Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Beware of the ‘Chinese culture’ pill

Huang Tzu-wei 黃子維

President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) recently said he advocates the study of classic Chinese texts. With the presidential election just around the corner, this is a sensitive time and his announcement has caused much debate. However, the first traces of how the Ma administration uses politics to steer education and culture could be seen a long time ago.

The promotion of traditional Chinese culture is only for show and the real goal behind the administration’s move is to follow Beijing’s instructions to use education and culture to subtly influence the way people think in order to change Taiwanese perceptions of a national identity and weaken their feeling of having a unique ethnic identity — thereby paving the way for China’s eventual annexation of Taiwan.

Just 5.7 percent of Taiwanese regard China as home: poll

Taipei Times

The results of a poll released by the Taiwan Thinktank yesterday showed that 89 percent of Taiwanese regard Taiwan as their homeland, while 5.7 percent say that China is their homeland.

The poll was commissioned by the think tank and conducted nationwide by Master Survey and Research Co on Wednesday and Thursday. The company questioned 1,089 people aged 20 and above and the poll has a margin of error of 3 percent.

In answer to the question: “Where are you from?” 69 percent of respondents replied that they are from Taiwan, while 24 percent said they are from the Republic of China (ROC).

Beware integration trap, expert says

Taipei Times

Despite a good cross-strait relationship, Taiwan in the short run is anxious about the upcoming elections and in the long run is concerned about the respective rise and decline of China and the US’ influence on the country, said Brad Glosserman, the executive director of the Pacific Forum at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank on foreign policy.

He added that all of Asia is beginning to worry that “the balance of power in the region is shifting in China’s favor.”

Glosserman said in his recent writings that while the possibility of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) coming to power again has some people worried, it does not mean that those who are worried favor the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).

More heartbreaking news from Tibet, Two Tibetans self immolate

Sherab Woeser

DHARAMSHALA, October 7: Reports coming out of Tibet confirm that two more Tibetans set themselves on fire today in an apparent anti-China protest. One is feared dead while the other is being described in serious condition.

This is the third incident in a week following the self immolation of Kesang Wangchuk on Monday, when Tibetans have been forced to commit the ultimate sacrifice of setting their bodies on fire as a last resort of peaceful action against the Chinese government’s repressive policies in Tibet. Last week, two monks, Lobsang Kalsang and Lobsang Konchok had set themselves ablaze.

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