.000+08:002006-05-24T23:43:45.156+08:00

The Government Information Office recently launched a staggeringly clueless campaign for international recognition of Taiwan through the WHO, ahead of the annual meeting of the organization this week. ROC president 陳水扁 Chen Shui-Bian’s idea-bankrupt administration continues to rely on a ‘guilt-based’ foreign policy approach with little regard to its repeated failures in garnering international

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1148305377062539352006-05-22T21:42:00.000+08:002006-05-22T22:09:27.496+08:00

With ROC president 陳水扁 Chen Shui-Bian's return from his leisurely jaunt around the world, Jerome Keating has begun an online protest of the ‘unequal treatment’ Taiwan receives from the US. Other pro-green bloggers such as Michael Turton have expressed their support, and the Taipei Times mimics the letter in a recent scare-mongering editorial. The Carnegie Foundation presents one of the

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1147966322100285942006-05-19T18:03:00.000+08:002006-05-22T21:57:38.756+08:00

Priceless phrases today as the DPP’s legislative caucus turned on current ROC president 陳水扁 Chen Shui-Bian’s son-in-law, 趙建銘 Chao Chien-ming, who is embroiled in a stock scandal. They refused to defend Chao, saying, “They just like to twist the law in order to obtain bribes,” and that no DPP lawmakers could defend the family because no one knew the truth. Long gone are the days of blind faith

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1147691864699091122006-05-15T19:17:00.000+08:002006-05-15T19:22:54.380+08:00

Oh, the hapless Chen family is at it again. Current ROC president 陳水扁 Chen Shui-Bian must be pulling his hair out at the welcome home present that his son-in-law just gave him. Ever-vigilant KMT Legislator 邱毅 Chiu Yi, in one of those news conferences that Chen has been ranting about, accused Chen’s son-in-law, 趙建銘 Chao Chien-ming, of insider trading. Prosecutors have started investigating in the

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1147346571254186812006-05-11T19:22:00.000+08:002006-05-11T19:26:58.970+08:00

Experts say KMT chairman 馬英九 Ma Ying-jeou’s opposition to the recent discussion about a constitutional amendment may deepen division between him and Legislative Yuan president 王金平 Wang Jin-pyng, a pan-blue ‘heavyweight’ who lost the KMT chairmanship election to Ma last year.DPP supporters are gleefully shouting ”fire“ at the smoke, desperate for some break in the rising tide of support for the

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1147055904781122162006-05-08T10:38:00.000+08:002006-05-08T10:40:59.930+08:00

In a recent speech, KMT chairman 馬英九 Ma Ying-jeou made some intelligent points about the recent call for constitutional changes. The speech didn’t get much media coverage but I think the ideas are worth thinking about, .Ma said the ROC constitution should not be treated as a scapegoat for Taiwan's problems, pointing out that the constitution has been amended seven times in the last 15 years. Ma

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1146841717898652762006-05-05T23:08:00.000+08:002006-05-05T23:17:54.856+08:00

The fruits of current ROC president 陳水扁 Chen Shui-Bian’s recent desperate attempt to bolster his popularity have been harvested - and all of the ROC on Taiwan is suffering for it as the president of the ROC is tossed around the world like an unwanted hot potato.Chen asked for a transit two weeks before the planned travel that and then threw a hissy fit over not being able to sleep over in New

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1146743933721506282006-05-04T19:58:00.000+08:002006-05-04T20:05:46.636+08:00

The case of 高年億 Kao Nien-yi has been making headlines in Taiwan recently. Kao is involved in the case of 李進誠 Lee Chin-cheng, former director of the Examination Bureau of the Financial Supervisory Commission and a key suspect in an insider trading scandal. Kao, a reporter for UDN, has been fined three times for a total of NT$90,000 (US$3,000) for refusing to name the source of a story he ran on

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1146405342604138172006-04-30T21:55:00.000+08:002006-04-30T22:01:28.876+08:00

In a bid to beat back the furor over her compulsive investing habit as previously discussed on TOS, ROC First Lady 吳淑珍 Wu Shu-chen has announced that she will sell all stock and REITs that she owns and donate the profits to charity. The ever-humble administration claimed that this reflected "the high moral standards [Wu] requires of herself.“ That’s not very high, then, not even by Taiwan’s

