Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

US senator slams Obama over jet deal

Taipei Times

Republican Senator John Cornyn on Tuesday accused US President Barack Obama of treating Taiwan in a “deplorable” way and said he was attaching an amendment — aimed at forcing the White House to sell Taipei advanced F-16C/D jets — to a vitally important trade bill.

The provision was to be introduced yesterday, when the Obama administration was expected to officially unveil its latest Taiwanese arms deal package to Congress.

Senior administration officials have already leaked word that the package will not include the 66 F-16C/Ds that Taiwan desperately wants to modernize its air force.

Chinese mining officials open fire on Tibetan workers

Tendar Tsering

DHARAMSHALA September 20: Four Tibetan labourers have been injured after Chinese mining officials opened fire on them over a wage payment clash on Saturday in Tibetan area of Chatreng in Kardze, a newly arrived Tibetan told the Voice of Tibet radio.

Mining in Chatreng began four years back, the Tibetan said. "Tibetan workers and their Chinese bosses initially had an argument over a wage payment issue," he said. "Later on, the Chinese officials called the police who opened fire on the Tibetan workers."

Sources said that local Tibetans tried to contact Chinese media to highlight the issue but no one turned up.

WHO’s terminology like a ‘slap’: DPP

Taipei Times

The WHO’s insistence on referring to Taiwan as a part of China was a slap in the face for the so-called “1992 consensus” advocated by President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday.

Citing a letter sent by the WHO to the European Parliament’s Taiwan Friendship Group (TFG) that said the designation of “Taiwan, China” has been the organization’s consistent practice, DPP Legislator Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) said the letter showed there was no such thing as “one China with different interpretations,” as Ma and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) have claimed the consensus entails.

Ghosts of Kissinger and Brzezinski

Taipei Times Editorial

Last week’s comments in the Financial Times (FT) by an unnamed “senior” official in the administration of US President Barack Obama expressing “distinct concerns” about stability in the Taiwan Strait if Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is elected president in January caused a storm of indignation among DPP supporters.

The race between Tsai and her main opponent, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), is a very close one, with the implication that any outside interference could tilt the game. It is one thing for authoritarian and undemocratic Beijing to meddle in Taiwan’s elections with money, political pressure and statements on its preference for Ma. It is another one for Taiwan’s principal ally, the democratic US, to do so.

More Articles...