Listen to the voice

Beijing fiddles Taiwan’s name for Olympics

STAFF WRITER, WITH CNA AND AFP, TOYAKO, JAPAN, PARIS AND BEIJING
Thursday, Jul 10, 2008, Page 1

“This is a surrender in the middle of battle, an abandonment of all the commitments he made as a candidate and all of the values our country embodies.” — Robert Menard, secretary-general of Reporters Without Borders

The spokesman for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, Yang Yi (楊毅), said yesterday that both Zhongguo Taibei (中國台北, “Taipei, China”) and Zhonghua Taibei (中華台北, “Chinese Taipei”) are acceptable translations for the official Olympic designation of “Chinese Taipei,” thus threatening to raise tensions between China and Taiwan one month before the Olympics.

In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said the development was “a severe mistake,” and it would protest to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Yang said that although both translations were acceptable, the Beijing organizing committee (BOCOG) would use Zhonghua Taibei in printed materials and at all venues. But Yang added that the decision was not binding on any other Chinese group, organization or individual.

In Taipei, MAC Vice Chairman Chang Liang-jen (張良任) said “Chinese Taipei” was the name that the Olympic committees of both sides agreed on in 1989 and that the government was firmly opposed to the name “Taipei, China.”

Chang said that in 1989, when the then chair of the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee, Lee Ching-hua (李慶華), met Chinese Olympic Committee representatives, the two parties agreed that the translation of “Chinese Taipei” would be Zhonghua Taibei.

SARKOZY SAYS OUI

Meanwhile, French President Nicolas Sarkozy will attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Games next month, his office said yesterday.

Sarkozy told Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) he would go to Beijing during a meeting on the sidelines of the G8 summit.

Sarkozy had threatened to boycott the Olympic opening gala following a Chinese crackdown in Tibet in March that sparked international outrage, leading to speculation that some world leaders might shun the Games.

“The head of state consulted all of his European counterparts and, with their agreement, will attend the opening ceremony in his double capacity as president of France and as president of the European Union,” the statement said.

Sarkozy said earlier that his decision on whether to attend the ceremony would hinge on progress in talks between China and the Dalai Lama.

In France, media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) accused Sarkozy of surrendering to China.

“I am disappointed and bitter. Until the last moment, I kept hoping he would not dare” attend the ceremony, RSF secretary-general Robert Menard said.

“This is a surrender in the middle of battle, an abandonment of all the commitments he made as a candidate and all of the values our country embodies,” Menard said.

He said Sarkozy’s decision was a “stab in the back” to Chinese dissidents, who had been “abandoned” by France.

RSF, which spearheaded protests during the Olympic torch’s global relay, said it was calling for protests outside Chinese embassies worldwide on Aug. 8 and would travel to China to demonstrate in defiance of a ban.

During his meeting with Hu, Sarkozy expressed France’s desire to boost its strategic partnership with China “in all its dimensions” and reiterated French support for Beijing following the May earthquake in Sichuan Province.

French officials said the meeting between Sarkozy and Hu went “extremely well” and the strategic partnership between France and China was “back on track once again.”

Xinhua news agency reported yesterday that tourists would be banned from visiting Beijing’s prestigious Peking University during the Olympics.

The top university will be closed to visitors from July 20 to Sept. 18, Xinhua reported.

The ban will be imposed because of security concerns, Xinhua said, quoting the deputy head of the university’s campus security department.

Teachers, students and staff will have to show identity cards or passes issued by the university to get onto the campus.

The campus, where Olympic and Paralympic table tennis events will be held, is a huge tourist attraction, and every summer thousands of parents take their children there to motivate them to do well in their studies, Xinhua said.

Listen to the voice

Watchdog takes absentee lawmakers to task

By Loa Iok-Sin
STAFF REPORTER
Thursday, Jul 10, 2008, Page 3
　

The Citizen Congress Watch (CCW) criticized the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday for failing to fulfill its promise of legislative reform, citing the high number of KMT absences at the legislature and the stalled sunshine bills.

Statistics released by the CCW at a press conference held outside the Legislative Yuan showed KMT Legislator Chang Chia-chun (張嘉郡) topping the list with 18 absences during the legislative session from February to May. KMT legislators Liu Chuan-chung (劉銓忠) and Tsao Erh-chung (曹爾忠) ranked second with 16 absences each and Mark Li (李明星) placed third with 15 absences.

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Chi-yu (陳啟昱) and Non-Partisan Solidarity Union Legislator Yen Chin-piao (顏清標) also ranked second.

“Since the legislative session began, the legislature’s efficiency has been really disappointing,” CCW chairman Ku Chung-hwa (顧忠華) said.

“The KMT leadership, including [President] Ma Ying-jeou [馬英九], [KMT chairman] Wu Poh-hsiung [吳伯雄] and [Legislative Speaker] Wang Jin-pyng [王金平] repeatedly told the public that the KMT, with the majority in the legislature and the governing party, will make legislative efficiency and self-discipline its priority” Ku said.

“They also said they would push for legislative reform and pass the sunshine bills — but what do we see now?” Ku said.