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1146334450181608832006-04-29T14:14:00.000+08:002006-04-30T22:03:20.936+08:00

The president’s wife is at it again, despite her claims of being too simple-minded to understand all that financial stuff. Although no hard evidence has surfaced to support the Sogo scandal, there’s no rest for ROC First Lady 吳淑珍 Wu Shu-chen, who has been caught with her hands in the investment cookie jar again.Many of you will remember that Wu got in hot water in February 2004 for suddenly

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1145769215475140622006-04-23T13:13:00.000+08:002006-04-30T02:19:22.156+08:00

ROC citizens across Taiwan have been dragged into their district government offices en masse for their new national ID cards. There’s a strange, new symbol of the Republic of China prominent in the background of the actual id, which is conveniently blocked by big SAMPLE letters on the online version of the card. I certainly have never seen it before, and it bears no relationship to any of the

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1144769210052463422006-04-11T23:20:00.000+08:002006-04-11T23:26:50.056+08:00

Another story that seems to be escaping the eye of the English media is the still-developing 太平洋 Sogo scandal. Sogo was once the Taiwan equivalent of Harrods, but has fallen on hard times recently. Sogo’s previous owner, 章民強 Zhang Min-qiang once supported current ROC President 陳水扁Chen Shui-Bian, but later publicly stated that he did so with the hope that Chen would extend his credit and allow

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1144424022721492182006-04-07T23:33:00.000+08:002006-04-07T23:33:42.736+08:00

According to Chinese-language news reports, 陳哲男 Chen Che-nan, a senior ex-advisor to ROC President 陳水扁 Chen Shui-bian who I’ve previously blogged on, has been finally arrested, 5 months after he was forced to step down. Bail has been denied, as Chen has a habit of taking secret trips out of the country. This may finally be sign of law enforcement finally showing some backbone and not bending to

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1144338816152640712006-04-06T23:53:00.000+08:002006-04-06T23:53:36.243+08:00

Taiwan and DPP supporters may be the victims of a spin overdose - there’s been some confusion (no, it’s 馬英九 Ma Ying-jeou’s ratings that are down -really!) and denial over just how little the people of Taiwan like current ROC President 陳水扁Chen Shui-Bian, according to their own poll.“...China Times quoted an internal DPP poll putting Chen's approval rating at a record low 18 percent. - China Daily

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1144078222730623672006-04-03T23:30:00.000+08:002006-04-03T23:35:59.666+08:00

The label of ‘Leninist’ is freely and regularly hurled at the KMT by its detractors. A Google search reveals for ‘Lenist’ and ‘KMT’ yields over 18,000 hits, with pseudo-scholar and rabid Taiwan Independence supporter Jerome F. Keating at the top of the list. Poorly-informed but perhaps well-intentioned commentators have picked up on the phrase, and happily continue connecting the KMT with the

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1143348447610864762006-03-26T12:27:00.001+08:002006-03-26T12:50:22.303+08:00

I caught the full Washington Press Corps session with 馬英九 Ma Ying-jeou on TV here Friday night. What a surprise - the English news coverage here was on the sparse side (1,2,3, if you haven’t already seen it) and English-speakers across the Pacific barely noticed enough to put together what I consider to be satisfactory coverage. I give him a lot of credit for not only making the statement in

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1143218326063341232006-03-25T00:38:00.000+08:002006-03-25T08:58:21.256+08:00

With thanks to Ultra Blue,I’d like to make you all aware of an amazing writer, 朱柄文 Bevin Chu, who has been posting online since 1997 at The Straight Scoop. The website is provides a wealth of resources and links that I plan to spend the next few weeks going through. I’d like to take a few moments to comment on Bevin’s requiem for his father, Old Diplomats Never Die, They Just Fade Away.Chu

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1142957678270192762006-03-22T23:30:00.000+08:002006-03-25T00:17:50.560+08:00

