Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Sovereignty spat spills to film festival

Taipei Times

A-list movie stars about to make a grand entrance at the prestigious Tokyo International Film Festival became the latest victims of turbulent cross-strait relations on Saturday after both the Taiwanese and Chinese delegations missed the star--studded ceremony amid a spat over names.

Despite spending days preparing for the 11-day event, Taiwanese actors and actresses failed to reach the eco-friendly “green carpet” after a Chinese delegation insisted that the Taiwanese group add the word “China” to their country’s name.

Ma’s fight with AP not at the heart of the issue

Lai I-chung 賴怡忠

In recent days, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has had another fight with The Associated Press (AP) over whether he will enter into political talks with China if he is re-elected in 2012. Ma remains adamant that he never made any statement to the effect that he was planning such a move if re-elected and he insisted that it was all a misunderstanding by the AP reporter. Ma even demanded that AP offer an apology. However, regardless of whether AP eventually folds under mounting political pressure, the press release issued by the Presidential Office shows that the AP’s conclusion is based on fact.

Former president releases new book

Taipei Times

After almost 700 days in detention, former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) would not flee the country if he were released, he says in a new book that he wrote while incarcerated at the Taipei Detention Center.

“I choose to confront rather than escape,” he says, speaking of his legal troubles, including accusations that he committed forgery, embezzled state funds and laundered money through Swiss bank accounts.

China poses challenge to new START ambitions

Peter Brookes

Discussion of the US-Russia Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty — aka New START — has so far pretty much skipped one very important consideration: China.

In the run-up to last week’s Senate committee vote to send the treaty to the floor for ratification this fall, senators quite rightly debated whether New START overly restrains US missile-defense options, has weak verification procedures, cuts too many US missiles or warheads or might affect nuclear North Korea and near-nuclear Iran.

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