Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Ma Ying-jeou, the President of the Republic of China in-exile, has scored his lowest ratings in public opinion polls since taking office in 2008. Last week Ma’s approval rating was only 15% in a recent cable television poll conducted by TVBS, interviewing 1,303 persons.

Public confidence in Ma Ying-jeou’s leadership was shattered by the still-growing corruption scandal involving top Ma aide Lin Yi-shih. Lin was Secretary-General of the Executive Yuan until forced to resign after revelations of multi-million dollar bribes emerged in a magazine expose.

If China were an elementary-school student, its report card would read: “Does not play well with others; often tries to bully smaller children.”

Beijing does not like to play in a group where it cannot dictate the rules or the results. That seems to be the message from this week’s ASEAN+ meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where China once again rebuffed calls from the Philippines, Vietnam and others to agree to talks on operating in disputed areas of the South China Sea.