First there was a mainland Chinese television ad for facial tissue. In this ad, the mainland children say, "Do you what is on the side of the ocean? It is our precious island Taiwan. So why won't the young friends of Taiwan come over and play with us? ... Let us use facial tissue to soak the ocean dry and then they can come over and play with us."

Taiwan netizens say that the ad reeks of unification propaganda. So they made a spoof version. In this alternate ad, the children are replaced by adults and the facial tissue is replaced by a female sanitary pad with the brand name of "Sponge Number 7" (note: a word play on the movie . "Damn kids, do you know what is on the other side of the ocean? Who knows? It's mainland China. Let us use sanitary pad to soak the ocean dry and they can come over and play."

• Tai O Village – The Boat People
• Sun Moon Lake : Sunset at Shuishe Village, Sunrise at Itashou Aboriginal Village
• Tai O Village – a taste of a different Hong Kong
• Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall, Warner Village and Taipei 101
• Fangliao Arts Village at Pingtung County

One day after President Obama concluded his China trip and after the introduction of H.R.4102 in Congress of legislation highlighting the stalled U.S. arms sale to Taiwan, Texas Congressman Joe Barton (Republican) introduced H.Res. 927 to boost the expeditious delivery of F-16s to Taiwan yesterday afternoon. Congress introduced two resolutions in 24 hours on U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and Taiwan’s security right after President Obama issued a joint statement in China earlier this week.

The resolution concludes that “(1) it shall continue to be the policy of the United States, consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act, to make available to Taiwan such defense articles and services as may be necessary for Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability; and (2) the United States should determine the nature and quantity of such defense articles and services ‘based solely’ upon the legitimate defense needs of Taiwan.”

The bill references that “Taiwanese Defense Ministry has requested and the Executive Yuan approved in August 2007 a 2008 defense budget that includes approximately $764,000,000 for the second year's budget for F–16C/D fighters.”

On October 9, at a Washington press conference, Senator John McCain what his own views are on providing Taiwan with F-16s. The Senator stated: “My position on F-16s for Taiwan is that I believe that we should provide Taiwan with the equipment that they feel is necessary to defend themselves. We know that there's a significant military buildup on the other side of the Strait. So, I personally favor the sale of F-16s to Taiwan.”

The U.S. military has required Taiwan to bear the costs of a major, unexpected security upgrade to a key U.S.-made radar on the island, a move signaling Washington's growing distrust of Taipei's ability to safeguard against security breaches as the island woos China, a local government official said.

The request came as Washington demanded what sources said are exorbitant prices on a range of arms that Taiwan seeks to purchase -- from U.S.-made missiles to helicopters -- and dithers over the island's longstanding request to kick-start the procurement process for F-16 fighter jets.

Amid the ''price-gouging,'' the U.S. military -- without prior consultation with Taiwan -- recently asked the island to pay for the addition of costly ''anti-tampering'' technology in an US$800 million early-warning radar system, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

''The Taiwanese military is really frustrated with the U.S. [over radar issues],'' the official told Kyodo News, adding that the price tag for the unscheduled security measures was nearly NT$2 billion (US$61 million).

''Implementing security measures is standard. But why has the U.S. sprung this on Taiwan some three years after the project started and as it’s nearing completion?'' the official said.

For Taipei, the last-minute request points to Washington's apparent concern over the security of U.S.-made military platforms on the island amid warming relations across the Taiwan Strait, the official said.

''The U.S. is worried about its Taiwan-based technology becoming compromised as cross-strait ties warm…and the island becomes more vulnerable to Chinese espionage,'' the official said.

Asked for comment, a media liaison officer in Taiwan's defense ministry confirmed the extra security costs, saying the ministry was ''looking into the matter.'' The official declined further comment and requested anonymity.

In 2006, Washington hired U.S. defense contractor Raytheon to build the radar facility, reportedly on Leshan Mountain in central Taiwan. Scheduled to begin operations this year, the radar's capabilities include detecting and tracking incoming missiles from China, according to a recent report by the U.S. Congressional Research Service (CRS).

But mudslide-induced delays have abounded, according to Defense News, a U.S. newsweekly covering military affairs. Indeed, a recent job advertisement on Raytheon's website seeks an engineer to supervise ''the surveillance radar program at the Taiwan field site…and work in a remote and hazardous environment.''

