Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Politics should be focused on public interest

Mike Chang 張昭仁

In 2022, the public was stirred by New York’s new Republican representative George Santos, whose entire past, including his background, his education and his work experience, all turned out to be false. Santos, who is of Brazilian descent, claimed to have Jewish ancestry; he had also never been a varsity athlete of a prestigious school, nor worked in a renowned investment firm.

Moreover, it was revealed that Santos had spent political donations on personal luxury items, and the US Congress in December last year voted to expel him. Facing several federal fraud charges, Santos last week pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.

Taipei open to joint forces with Manila

Taipei Times

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday hinted that Taiwan might join forces with the Philippines to protect navigational freedoms, days after Beijing blocked Philippine supply ships in the South China Sea.

The ministry made the comment when asked whether Taipei would be willing to join forces with the Philippines to protect the latter from increasingly aggressive activities by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy and China Coast Guard.

Taiwan “is willing to cooperate with any other nation with shared values in areas of common concern, including maintaining peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacfic region,” it wrote in a statement.

Shift in EU’s policy toward Taiwan

Justyna Szczudlik 詩麗娜

Over the past few years, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a visible change in the EU’s approach to Taiwan. I call this phenomenon European hype about Taiwan. The change is noticeable at both the EU and member-state levels, with parliaments and Central Europe leading the way.

The best example is the fact that Taiwan is finally mentioned in various EU documents (a real novelty compared with the past 30 years), in addition to statements by European politicians, an increase in bilateral contacts, a growing awareness of Taiwan’s importance and its contribution not only to European prosperity, but also, or even primarily, to security.

The latter has become particularly important since China’s support for Russian President Vladimir Putin after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, embodied in their (in)famous “no limits” friendship.

Many degrees of incompetence

Chang Kuo-tsai 張國財

Having the title doctor or the letters PhD after your name carries the connotation of having broad knowledge. In reality, while people with doctoral degrees often possess highly specialized expertise and might be held in high esteem among their peers, they are likely virtually unknown to the general public. In Taiwan, people with doctorates are common, while probably fewer than one out of 100 of them could truly make a name for themselves.

Of course, there are exceptions. Those who gain media exposure can easily become well-known, especially if they are involved in politics. However, many fail to live up to their academic titles, instead becoming known for making crude jokes and absurd remarks.

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