Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Hong Kong's Moment of Crisis and Failed Promises

Jerome F. Keating Ph.D.

Hong Kong: Where Promises, Power, and Principles Collide

“A promise made is a debt unpaid,” at least so say the words of the poet Robert W. Service. However, when it comes to certain relationships, and in particular the current one between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Hong Kong, the Hong Kongers are finding out that with the PRC, there are promises and then there are promises. And some of those latter promises, like unpaid debts, may never be met.

Taiwanese, Hong Kongers identify less with China

Taipei Times

In Taiwan and Hong Kong, residents are identifying less and less as Chinese — a trend that is troubling Beijing, according to a new study by American Enterprise Institute research fellow Michael Mazza.

“To young Hong Kongers, the city [territory] has always been part of China; to young Taiwanese, the idea that the island [sic] is part of China is an anachronism,” Mazza says in the study. “Given these differences, one might expect each community to relate to mainland China in very different ways — [but] one would be mistaken.”

Sean Lien already seems insincere

Taipei Times Editorial

While Taipei mayoral hopefuls independent Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) candidate Sean Lien (連勝文) have voiced consent on holding a debate, it seems that Lien is somehow insincere about his willingness to engage in a debate and reluctant to face voters directly, making it questionable that he would be a good, responsive mayor if elected.

Since earlier this month, Ko has been challenging Lien to a debate on their respective policy platforms, and while Lien quickly agreed to it, his campaign executive director Alex Tsai (蔡正元) has stipulated many conditions for the debate, which seems to be a de facto rejection of Ko’s invitation.

Hidden forces court conflict in HK

Paul Lin 林保華

Three weeks ago, China’s Xinhua news agency reported that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Political Bureau, or politburo, decided in a meeting on Sept. 30 that the Fourth Plenary Session of the CCP’s 18th Central Committee would be held in Beijing from yesterday through Thursday.

On Sept. 22, the Hong Kong Chinese-language newspaper Ming Pao, which is generally well-informed about such matters, reported that the CCP Central Committee’s Fourth Plenary Session would be held in Beijing over two days starting on Monday last week. It added that, in addition to the big issue of strongly promoting government in accordance with the law — as had been announced quite a long time ago — personnel adjustments would be on the plenum’s agenda.

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