Somebody somewhere (I say if you’re not willing to put you name to your actions that makes you a coward, Chen Shui-Bian) in the government has proposed the removal of statues of 蔣中正Jiang Zhong-Zhen, or Chiang Kai-Shek (notice how the pro-Taiwan Independence Taipei Times ignores his honored name) and 蔣經國 Chiang Ching-Kuo. The pro-DPP blogger chorus has responded with hypocritical applause,

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1142863211955203542006-03-20T22:00:00.000+08:002006-03-20T22:00:12.066+08:00

Rank’s latest post, a preview of the DPP bloggers’ planned hatchet job (fairness and accuracy? I can’t wait) on the KMT’s 馬英九 Ma Ying-jeou while he visits foreign countries and actually does something to improve the ROC’s image, really struck a nerve with me:The problem here of course is that residents of Taipei City tend to be anti-Chen because of the high proportion of mainlanders in

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1142266433887509982006-03-14T00:13:00.000+08:002006-03-14T00:19:26.056+08:00

A news story that slipped me last month but bears mention is ROC President 陳水扁Chen Shui-Bian’s brilliant use of Brokeback Mountain as an analogy for US-Taiwan relations about 2 weeks ago. Chinese coverage here. I’d like to step out on a limb here and say that this wasn’t exactly the most politically astute comment Chen could have made to improve relations. To start, US President George W. Bush

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1142078518639560932006-03-11T20:01:00.000+08:002006-03-11T20:17:47.266+08:00

Earlier this week attention was brought back to bear on the high speed hijinks the DPP pulled to save the troubled Taiwan High Speed Rail 高速鐵路即將通車. In a dizzying display of logic, newly installed Premier 蘇貞昌 Su Tseng-chang made an admirable (a-hem) stand for transparency and an end to to the corruption that plagues the DPP and this island: I will not cover up anyone's mistakes, but neither can I

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1141653515215147902006-03-06T21:58:00.000+08:002006-03-14T00:23:03.813+08:00

The history textbooks I read through my higher education in the US portrayed 蔣中正Jiang Zhong-Zhen, or Chiang Kai-Shek, as an inept dictator who wasted generous US aid and military support, who governed with an iron fist and looted the country. I happen to disagree. The 中華民國 or ROC was seen as an ineffectual, Weimar-like government, usurped by the aforementioned dictatorship. The extremist

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1141126003700113802006-02-28T19:26:00.000+08:002006-02-28T19:37:46.176+08:00

For all of us that are worried about ROC President 陳水扁 Chen Shui-Bian’s bold yet perplexing move to remove the Nation Unification Council, I have some bad news - we have been had. Had in the best, classic A-bien fashion. Ignore the silly debate over ‘cease to function’ versus ‘abolish’. Forget a campaign to bring the President to his senses, or the talk of recall/impeachment - we’re all missing

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1141037847791526642006-02-27T18:39:00.000+08:002006-02-28T19:26:35.240+08:00

ROC President 陳水扁 Chen Shui-Bian has come up with his latest cry for help. In a desperate bid for attention, he is planning on making yet another unneeded, unrequested, and politically provacative change to the political structure to the ROC - scrapping the Unification Council. This is a move that has no widespread popular support - the office is yet another harmless idiosyncrasy in the dual

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1138676651822549512006-01-31T11:04:00.000+08:002006-01-31T11:04:11.890+08:00

Taipei has become something of a ghost town this week. Normally bustling districts are empty, one can always get a seat on the MRT, and the usual background noise of political skirmishes has faded to an eerie silence. A-bian’s latest bit of silliness, “you should be sitting on the edges of your seats at the news desk to hear that indigenous dogs have better spirit than those other breeds,” has

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1138275239140841902006-01-26T19:33:00.000+08:002006-06-15T22:20:32.420+08:00

The Republic of China got a new premier today, its fifth in the last 5 years. ROC President 陳水扁 Chen Shui-Bian got rid of his most recent “yes man”, 謝長廷 Frank Hsieh, notable for his lack of original ideas and vociferous defense of his master’s policies. Having already used up and tossed away most of the DPP’s best and brightest, Chen has been forced into eating a bit of crow. 蘇貞昌 Su

