Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Worrying about Taiwan’s future

Taipei Times Editorial

A look at the headlines of most newspapers yesterday was enough to make one break into a cold sweat over Taiwan’s prospects.

One headline said a US Department of Defense report concluded that China’s military expansion is continuing and that “The balance of cross-strait military forces continues to shift in [China’s] favor” while Taiwan’s defense capabilities remain disappointing.

DPP vows to revisit ECFA if it regains power

Taipei Times

Accusing the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government of ramming the cross-strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) through without regard for public concerns or democratic process, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday vowed that it would revisit the trade pact if it regains power in 2012.

“Taiwan will have to one day pay the price for its reckless passage of the ECFA,” DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said, one day after the KMT-dominated legislature approved the bulk of the trade pact. “This important piece of national policy should have been carefully considered, transparent and subject to legislative oversight, but we did not see this take place.”

ECFA receives legislative approval

Taipei Times

The legislature yesterday ratified the cross-strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) after a showdown that saw all the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus’ motions voted down by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) majority.

The vote took place after more than 10 hours of clause-by-clause deliberation, with KMT and DPP lawmakers taking the floor in turn to speak for and against the ECFA.

Chinese belligerence must not be accepted

John Bolton

For years, foreign policy optimists have predicted that China’s rise to superpower status would be peaceful and responsible, but recent Chinese actions make this vision look increasingly naive. The administration of US President Barack Obama must decide whether to respond to Beijing’s hostility or allow its aggressiveness to go unchecked.

China continues to modernize and expand its nuclear-capable delivery systems, even as Obama urges Senate ratification of a treaty with Russia that would further reduce US nuclear weapons and long-range conventional delivery systems. Beijing operates under no restraints whatsoever in enhancing its nuclear and ballistic missile options, while also developing new “carrier killer” cruise missiles.

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