Since construction began, Washington has ''on many occasions requested more funds'' from Taipei beyond the radar's sticker price, citing washouts of mountain roads and loose soil, the China Times, a local Chinese-language daily, reported last week.

But Washington's latest radar-related request fits with a more recent pattern of overcharging Taipei -- often for political or security-related reasons -- the official said, citing separate deals over U.S.-made missiles and helicopters.

Taiwan's latest bid to procure U.S.-made Javelin anti-tank missiles and launchers hit a brick wall after Washington raised the price of each missile from US$80,000 to US$240,000 without explanation, the official said.

''The Ministry of National Defense, which used to isolate itself from the outside world, has now found it necessary to connect with society,'' said Lin Chung-Pin, a former deputy defense minister. The commercial, Lin added, is part of the military's bid ''to connect with youth and meet the goal of an all-volunteer force.''

By 2015, Taiwan will slash its 275,000-strong military to 210,500 service people and phase out conscripts -- a force structure transformation whose scope is unprecedented for the island.

''Implementing voluntarism is the most essential and complicated military (task) for the Republic of China at present,'' Taiwan's 2009 National Defense Report states, referring to Taiwan's official title. ''Voluntarism is also key to determining personnel and warfighting capabilities.''

For now, conscription remains the bedrock of the island's defense, with young men required to serve roughly one year of military service before or after college. The duration of conscripts' service has steadily lessened in recent years as the island's relations with rival China have improved and tensions ease.

• This excellent review of Taiwan from the Woodrow Wilson Center offers good articles on the current condition of the island.
• Another good piece, this one on civic group objections to the National Land Planning Act, which apparently contains developer-friendly back doors. Imagine that.
• Good obit for longtime Taiwan friend James Lilley.
• Chinese spies aggressively stealing US secrets. It's been that way since I was working in DC twenty years ago....
  

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) absence from the party’s latest campaign commercial for next month’s local government head elections sparked speculation yesterday about Ma’s popularity with the party’s candidates.

The KMT yesterday made public its first campaign commercial for next month’s local elections. The commercial highlighted the interactions between party candidates and local voters, while Ma, who has enjoyed great popularity with candidates in past campaigns, was notably absent.

In response to reporters’ questions about the president’s absence from the commercial, KMT Spokesman Lee Chien-jung (李建榮) said party candidates were the protagonists in the upcoming elections and denied speculation it was related to the president’s plummeting popularity.

“Chairman Ma is already in a lot of news coverage while campaigning for party candidates, and so the campaign commercials put the focus on the candidates because they are the protagonists in the elections,” Lee said yesterday at KMT headquarters. “The election next month is not a presidential election, but local elections for 18 city and county heads.”

Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) said yesterday that the public should not draw a link between next month’s mayor and county commissioner elections and the public’s view of the performance of President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and his government.

.....

“What does the election of county councilors or township chiefs have to do with President Ma’s national policy?” Wu asked when approached by reporters in Nantou County yesterday.

Wu said that while in the US, the midterm election is seen as a vote of confidence for the sitting president as it is held in between presidential terms, in Taiwan, candidates are selected for their connections with local factions, their personal image and whether they have competence to serve the public, all of which have little to do with the nation’s leader.

Taiwan-based CommonWealth magazine's first ever Life and Education Survey of 4,475 students between 15 and 22 found that most had thought about suicide, with 23 percent still considering it, survey center director Huang Ching-hsuan said on Thursday.

About 34 percent of respondents said they had no idea what to do in life, the mail survey found.

"We were extremely surprised by the results," Huang said. "Also we had quite a high response rate to the questionnaires."

The three communiqués do indeed mention respect for territorial integrity. But it is highly arguable that "respect for ... sovereignty and territorial integrity" represent the "core" of the understandings that led to Sino-American rapprochement. The Taiwan issue was treated more delicately by earlier American statesmen. Their basic idea was that we would acknowledge, without accepting, the position that Taiwan is part of China. We would continue strong, unofficial diplomatic ties with the island and we would provide for its security through the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA). We thus found a way to normalize relations with China without letting China have its way with Taiwan. Both sides of the Strait have prospered since the U.S. rapprochement with China and the signing into law of the TRA and relations have been more or less peaceful.