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1136561970955599412006-01-06T23:39:00.000+08:002006-01-06T23:53:05.786+08:00

How do you say no to this?After the announcement of the selection of gift pandas from Mainland China, reaction here has been typically polarized. A confused Taipei Times claims that Taiwan is somehow ‘standing up’ to China on panda imports. A paranoid DPP spokesperson labeled them today as ‘統戰貓’tong3 zhang4 mao, literally ‘unification war cats’, claiming that the pandas are China’s newest

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1136205844138133742006-01-02T20:44:00.000+08:002006-01-02T20:48:48.206+08:00

After dropping big hints to media outlets that the Presidential New Year’s Address was going to be ‘big’ news, ROC President 陳水扁 Chen Shui-Bian instead used the occasion to demonstrate exactly how out of touch he really is. His first major speech in nearly 20 days featured no policy changes, zero vision for the future, misrepresented the public consciousness of Taiwan. Some points: While

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1135959813376674062005-12-31T00:23:00.000+08:002005-12-31T00:23:33.386+08:00

The ROC’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has posted a classic response to Mainland China’s rise and recent white paper. Tim Maddog over at INDIC has posted some glowing support that is good for a few chuckles. I’ll seriously (chortle) take his advice about “not buying anything with a "Made in China" label” under consideration.The DPP-led ministry has gleefully ignored the proverb "Why do you

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1135268145870319102005-12-23T00:15:00.000+08:002005-12-24T17:26:38.536+08:00

Taiwan’s nascent democracy got a much-needed nudge yesterday as ROC President 陳水扁 Chen Shui-Bian was finally called to task for his inflammatory rhetoric. With the president’s influence waning, the interests of justice are now occasionally being considered over political allegiances in the local courts. Chen has been ordered to publicly apologize through newspaper advertisements and to pay

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1134578364950427952005-12-15T00:39:00.000+08:002005-12-15T00:42:31.956+08:00

Fallout from the December 4th elections continues to grab headlines. ROC President 陳水扁 Chen Shui-Bian and Vice President 呂秀蓮 Annette Lu (Lu Xiu-Lian) haven't talked for 10 days, despite working one floor apart in the same building. For those of you that aren't aware, Lu was the one who went to jail during some of the darkest days of martial law, and Chen was the lawyer who defended her. Lu

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1133799842666128602005-12-06T00:24:00.000+08:002005-12-06T22:42:13.743+08:00

The MRT system in 高雄 Kaohsiung (Gaoxiong) not only caused the DPP's election collapse in Saturday's elections, but also directly caused a road collapse last night. Chinese language news is reporting the seventh structural failure causing a cave in. TV footage shows an approximately 50 meter wide hole next to the one pictured above, with trees being sucked into the chasm. The English news

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1133623462136447802005-12-03T23:24:00.000+08:002005-12-04T21:10:24.026+08:00

Breaking news for TOS readers ahead of the sloth-like English news services in Taiwan. English articles are currently available at Forbes, the Guardian and the BBC The KMT/PFP swept the mid-term legislative elections today. The pan-blue coalition moved far beyond its traditional northern Taiwan power base and consolidated power in the central and southern regions, reflecting rising discontent

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1133273939089530362005-11-29T22:18:00.000+08:002005-11-29T23:04:33.720+08:00

Continuing comments on Jeome F. Keating's recent post. I would love to post this sort of response on his blog, but unfortunately (or conveniently) he doesn't have any sort of comment system. I know that this is a creakingly old news, but it's important that this kind of content gets refuted.Keating writes,"Carved on Kinmen’s highest mountain are the words “Remember our days at Chu”. And

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1132997275731996422005-11-26T17:27:00.000+08:002005-11-26T17:30:09.596+08:00

Blogger/writer Jeome F. Keating masks his near-blind pro-green support with a pseudo-scholarly style. In a recent post, Keating questions the KMT's commitment to democracy, once again re-hashing accusations that the KMT are traitors, turncoats, and foreign invaders. The post claims that the KMT shares the CCP's one-party state paradigm, still hungering for total control. Of course the