Ku urged lawmakers to strive to “achieve perfect attendance records and work harder to have the sunshine bills passed.”

Approached for comment, Chang said a legislator’s performance should not be judged solely on his or her record of attendance.

“I was helping to take care of the fertilizer [shortage] problem and flooding because of heavy rains in Yunlin County,” she said. “Although I wasn’t at legislative meetings, I was helping the farmers in my constituency.”

Liu said he was busy attending the funeral of farmers who died because of the heat, while Tsao said he was unable to return to Taipei from his constituency in Matsu because of heavy fog.

Liu said that he was out of the country on official business.

Chen said he was busy running for local chapter chairman, but promised that he would spend more time at the legislature as the local party chief election was over.

Listen to the voice

Something rotten in Denmark

The positive increase in economic links between Taiwan and China has sparked an uninformed debate in Denmark. Danish pundits imagine a future federation between Taiwan and China. These writers display a great ignorance about Taiwanese public opinion that unfortunately is unhelpful for promoting an understanding of Taiwan.

The federation that commentators describe, based on the one country, two systems formula, disregards the wishes of the Taiwanese public. The fact that 70 percent to 80 percent of Taiwanese reject this formula — regardless of the details — is not mentioned in these articles. Danish observers also ignore research that has documented the emergence of a Taiwanese identity distinct from China’s. Young Taiwanese think of China as a foreign country.

Some analysts also suggest that former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) was to blame for China’s threats of military force against Taiwan. Typically, the writers forget to mention China’s more than 1,000 missiles aimed at Taiwan and Beijing’s “Anti-Secession” Law.

In order to avoid such misunderstandings about the situation, commentators outside Taiwan must gain insight into the country’s domestic political scene. The reason the public elected President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) was the economy and stagnating incomes.

Ma is now under enormous pressure to deliver economic improvements. Up to now, he has not delivered and his popularity has dropped to 48 percent from 70 percent.

In order to realize short-sighted economic goals, Ma’s government is relying entirely on the so-called “1992 consensus” and thereby turning the clock back 16 years.

Taiwan needs more elbow room as a normal country without China blocking its free trade agreements and membership bids at international organizations. But China will probably not allow a significant change in Taiwan’s international status because Ma could lose the next election and a different president might declare formal independence.

Taiwan is a well-run and wealthy democracy and its population is uninterested in unification.

Pundits abroad seem to imply that the best option for everyone would be for the two countries to unify. The question they fail to answer is why.

Michael Danielsen
Copenhagen, Denmark
　

Listen to the voice

Citizen diplomats wanted

The arrival of Chinese tourists gives the public a great opportunity to practice “citizen-to-citizen diplomacy,” to communicate directly, face-to-face, with people whose government usually prevents them from hearing the voices of Taiwan.

Taiwanese will encounter these visitors in a variety of contexts — on the street, in shops and hotels, taking public transportation — and when they do, they will be able to engage them in conversations that are hopefully mutually respectful.

They can listen carefully and compassionately to visitors’ ideas about a variety of topics, including, of course, cross-strait relations, and share their own.

Taiwanese can take the opportunity to convey the following message to these visitors clearly and with calm conviction: “No matter what you think, no matter what your government and media have put into your heads, Taiwan is not and has never been part of the People’s Republic of China. We are very happy to welcome you to our wonderful country and to travel to yours, and we hope to expand economic, social and cultural cooperation between our peoples. But you must know and please tell everyone you know, that we will never allow China to conquer us and will resist any invasion with our very lives. Any attempt by your government to coerce and oppress us will only end up hurting it. If you don’t believe that, then take some time to ask other Taiwanese for their opinions.”

Wouldn’t it be great if visitors heard such friendly, firm statements repeatedly during their stay? The experience would make a lasting impression on them and would likely be recounted to others at home. Through principled, forthright communication, the public can play a crucial role in promoting lasting peace.

Shi Yo-Ruong
Taipei
　

Listen to the voice

Is Ma taking after Mao?

In response to last Thursday’s editorial (“Has Ma been hypnotized on defense?”, July 3, page 8) that Ma has undermined national security, there are in fact indications that he is following the footsteps of Chinese leader Mao Zedong (毛澤東).

The “Long March” helped Mao win China. The “Long Stay” helped Ma win the presidential election.

Ma is repeating his long stay in the south in an attempt to regain the popularity he has lost by breaking promises. His promise to turn the economy around “immediately” has changed to “gradually.”

Mao claimed the KMT government was corrupt and incapable. Ma claimed that the Democratic Progressive Party government was corrupt and incapable.

Mao let dictator Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) flee to Taiwan. Ma attacks former president Chen but admires Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤).

Mao wanted to “liberate” Taiwan. Ma is implementing the “one China” policy and has pledged “ultimate unification.”

It looks like Ma will help Mao “liberate” Taiwan.

Mao purged KMT members, landlords and intellectuals after he took over China. Ma wants to get rid of the country’s “old thinking” officials — referring to pan-green officials and academics.

Ma will forget his title as president as he courts Chinese tourists.

Communists can now be active in Taiwan.

Charles Hong
Columbus, Ohio