Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Kevin Rudd and his China fallacies

Jerome Keating

There are times in listening to world leaders that one wonders whether they are being simplistic, blind, naive or even duplicitous in their assessment of the world and its economy.

A recent case in point was when Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd visited Washington, chatted with US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and then spoke at the Brookings Institution. In his speech, Rudd stressed the importance of bringing China into international institutions. Rudd’s reason, of course, was that the world economy depended on it. This bears deeper examination.

US expert warns of PRC economic trap

Taipei Times

A US military expert said China may be trying to take over Taiwan by using a strategy of “economic entanglement.”

Barry Watts, a senior fellow with the Washington-based Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, told a US congressional commission this week: “Why use military force if economic entanglement leading to economic capture is succeeding?”

In testimony before the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, Watts said that the most common scenarios for a conflict between the US and China were built around a Chinese attempt to invade Taiwan.

How Long Must Taiwan Reap What Others Sow?

Jerome F. Keating Ph.D.

There are times in listening to world leaders that one wonders whether they are being simplistic, blind, naïve, or even duplicitous in their assessment of the world and its economy. A case in point recently came when Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd visited Washington D.C. Rudd chatted with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and then spoke at the Brookings Institute. In his speech Rudd stressed the importance of bringing China into international institutions. Rudd's reason of course was that the world economy depended on it. This bears deeper examination.

First there is the question why China needs to be brought into international institutions. China is not an international waif in the wilderness; China already is very actively involved in the world spending billions to spread its influence and to gain access to oil, raw materials etc. etc. It also is already in most international institutions and if it isn't it at least has influence and leverage therein. So what does Rudd mean?

Mr Ma, do you take us for fools?

Taipei Times Editorial

With steely-eyed determination and a clenched fist held up high, a stern-faced President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) on Tuesday asserted his intention to safeguard Taiwan’s sovereignty and dignity as he slammed the WHO for addressing Taiwan as a “Province of China” in an internal memo, and held China responsible for pressuring the WHO into designating Taiwan as part of China.

Just before the public was swept away by Ma’s rhetoric and convinced of his will to stand up against China and anyone who stomps on Taiwan’s sovereignty and dignity, however, an event that took place on the same day on the other side of the Taiwan Strait led people to wonder whether Ma was at all sincere at the press conference.

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