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1132331779867703262005-11-19T00:36:00.000+08:002005-11-19T00:41:51.016+08:00

Politics truly makes for strange bedfellows; even Taiwan's traditionally liberal elements are turning against the DPP. Some interesting analysis from POTS, the newspaper of the art community in Taiwan. "...the money spent on tourism was never seriously intended to be used that way. Basically, it's a giant barrel of pork, so that Taiwan's all-powerful construction businesses can pour more

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1131968924929023952005-11-14T19:48:00.000+08:002005-11-14T20:09:32.063+08:00

In a recent post, Taiwan blogger Tim Maddog shares the DPP's latest flogging of the 'blame everything on the KMT' horse. Stories last week revealed a secret offer of dual representation in the lead-up to the US switching recognition to mainland China. The pro-DPP Taipei Times joins Tim in drooling over the idea that dual representation, if passed in 1971, would have ensured Taipei's seat in the

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1131629629785437742005-11-10T21:33:00.000+08:002005-11-11T21:21:42.446+08:00

A slightly dated editorial in the China Post makes some nice points about Taiwan's choices over the past few years. While many, including myself, praise the high-spirited debate and passion of Taiwan's young democracy, we often fail to consider the price. "Taiwan is a very small, overcrowded island. Apart from its fertile western plain and its hard working people, it has no resources. Taiwan

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1131377289054992102005-11-07T23:28:00.000+08:002006-05-29T22:26:55.163+08:00

The first high-speed test of the Taiwan High Speed Rail 高速鐵路即將通車 'bullet train' made headlines today, in an attempt to counter bad press last month from a 1 year delay, near-bankruptcy, and government infusion of NT$7.5 billion (US$230 million).A quick comparison of the different transportation methods to Kaohsiung shows storm clouds ahead for the already shaky service, first approved by KMT

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1131113581237894452005-11-04T22:13:00.000+08:002005-11-04T22:29:19.733+08:00

Our 1st 'stupid in any language' award goes to Premier 謝長廷 Frank Hsieh, who defended the current cabinet with this fine piece of logic: "We should not drive somebody away (out of the administration) simply because he does not understand politics, should we?"I'm sorry, but what exactly is someone who doesn't understand politics doing in politics, anyway? Not only should he be chased out with

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1130775146442471662005-11-01T00:12:00.000+08:002005-11-01T15:31:58.276+08:00

Following up on my previous post, the DPP ramped its attacks on TVBS up another notch. (alt link) ROC President 陳水扁Chen Shui-Bian is so "deeply grateful for the criticisms made by our media friends," that his attack-dog Government Information Office (GIO) has fined the station for missing paperwork a few months ago. Now the GIO claims the station is foreign-owned and a communist mouthpiece,

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1130517371160546752005-10-29T00:36:00.000+08:002006-01-03T21:45:15.820+08:00

The DPP has been keeping a low profile for weeks now, battered by the still-snowballing Kaohsiung MRT scandal, previously discussed here and here. With legislative elections a month away, the DPP is on the run with problems nicely summarized here.This week saw another high-ranking official in the DPP Presidential Office further brought down by corruption charges. 陳哲男 Chen Che-nan, a senior

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1130162291290016702005-10-24T21:58:00.000+08:002005-11-02T00:44:11.970+08:00

The 中國國民黨Kuo Ming Tang and 中國共産黨Chinese Communist Party have had something of a rapprochement over the past few years, particularly since the end of 李登輝 Lee Tung-Hui's presidency, and especially since the 2004 presidential elections in Taiwan. This has caused quite a stir in Taiwan, and has allowed the DPP to fairly successfully label the KMT as communist sympathizers and traitors. It is common

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1129305196463575742005-10-14T23:53:00.000+08:002005-10-14T23:53:16.523+08:00

Notice the deafening roar of silence from the pro-green attack dogs this week. Blogs and discussion boards are empty of heated debate and the usual KMT bashing. In general, I must say that feels like Christmas in Taiwan, with a wonderful layer of humility covering everything green around us. We're currently between election cycles, so it's to be expected that approval ratings might come down a

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1128936596788787032005-10-10T17:29:00.000+08:002005-10-10T17:30:08.500+08:00

