Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Another self-inflicted shot in the foot

Taipei Times

Vaccination is the best way to protect against influenza. The government, with vaccines sourced from home and abroad, launched an inoculation program on Nov. 1 for those considered at high risk of contracting A(H1N1), or swine flu. It subsequently launched a nationwide immunization program on Dec. 12, hoping to shield the population against the global epidemic.

Despite the government’s all-out campaign, and despite incentives such as cabbage, towels and stationery offered at some locations, the inoculation rate remains short of the targeted 30 percent of the population. Department of Health Minister Yaung Chih-liang (楊志良) said the inoculation rate was around 20 percent as of Tuesday.

KMT, CCP hit gas pedal for 'one China' market

Taiwan News Editorial

The ruling parties of Taiwan and the authoritarian People's Republic of China unmistakably signalled yesterday their common intention to accelerate Taiwan's economic integration into the PRC-led "one China market" under the guise of an "economic cooperation framework agreement."

In the wake of the symbolic setback suffered by Ma's right-wing Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) in the Dec. 5 "three-in-one" local elections, pundits have been divided on whether the polls would compel the Ma administration to slow down or accelerate the negotiations for the controversial trade pact.

Excuse our ‘technical issues’

Taipei Times

It was a slap in the Taiwanese government’s face when negotiations on a cross-strait mechanism to avoid double taxation broke down at the last minute on Monday.

However, it should be a precious lesson for President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration: Haste makes waste.

US should stop fooling around and back Taiwan

Nat Bellocchi 白樂崎

Policymaking is always an art of finding a balance between continuity and change: Governments want to maintain what is perceived as good or beneficial for their respective countries and at the same time make progress in the right direction. Circumstances change and force people, organizations and governments to adapt to the new circumstances.

The US itself is built on the precept of change. The nation was born out of the belief that Americans have the vision, ingenuity and perseverance to make the world a better place. Thus, our policies have always supported change … in the right direction. That is why it is peculiar that in one specific area we cling to the “status quo” — our policy toward Taiwan.

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