Now consider the situation across the Strait today. China has built a military capable of destroying the island if America does not assist Taiwan. Though obligated by law, the Obama administration has not sold a single weapon system to Taiwan. There is in fact no U.S.-Taiwan agenda under the Obama administration. It is even more dangerous, then, to stress the parts of the Sino-American normalization documents that most appeal to China. Of course China wants us to reiterate that our respect for "territorial integrity" and "sovereignty" is at the core of the three communiqués. Beijing wants us to accept its argument that Taiwan is part of China and that we should respect their sovereignty over the island. Obama has thus far done so through deed. With the joint statement he comes closer to officially accepting the Chinese claim of sovereignty.

The deal includes three memorandums of understanding on financial ties. The statements cover information-sharing, inspections, protection of information and crisis management — in the event, for example, that a financial institution with interests on the other side of the strait goes bankrupt.

The most anticipated deal was on banking. Taiwanese banks have long yearned to do business on the mainland, where about one million Taiwanese live and work, and where Taiwanese firms have invested at least $150 billion, according to Taiwan government estimates. But until now, Taiwanese banks have been allowed to set up only representative offices that cannot do business.

After the new deal takes effect in January, Taiwanese banks like Mega Financial Holding and Cathay Financial Holding will eventually be able to upgrade those offices into branches, allowing them to lend to Taiwanese firms on the mainland and do other business, according to Taiwan’s Financial Supervisory Commission.

But restrictions remain. The agreement “is a precondition for the banks on two sides to set up a branch on the other side,” Ms. Tao said. “But how many they can set up and under what condition and terms will have to be determined in future negotiations.”

• J Michael's excellent piece on the way the DPP got played on the beef issue.
• Japan Times on new movie about Japanese Engineer who built reservoir in southern Taiwan, and its effect on Ma-Japan relations.
• Interesting back and forth over at The Granite Studio about Patrick Chovanec's The Nine Nations of China. I wrote The Atlantic about the numerous errors in his presentation of Taiwan, but it seems there was some debate about his presentation of the rest of China as well.
• Taiwan generates balance of payments surplus in the third quarter of nearly $12 billion.
• The Taxman Cometh for 400 Taiwan celebs.
• The Evolution of Taiwan's military strategy.
  

NOVEMBER 19, 2009
Those Golden Days Flying Out of China

Regarding Melanie Kirkpatrick's review of "The Last Empress" by Hannah Pakula ("China's Mystery Lady," Bookshelf, Nov. 4): When Chiang Kai-shek decamped to Taiwan in 1949, he took the gold with him. Trans Ocean Airlines picked up the gold in Taiwan and transported it to Oakland Airport, home base, where it was transloaded to a Slick Airways C-46 to be delivered to Chase National Bank in New York. The plane was grossed out with a payload of seven tons of gold.

I was the pilot of this flight and have often wondered who ended up with the gold.

William P. Willoughby
Retired Captain, Slick Airways
Palo Alto, Calif.

• Tourism promotion : China, Taiwan, Korea and Israel
• Our moral nakedness : Taiwan, China, Israel, Palestine and the UN
• China Folk Cultural Village Shenzhen – Chinese Minorities & Cultures
• Taiwan-Israel trade rising : Israel investment conference in Taiwan
• Michael Turton discusses Taiwan blogging and social activism with Taiwanese NCKU students

• HK’s Tai O Village – The Land People
• Sun Moon Lake : Sunset at Shuishe Village, Sunrise at Itashou Aboriginal Village
• Tai O Village – a taste of a different Hong Kong
• Tainan’s 2008 Dragon Boat Festival
• The Taiwan Scholarship & Dragon Boat Festival dinner

• Kaohsiung and Pingtung - 18% Satisfied with Ma and 44% dissatisfied
  
• Central and Eastern Taiwan - Ma more popular (no figures given) 
  
• North - Tsai and Ma running equal (no figures given)
  
• Yunlin, Chiayi and Tainan - 40% Satisfied with Tsai
  
(The opposition leader rated ahead of Ma with independent voters, and received even a positive rating from 29 percent of Kuomintang supporters.)

* * *
Taiwan is not a province of China. The PRC flag has never flown over Taiwan.
Stick that in your clipboards and paste it, you so-called "lazy journalists"!

“If you remember, in 2000 when Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp [SMIC] was founded in China, many people despaired, saying if the government didn’t lift the ban on wafer manufacturers moving to China, Taiwanese manufacturers would not be able to get a share of the Chinese market and would be left behind in the global market,”

“Ten years have passed, the Chinese IC market has been growing, but SMIC has not made a profit, except for one year, even with all the support it receives from the Chinese government.”