On this 94th National Day in the Republic of China on Taiwan, I extend my condolences to the battered Republic of China. Your national days and our honoring of you seem numbered, and we are all waiting for the inevitable announcement that this holiday has been cancelled. Your president believes you represent a regime of invaders while he spends billions to ensure that other nations keep up the

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1128438580871925212005-10-04T23:09:00.000+08:002005-10-04T23:09:40.903+08:00

The press and analysts occasionally mention the 'strawberry generation' or people born after 1980. These Taiwanese grew up in a time of relative economic prosperity, and it is often said that this generation lacks the fortitude and principles of their parents and grandparents. The KMT has done a relatively poor job of wooing this group, a problem which new KMT Chairman 馬英九 Ma Ying-jeou hopes to

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1127999518183211112005-09-29T21:11:00.000+08:002005-09-29T21:30:18.216+08:00

DPP defense policy right now basically consists of 'don't beat me up because my big brother (the US) will come and beat you up.' Did anyone other than me actually try that strategy in the schoolyard? Let me know if it worked for you, because I got my notebook ripped up and my schoolbag thrown over the fence. When you go around slapping the face of the big bully, you're really asking for it.

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1127744438890759162005-09-26T22:20:00.000+08:002005-09-26T22:23:16.006+08:00

Ex-presidents have an aura around them that can be used for good beyond the limits of their previous office. Former US President Jimmy Carter seems more popular in retirement than he ever was while in office. Unfortunately, Taiwan is cursed with ex-president 李登輝, Lee Tung-Hui, who hasn't had the decency to fade away or accomplish anything good with his fame.Summarizing, Lee is a Taiwan-born

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1127395607371037352005-09-22T21:26:00.000+08:002005-09-22T21:49:01.730+08:00

For the 13th time, Taiwan has humiliated itself by being rejected for UN membership. It seems like every year the government sends yet another pointless delegation to the UN to waste time and money. I believe the original point was to annoy the PRC and call attention to Taiwan's status, but there can't be much attention left after thirteen failed attempts. More importantly, with closer economic

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1127131375307125832005-09-19T20:02:00.000+08:002005-09-19T20:02:55.383+08:00

Western media overwhemlingly portrays 蔣中正 Jiang Zhong-Zhen, Chiang Kai Shek in a negative light. However, the domestic perspective of CKS is completely different. Some might say that people were unable to speak freely under martial law, but even-post martial now he is is respected and admired by millions of people in Taiwan. CKS was a frugal, honorable man who fought against corruption but was

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1126866947923091612005-09-16T18:35:00.000+08:002005-09-16T21:05:57.443+08:00

Another year, another proud moment in the Legislative Yuan that will soon appear on "Most Funniest Videos" shows everywhere. I just want to point out - THEY started it!Based purely on the three English-language reports, particularly the DPP mouthpiece Taipei Times, it appears that was not the filibustering KMT opposition that started the flying fists, but the DPP:First: "DPP Legislator Wang

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1126705403548691982005-09-14T21:43:00.000+08:002005-09-15T11:01:51.443+08:00

The DPP has been pounding away at the KMT recently over its attempts to block the arms bill. It seems like every public face of the DPP has has told the KMT to stop being obstructionist. Many people, such as myself at first, really don’t understand what all the fuss is about. It's just business as usual right? Why has the KMT stymied a bill it introduced in the first place? As ususal, the

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1126579608536011752005-09-13T10:46:00.000+08:002005-09-13T10:46:48.536+08:00

Oh how my own words have come back to haunt me..."(Kaohsiung)'s the modern metropolis, without a nasty KMT opposition in the legislature to put all the blame on." I thought that the DPP would squirm but in the end face accountability for the crisis in Kaosiung, if for no no reason other than there is no else one left to blame - it's a Green city. Boy was I wrong on that one...there was a KMT

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1126534200307898262005-09-12T22:10:00.000+08:002005-09-12T22:31:36.780+08:00

