Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

ROC Navy needs rethink: experts

Taipei Times

The Taiwanese navy can no longer hope to compete with China for control of the waters adjoining Taiwan and should instead embark on a program that focuses on “sea denial,” two academics argue in a landmark study of Taiwan’s naval strategy.

Calling for a break with Taiwan’s naval power paradigm, Chinese navy experts James Holmes and Toshi Yoshihara of the US Naval War College write that denying the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) use of the waters around Taiwan would be nearly as effective for homeland defense as fighting for outright sea control, as designated in the current strategy.

Timing makes Lee indictment suspicious

Nat Bellocchi 白樂崎

When a former president is indicted, it is food for some fundamental reflection. So, when I heard about the indictment of former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) on June 30, a number of thoughts came to mind.

The first and foremost was that he is an elderly statesman, 88 years old now, who played a crucial role in Taiwan’s transition to democracy. He is generally referred to as “the father of democracy,” a well-deserved title, as he led the country from the dark days of martial law and one-party rule to a flourishing and vibrant democracy.

Pro-independence group marks sit-in’s 1,000th day

Taipei Times

The Alliance of Referendum for Taiwan yesterday marked the 1,000th day of their sit-in outside the legislature, vowing not to give up their fight for Taiwanese independence and to defend Taiwan’s sovereignty.

“We’ve been here for 1,000 days — this is a record in Taiwan’s history. We will continue our struggle to defend Taiwan’s sovereignty,” the alliance’s convener, Tsay Ting-kuei (蔡丁貴), told dozens of people gathered outside the Legislative Yuan in the evening.

Members of the alliance and their supporters launched their sit-in rally in October 2008 after taking part in a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-organized protest against President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).

Refusing to aid Taiwan is illogical

Reuben Johnson

Observing daily life in Rio de Janeiro, the most famous of Brazilian cities, one is instantly aware that Brazil’s economy is booming and that Rio, in particular, is about to be the scene of two mammoth international sporting events: the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games.

Brazil feels that it is now reaching its rightful position in the world community — one of the so-called “BRIC nations” — and that the international recognition of Brazil as an up-and-coming nation is an achievement it has largely reached as part of its partnerships with European nations — most specifically France.

Thus, when it comes to modernizing the economy in general and the military in particular, Brazil feels no sense of exclusivity about its relationship with the US. During Brazil’s period of military dictatorship, the nation was under a US embargo forbidding any trade in armaments, putting the Brazilian military in a difficult position.

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