Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

How Long Must Taiwan Reap What Others Sow?

Jerome F. Keating Ph.D.

There are times in listening to world leaders that one wonders whether they are being simplistic, blind, naïve, or even duplicitous in their assessment of the world and its economy. A case in point recently came when Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd visited Washington D.C. Rudd chatted with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and then spoke at the Brookings Institute. In his speech Rudd stressed the importance of bringing China into international institutions. Rudd's reason of course was that the world economy depended on it. This bears deeper examination.

First there is the question why China needs to be brought into international institutions. China is not an international waif in the wilderness; China already is very actively involved in the world spending billions to spread its influence and to gain access to oil, raw materials etc. etc. It also is already in most international institutions and if it isn't it at least has influence and leverage therein. So what does Rudd mean?

Mr Ma, do you take us for fools?

Taipei Times Editorial

With steely-eyed determination and a clenched fist held up high, a stern-faced President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) on Tuesday asserted his intention to safeguard Taiwan’s sovereignty and dignity as he slammed the WHO for addressing Taiwan as a “Province of China” in an internal memo, and held China responsible for pressuring the WHO into designating Taiwan as part of China.

Just before the public was swept away by Ma’s rhetoric and convinced of his will to stand up against China and anyone who stomps on Taiwan’s sovereignty and dignity, however, an event that took place on the same day on the other side of the Taiwan Strait led people to wonder whether Ma was at all sincere at the press conference.

Ma Ying-jeou, the Puppet of Beijing

Jerome F. Keating Ph.D.

Once again, Taiwan has witnessed that the word of Ma Ying-joke is a hollow as an empty gourd. After years of Ma telling the Taiwanese that he is protecting its sovereignty, that he would not mention independence and that he would not move toward unification, reality exposes his deception. Ma touted that the observer status that he has gained Taiwan as Chinese Taipei in the World Health Assembly (WHA) was a great achievement. A recent memo reveals that this was and still is a sham.

First one must remember that the observer status Taiwan has is a year by year status; it must always be approved by China. China can dump Taiwan at will and deny its status whenever it wants. Is that a great achievement by Ma?

Memo says Taiwan not a party to IHR

Taipei Times

A “leaked” internal memo from the WHO made public yesterday raised new questions about Taiwan’s participation in the International Health Regulations (IHR).

The memo, handed out by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲), states: “Taiwan, as a province of China, cannot be party to the IHR” — an agreement that dovetails with Beijing’s position.

World Health Assembly (WHA) Resolution 25.1, referring to the 1972 clause that ejected Taiwan’s representatives to the WHO, remains a “touchstone for such matters,” the confidential document said.

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