In my previous posts , I have discussed Taiwan's military vulnerability and its untenable defense position. Taiwan's defense is a house of cards, completely dependent on a lukewarm alliance with the US. Though I may enjoy reminiscing about the old days and choose to mourn their passing, we must face the reality that the KMT brand of Chinese nationalism is dead, and with it, the unifying factor

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1126275287868317382005-09-09T22:14:00.000+08:002005-09-09T23:08:59.403+08:00

This may be old news to some, but I was quite surprised to discover recently how very much in bed the DPP is with the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan.Their support apparently arose from the confrontation between the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT, 台灣基督長老教會) and the KMT government over the confiscation of the New Testament in Romanized Native languages in the earlier 1970s.The Christian Science

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1126145056219799032005-09-08T10:04:00.000+08:002005-09-08T10:09:39.700+08:00

With its usual public relations savvy, the DPP has managed to sidestep the real issue of the Kaohsiung riots. For those of you who are unaware of the incident, there is a link here. The discussion in the English media and Forumosa has focused on the issue of foreign worker's rights. This is a valid issue, but I do not believe it is the main one. The real issue is the corruption of a party

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1125933309199581082005-09-05T23:15:00.000+08:002005-09-05T23:20:50.626+08:00

Finishing off comments from my fourth post on TOS: We just don't agree on what path to take towards democracy, and who we need to be independent from.Much has been made of the DPP being pro-independence, and it is often said, assumed or insinuated that the KMT is not. The DPP embraced declaring independence from China in the 1990's, but changed its platform to become a more mainstream party and

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1125759616517490772005-09-03T23:00:00.000+08:002005-09-09T23:04:45.153+08:00

I don't have that much faith in the modern DPP, perhaps because I wasn't here in the 'glory' days of the 70s and 89s when they were going to jail for their beliefs and fighting for a free press. I judge them by what they've done in office in the last few years, which is when I stumbled in here. Chen Shui-Bian shows an autocratic streak of his own sometimes, and I just can't see what great

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1125625179137890322005-09-02T09:39:00.000+08:002005-09-02T09:39:39.140+08:00

I was planning on posting my views on the KMT and independence, but the comments from yesterday's post encouraged me to share a bit on the victims. I've received a few comments about how terrible the KMT was towards the people, about the evils of martial law and the suffering of independence crusaders. I don't contest that terrible things did happen. But who's writing here? Are these the

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1125562858706687972005-09-01T16:20:00.000+08:002005-09-01T16:20:59.950+08:00

The comments below are from a post on Michael Turtons' blog.Michael said: Most of us who support the DPP do so because of its long, strong support for a democratic and independent Taiwan. We oppose the KMT because historically the KMT has opposed those idealsAnd I replied: ..and I love you guys/gals for it, I really do. Those are laudable goals, but I think they come from a Western perspective.

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1125459341303677402005-08-31T11:35:00.000+08:002005-08-31T11:35:41.306+08:00

Who knew this blog would get to to fulfill its goals within its first 24 hours of existence? In my first post, I commented on the pro-green under-representation and under-reporting in the English-speaking media. I submit you Exhibit A.Roughly translated composite headline:NATIONAL BAR EXAM REQUIRES BRAINWASHING ESSAY http://news.yam.com/chinatimes/politics/200508/20050829962317.html http://

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1125419382518006412005-08-31T00:29:00.000+08:002005-08-31T01:12:54.363+08:00

Michael Turton posted an interesting analysis of an article on hatred in the media. This is a continuation of my reply to his post....with the KMT determined to sell the island to China, and 700 Chinese missiles pointed at Taiwan, resignation is not what the island needs right now. As a motivator, hatred will do very nicely, thank you.China's military power is growing, while ethnic hatred,

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15968997.post-1125402414539575982005-08-30T19:46:00.000+08:002005-08-30T22:06:26.903+08:00

This blog hopes to present pragmatic analysis of the political situation in Taiwan today. It seeks real-world and historical comparisons that can bring new ideas and perspectives to the stalemate in the South China Sea. Perhaps most importantly, this blog seeks to offer insight into the Chinese-speaking world and perspectives. This blog does not ask the question "is it good?"; rather it asks,

Taiwan's Other Sidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09502176430536810488noreply@blogger.com11