Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

China mapping a path toward trouble

Taipei Times Editorial

China on Monday last week published a new version of its national map that extends its territorial claims in the Asia-Pacific region. The map angered neighboring states just before Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) was supposed to attend this weekend’s G20 summit in New Delhi.

Not only does the new map released by the Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources include 90 percent of the South China Sea with the controversial “nine-dash line” that the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled unlawful in 2016, but it added a 10th dash to include Taiwan, an independent, sovereign nation that the People’s Republic China has never set foot on.

Morrison Lee arrives in Taiwan

Taipei Times

Morrison Lee (李孟居), who was imprisoned in China for 22 months on spying charges, arrived in Taiwan yesterday.

Lee knelt to kiss the ground twice upon his arrival at Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport), saying that he was overcome with joy to return after 1,475 days.

“This is the land of freedom,” he said. “I will never go to China again.”

Poll shows 48.9% support independence

Taipei Times

A poll released by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation yesterday showed 48.9 percent of Taiwanese support obtaining formal national independence, while 26.9 percent support maintaining the “status quo” and 11.8 percent support unification with China.

Support for Taiwanese independence topped support for maintaining the “status quo” by 22 percentage points and Chinese annexation by 37 percentage points, foundation chairman Michael You (游盈隆) said.

An overwhelming majority of respondents aged 20 to 44 voiced hope that Taiwan can declare independence in the future, he added.

Hypocrisy around radioactivity

Huang Wei-ping 黃惟冰

Representative to Japan Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) wrote a post on his Facebook page on Saturday, in which he said that trace quantities of radioactive elements are actually good for one’s health.

He gave as examples the hot springs in Taipei’s Beitou District (北投) and the Tamagawa hot spring in Japan’s Akita Prefecture, which are the only places on Earth known to have a special kind of rock called hokutolite. Hokutolite, which is named after the Japanese pronunciation of the name “Beitou,” contains traces of radium, and Hsieh said that research shows this rock to be beneficial for one’s health.

Interestingly, some Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) politicians had a knee-jerk reaction to Hsieh’s post about the quality of these hot springs.

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