Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Anti-China sentiment abroad an opportunity

Michael Lin 林正二

Over the past 20 years, the US has been hoping that the political and economic impact of globalization, together with the pursuit of a constructive relationship with China based on mutual political and economic interests, would help the Chinese economy take off and push Beijing toward democracy, diversity and more Western values — helping to promote cooperation.

Over the past 10 to 20 years, this strategy has turned US cross-strait policy toward a focus on Sino-US exchanges and cross-strait peace. This has been unfavorable to Taiwan’s international participation and acceptance of a Taiwanese identity.

Save Taiwan by fighting for Taipei

Chin Heng-wei 金恒煒

Here is a hypothetical question: Last month, the New York Times published an in-depth interview with the pro-unification owner of Biyun Temple in Changhua County, Wei Ming-jen (魏明仁). If the temple — converted by Wei into a shrine to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) — had been in Taipei, would Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) have given the order to demolish it?

The answer is no. If this seems improbable, there is a precedent.

Taiwan has a rating system in the making

Chow Mei-li 周美里

The news that the Chinese government has established a social credit rating system sent shivers down everyone’s spines. The system records and rates every citizen’s daily activities, calculating a “credit rating” using a “social credit scorecard,” and imposes limitations on a person’s rights and privileges based on the score.

For instance, purchasing more alcohol lowers the score, while buying diapers increases it, and it affects whether a person’s children can enroll at a good school, whether a person can travel abroad and even their ability to buy plane or high-speed rail tickets.

Taiwan might wake up to red dawn

Chen Wen-pin 陳文彬

Taiwanese and foreign media have over the past week been reporting about businessman Wei Ming-jen (魏明仁), and how he bought and moved into Biyun Temple in Changhua County’s Ershuei Township (二水), turning it into a “Chinese communism shrine” dedicated to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The matter first came to light during a review of local cultural heritage that this author oversaw as director of the Changhua County Cultural Affairs Bureau, and later caught others’ attention.

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