Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Ma's Chinese Tourists, Just What Are They Here For?

Jerome F. Keating Ph.D.

Before the Pearl Harbor attack, part of Japan's plan was to send tourists to Hawaii to map out where the battleship berths were, where the airfields were etc. etc. and know the whole military layout. From this and other means they were able to build a mock copy of Pearl Harbor and so plan how to attack and do the most damage. Obviously they were successful.

Guess what? Just recently several Chinese tourists (one of Ma's supposed ways of boosting the economy) were caught and expelled from Hualien Air Force Base during a military show. Many of Taiwan's weapons systems were on display at the base which was open to the Taiwanese public, but not to Chinese tourists. And believe it or not, the Chinese tourists were taking pictures, surprise, surprise. I guess all tourists go to a country to check out their air bases.

Tsai receives a warm welcome in Philippines

Taipei Times

The arrival of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) in Manila yesterday has seemingly ignited an underlying tussle between the pro-independence and pro-unification forces in the local Chinese-speaking expatriate community.

The DPP leader was warmly greeted by about 20 Taiwanese expatriates at Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Their shouts of tong-suan (凍蒜, meaning “get elected” in Hoklo, also known as Taiwanese) drew curious glances from passersby at the airport.

Taiwanese Representative to the Philippines Donald Lee (李傳通) also welcomed Tsai at the airport.

US lawmakers plan TRA enhancement

Taipei Times

US Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, chairman of the US House of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs Committee, told a special hearing on Taiwan that she would soon introduce new legislation “to enhance the Taiwan Relations Act [TRA].”

While she gave no details, her intent is to boost US-Taiwanese relations and dramatically improve communications between Washington and Taipei.

She said Taiwan inspired all victims of Beijing’s oppression and struck fear into the hearts of “the cynical old men who still rule Beijing.”

Letting go of redundant agencies

Lee Hsiao-feng 李筱峰

“Please believe that this is for real,” President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) government said a few days ago, after the Cabinet passed an amendment to the Organic Act of the Executive Yuan (行政院組織法). The government wants the public to believe that its latest round of “government restructuring” will be real reform.

To this, one might like to say: “Perhaps you are ‘for real’ this time, but does this not imply that all the reforms you talked about in the past were fake?”

Real reformers need not worry about people not believing their reforms are in earnest. Real reformers are not only capable of putting aside vested interests, they also know how to transcend pre-existing concepts and put aside the burdens of tradition. Otherwise, reform may not be able to achieve all it is meant to do. The Ma administration’s latest round of “government restructuring” is a case in point.

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