Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Trump can lend a hand as Taiwan pivots east

Huang Tien-lin 黃天麟

When US president-elect Donald Trump was first elected, the pan-blue media referred to him as “a mad man,” “a clown” and talked about his unpredictability. Judging from his family, faith and statements, I said that his election was a good thing for Taiwan. Sure enough, less than one month later, there was good news for Taiwan as President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) talked to Trump over the telephone.

A timely calling of China’s bluff

Jerome Keating

It became the telephone call that was heard around the world; it was an earthquake that set off a world-class tsunami, and a change in atmospheric conditions that brought an unprecedented media hailstorm. Ironically, it was simply President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) calling US president-elect Donald Trump to congratulate him on his victory.

However, there is much more. As the dust settles and the news wires slowly return to normal, what now becomes evident is that it is clearly time for the rest of the world to wake up and smell the coffee. Life has moved on since World War II. Taiwan has gone from a one-party state imposed by a fleeing diaspora and it now has democracy. Thus, it is time for the US and its allies to tell the Chinese emperor that as far as this democracy is concerned, he has no clothes.

Donald Trump sets a precedent

Taipei Times Editorial

US president-elect Donald Trump’s telephone conversation with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Friday last week made the headlines at home and abroad, with some accusing Trump of committing a diplomatic faux pas that rattled China, while others commended his decision to take Tsai’s call and described it as a significant landmark in Taiwan-US relations.

As political pundits and policymakers continue to debate whether it was a simple telephone call or a momentous mistake, while others try to decipher whether Trump’s move hints at the direction of his future policy in the Asia-Pacific region, one thing at least is certain: Taiwan’s diplomatic morale has been greatly boosted as a result of the historic call.

Money-laundering bill has no teeth

Carol Lin 林志潔

Earlier this year, Mega International Commercial Bank’s New York branch was punished with a fine of US$180 million by the US Department of Financial Services for breaching the US Bank Secrecy Act and money-laundering laws. The news shocked the nation.

Taiwan’s Money Laundering Control Act (洗錢防制法) lags far behind international standards: It does not punish unsuccessful attempts at money laundering, touch on criminal liability of legal entities, its regulations on financial inspection and law enforcement are incomplete, penalties for violations are mild and reporting obligations are low. In addition, confiscation powers are inadequate, making it impossible to completely seize illegal profits.

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