Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Taiwan as the World Turns: the KMT and Gangsters, a Past that Won't Go Away

Jerome F. Keating Ph.D.

The investigation into the shooting of Sean Lien this past election eve is proving to raise more questions than it is answering. With contradictory claims and accusations as well as questionable methods, Taiwan finds that once again the tawdry and murky world of the relations between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and gangsters is not a thing of the past by any means. This is so despite the thin veneer of respectability with which Ma Ying-jeou always attempts to cloak his party.

US makes breakthrough in laser weapons

Taiwan Tati Cultural & Educational Foundation

The US has made a breakthrough in perfecting a new laser weapons system that may one day be used to defend Taiwan.

It is a laser or ray-gun type weapon that will eventually be able to take down multiple enemy missiles at the same time.

At a Congressional hearing on Wednesday, Larry Wortzel, a military expert with a special knowledge of Taiwan, was asked by US Republican Representative Steven Chabot about the approximately 1,100 Chinese missiles targeting Taiwan.

There aren’t constants in our lives or government

Peng Ming-min 彭明敏

There has been a huge fuss made about the 18 percent preferential interest rates for pension savings accounts of retired military personnel, civil servants and teachers, with advocates on either side of the argument at each other’s throats.

On one side, there are people claiming we must adhere to the principle of “guarantee of trust,” and who believe that the privilege should be normalized. It is also true that many in the public haven’t heard of this particular proposition and have never really understood who or what it is they should trust and who or what is responsible for the guarantee.

Updating the US’ policy on Taiwan

Richard Zalski

During the previous decade Chinese authorities were apparently extremely unhappy with then-president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁). In mid-2005 then--Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and then a month later People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) visited China.

Itineraries were designed to highlight the common historical bonds between the Chinese Communist Party (CPP) and the KMT. The voyage was meant to be symbolic, rather than a political strategy. Lien’s visit was already planned a year earlier when Lien was expected to win the presidential election.

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