Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Media using eggs to sow mistrust

Chen Chiao-chicy 陳喬琪

Human civilization is fairly short-lived and having undergone several wars, humans have only just begun to understand that democracy is a more acceptable social system.

Taiwanese voted for a reliable and trustworthy government so that they do not have to worry about food safety, security or the quality of healthcare, and least of all eggs.

Even if there were no eggs on the shelves for a few days, people would not panic, because they know they are living in a free society, and that eggs would be back on the shelves as soon as the government responds to the shortage. After all, eggs are not everyday essentials and any food that contains amino acids can be an alternative.

Fujian plan bound to fail

Taipei Times Editorial

With the Chinese economy facing headwinds, Beijing on Thursday last week unveiled a plan to set up an “integrated development demonstration zone” in its Fujian Province to encourage Taiwanese to emigrate or invest there, even as it has deployed a record number of military planes and ships to threaten Taiwan.

It is another example of China using the carrot and the stick.

The Fujian plan, which is being overseen by the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee and State Council, has 21 measures to promote integrated development with Taiwan and says that China has made “concessions” to facilitate Taiwanese living, working, studying and conducting business in Fujian, which include buying property and the enrollment of Taiwanese students in public schools. It has a goal of providing a business environment for Taiwanese to deepen Fujian-Taiwan industrial cooperation and develop a cross-strait financial market.

Addressing America’s skeptics in Taiwan

Ryan Hass

During a recent visit to Taiwan, I encountered repeated questions about “America skepticism” among the body politic. The basic premise of the “America skepticism” theory is that Taiwan people should view the United States as an unreliable, self-interested actor who is using Taiwan for its own purposes. According to this theory, America will abandon Taiwan when its interests are advanced by doing so.

At one level, such skepticism is a sign of a healthy, well-functioning democratic society that protects the right for vigorous political debate. Indeed, around the world, the people of Taiwan are far from alone in debating America’s reliability and motives.

The continuing saga of Ann Kao

Taipei Times Editorial

Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) has been under the political spotlight this week as new allegations of ethical misconduct continued to surface.

During her election campaign last year, Kao, a former Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) legislator-at-large, was accused of receiving paid leave from the Institute for Information Industry (III) while studying abroad and partly plagiarizing published III-funded studies she coauthored into her doctoral dissertation.

Kao’s legislative assistants also accused her of payroll fraud by forcing them to “donate” part of their salaries and overtime pay to a common fund, which was allegedly later used by Kao. She was indicted last month on charges of misusing public funds and making public officials write false entries in public documents.

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