* * *
Taiwan is not a province of China. The PRC flag has never flown over Taiwan.
Stick that in your clipboards and paste it, you so-called "lazy journalists"!

• You know you’re in Hong Kong when…
• Eating in Hong Kong : A Jew’s Ear
• Celebrating Tin Hau Festival in Hong Kong
• Dim Sum Madness : Hong Kong Food
• Hong Kong Wetland Park

During the past two decades, Taiwan has made major progress in each of these areas [freedom, democracy, justice and human rights]. It thus has been a disappointment for us to see an erosion of justice, a weakening of checks and balances in the democratic system and a decline in press freedom in Taiwan. These trends are reflected in the significantly downward ratings Taiwan received in the annual reports of international organizations such as Freedom House and Reporters without Borders.

They are also reflected in the expressions of concern by international scholars and friends of Taiwan related to the flaws in the judicial proceedings against former President Chen Shui-bian and the apparent lack of neutrality in the continuing "investigations" and indictments of other prominent members of the DPP government. We thus appeal to you again to ensure that measures are taken to ensure the impartiality and fairness of the judiciary.

Good governance, accountability and transparency based on the fundamental principles of freedom, democracy, justice and human rights are all the more essential now that your government is moving Taiwan on a path of closer economic ties with China. We believe that a decrease of tension across the Taiwan Strait would indeed be welcome, but emphasize that this should not be done at the expense of the hard-won democracy and the establishment of human rights in Taiwan itself.

Thus, the process of improving relations with the large neighbor across the Strait needs to be an open, deliberative and democratic process, in full consultation with both the Legislative Yuan and the democratic opposition, and fully transparent to the general public. We are thus pleased to hear that officials of your government have stated that any agreement with China would need to have both a domestic consensus, including approval by the Legislative Yuan, and acceptance by the international community. We trust this process will be open and consultative in ways that respect the democratic traditions begun so promisingly two decades ago.

* November 6, 2008: Scholars and writers from around the world publish an "Open letter on erosion of justice in Taiwan." The same letter -- as an online petition -- has been signed by more than 2,000 people.

* November 25, 2008: Minister of Justice Wang Ching-feng (王清峰) calls the open letter "inaccurate."

* December 2, 2008: "Eroding justice: Open letter No. 2" counters Wang Ching-feng's claims.

* January 8, 2009: Over a month later, Wang Ching-feng comes up with "clarif[ications]" regarding the open-letter writers' so-called "misunderstandings."

* January 21, 2009: "Eroding justice: Open letter No. 3" is addressed to President Ma Ying-jeou.

* January 24, 2009: Two more "US-based Taiwan experts add [their] names to open letter [No. 3]."

* January 25, 2009: President Ma claims the public had gained confidence in the judiciary in 2008 -- the exact opposite of what this Taiwan News article tells us they actually felt:

According to recent surveys conducted by Academia Sinica and the Web site Yahoo! Kimo, over 50 percent of the people do not believe in Taiwan's judicial system and over 75 percent have no confidence that the Judicial Yuan will undertake judicial reform [...]

* May 22, 2009: An estimable group of scholars and writers -- 26 in all, and each one with a deep understanding of Taiwan and the surrounding facts -- has composed an open letter addressed directly to President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九). The letter addresses the ever-increasing problems with judicial fairness, press freedom, the lack of transparency in the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) rapprochement with China, the loss of Taiwan's sovereignty, and the loss of human rights. The argument the letter makes is rock solid. It is based on demonstrable facts.

* * *
Taiwan is not a province of China. The PRC flag has never flown over Taiwan.
Stick that in your clipboards and paste it, you so-called "lazy journalists"!

The NCC said that while it was important for the three to stay out of the media, the rules had generated problems in some of the NCC’s rulings because some media corporations are publicly traded, meaning the government can purchase shares on the stock market.

* * *
Taiwan is not a province of China. The PRC flag has never flown over Taiwan.
Stick that in your clipboards and paste it, you so-called "lazy journalists"!

• Touring Hong Kong – Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple
• Revisiting Central Hong Kong’s HK Park and Victoria Peak Tram
• Tong Hua by Guang Liang (Fairy-tale 童话 by Michael Wong 光良)
• Mandarin Chinese music – More great singers I listen to in Taiwan – Wong Faye, 陳綺貞
• Revisiting Yang Ming Shan