Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Taiwan-PRC ECFA needs debate and referendum

Taiwan News Editorial

Late last week, President Ma Ying-jeou finally agreed to hold a direct debate with opposition Democratic Progressive Party Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen on his right-wing Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) government's controversial proposal to sign an "economic cooperation framework agreement" with the authoritarian People's Republic of China.

There should be no doubt that Ma accepted the challenge for a direct debate on the proposed ECFA issued over a year ago by Tsai because of the setback suffered by the KMT in the Dec. 5 "three in-one" elections.

Can the ECFA train be stopped?

Taipei Times

Notwithstanding the lack of rigor in Taiwanese polling, there is food for thought in a survey by Taiwan Thinktank that claims 60 percent of the public have reservations about the economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) that President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) wants to sign with China sometime next year.

The poll also suggested a majority believes that the fourth round of cross-strait talks between Straits Exchange Foundation Chairman Chiang Pin-kung (江丙坤) and his Chinese counterpart Chen Yunlin (陳雲林), scheduled for next week, should be delayed over concerns of a replay of the violence that accompanied Chen’s previous visit.

Taiwan, As the World Turns in December: Ma Turns to his Spin-doctor King Pu-tsung

Jerome F. Keating Ph.D.

The December 5 election results were not a big loss for the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), but they did show the continuing ineptness of Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou. As both President and KMT Party Chairman, Ma could blame no one else. He put his image on the line as he campaigned heavily throughout the country, and especially so in the County of Yilan where the KMT lost handily. Ma tried to explain it all as a matter of the economy (Ma's campaign promise of 6-3-3 is becoming 3-1-1) but whatever the reasons Ma gave, the outcome was clearly another vote of non-confidence in Ma.

What 'Formosa' means for today's Taiwan

Taiwan News

The coincidence of the 30th anniversary of the Kaohsiung or "Formosa" Incident and the 61st anniversary of the promulgation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights yesterday provides an important moment for reflection on both the Taiwan's difficult democratization and the state of our democratic society after 19 months after the restoration to governance of the former party of authoritarianism.

Exactly three decades ago in Kaohsiung City, a riot broke out between police and supporters of the democratic movement attending a banned demonstration called to commemorate International Human Rights Day organized by "Formosa" monthly, the self-designated "magazine of the Taiwan democratic movement."

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