Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

The problem of surplus capital

Taipei Times

On Wednesday, central bank Governor Perng Fai-nan (彭淮南) met ranking officials from three state-run banks and asked them to pay attention to the ability of borrowers to repay loans, not just admire the value of the collateral.

The central bank’s unusual move came just three weeks after it issued a press statement voicing concerns that an inflow of hot money would have adverse implications for the nation’s economic and financial stability.

The KMT's Diane Lee Finally Admits, She Lied.

Jerome F. Keating Ph.D.

The political bias and imbalance of Taiwan's Courts and its System of Justice were once again made evident in Taiwan when Diane Lee returned to court this past week. Lee, a Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) ex-legislator finally admitted that she, in violation of the law, has all along held dual-citizenship between the United States and the Republic of China on Taiwan. Yes after months of denying this fact, after accusing the United States of poor record keeping, after using every excuse and trying to blame any and all parties for doubting her, Lee finally admitted the truth. But what has this to do with the bias of the courts. Lee is still presumed innocent in the eyes of the court; she is as free as a bird.

US beef and the curse of Yu Wen

Taipei Times

Those familiar with Taiwan’s political scene will recall the name Yu Wen (余文), a Taipei City Government staffer during President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) stint as mayor from 1998 to 2006. Following Ma’s indictment in 2006 for misusing his special allowance, Yu became a fall guy in some observers’ eyes, serving nine months in jail for failing to keep Ma’s accounts in order.

The term “Yu Wen” has since become part of Taiwan’s political lingo. It refers to a government official or agency that serves as a scapegoat and takes the heat for higher-ups.

Who is Worse, the Thief or the Fence?

Jerome F. Keating Ph.D.

The word fence has different meanings. As a noun, it can denote a barrier or divider. Robert Frost has the well known line, "Good fences make good neighbors," in his poem "Mending Wall." In a different realm, the verb "to fence" describes a sport of swordsmanship where opponents use blunted foils, epees or sabers to register hits on each other. But there is third totally different meaning. The noun fence also can describe a person who receives and sells stolen goods or who acts as a conduit for stolen goods; this is the meaning that Taiwanese need to become aware of because it concerns their President.

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