Obama talking

Taipei Times - archives: "here is a worrying number of US officials, advisers and think tank members who are willing to take this kind of behavior from the Chinese government. Some of these are, or will be, conducting business with China in a private capacity, so acts of disrespect against their leader can be rationalized in proportion to the opportunities that China offers them for their cooperation. Others seem to think that accommodating Beijing’s boorishness is best diplomatic practice, whatever the cost for Americans or ordinary Chinese."

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defense needs

Taipei Times - archives: "The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission report also recommends that Congress encourage Obama to strengthen bilateral economic relations between the US and Taiwan and work with Taipei to modernize its armed forces, with particular emphasis on its air defense needs."

public’s skepticism toward China

Taipei Times - archives: "The KMT does not wield the total power it claims and it cannot do as it pleases on every political issue. Given the Taiwanese public’s skepticism toward China, if Beijing thinks the Ma administration is weak and wants to force early cross-strait talks on political issues, it will not be able to help the KMT consolidate its leadership or bring about unification. Instead, they will force the Ma government onto the road of political destruction."

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ECFA is Red

Taipei Times - archives: "The People’s Sovereignty Movement has touched some Taiwanese, but that will not change Ma’s decision to sign an economic pact with China. Nor will Ma endorse a proposal on an ECFA referendum as he represents the interests of “superior Mainlanders,” certain corporations and even the Chinese Communist Party. If Ma continues to act willfully, Taiwan may soon see violent confrontation.

To avoid this result, I propose that the government sign an ECFA with China “backwards.” By that I mean that the government should first sign concrete agreements before moving onto signing the framework agreement. Doing so would first give the public an understanding of the concrete contents of the agreement and its pros and cons before deciding whether or not they can accept the framework agreement."

appeasement no peace

Taipei Times - archives: "Last night, Presidential Office spokesman Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) said China blocked Taiwan’s participation in the convention, but added that Taiwan’s relationship with China had improved since Ma took office, and that Ma did not say that Beijing’s suppression had resulted in Taiwan being forced to participate via an NGO this year."

under the table deals

Taipei Times - archives: "If negotiations on US beef were conducted in such a slapdash manner, who knows what under-the-table deals will be struck in the future “era of negotiations” that Su speaks of.

Even more worrying is the risk that Taiwan’s democracy will become dysfunctional and fail if negotiations with other countries are used to redistribute domestic interests without being monitored by the public and the legislature."

against Ma for as a king

Taipei Times - archives: "Wearing headbands with the words “no to poisonous beef” and “no to deception,” thousands of people took to the streets of Taipei yesterday afternoon to voice their opposition to the government’s decision to lift a ban on US bone-in beef and beef organs, and urge the government to renegotiate the agreement.

Demonstrators from all over the country started to gather at the assembly point near Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT station hours before the official start of the march."