tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post6431575440581239379..comments2023-10-22T18:25:39.688+08:00Comments on The View from Taiwan: Daily Links, Monday, Oct 29thMichael Turtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17974403961870976346noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-45681887588935003582012-11-11T05:00:03.115+08:002012-11-11T05:00:03.115+08:00The US has sold advanced F-16 C-D models to Pakist...The US has sold advanced F-16 C-D models to Pakistan (friend of China), Iraq (Iranian-influenced) and Egypt (not-so-reliable these days). After these sales, refusing to sell the same type of planes to Taiwan on security grounds is a joke. If anything, the upgrade deal is worse on sec grounds than new sales (as that deal is supposed to contain some tech not usually found in these models).Y.K.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-85476778153193670112012-11-02T13:24:48.306+08:002012-11-02T13:24:48.306+08:00I haven't been following news about Chen for a...I haven't been following news about Chen for a while, but is the article in http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jack-healey/taiwan-chen-prison_b_2053203.html true about how Chen is treated in prison: "The smallish cell did not allow him to stretch out while sleeping; he was confined in this cell over 23 hours a day; no bed, not desk, and no chair; a bright fluorescent light was on 24 hours a day so that a monitor could watch his every move even when he used the no-flush toilet hole. "?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-88860906564978434012012-11-01T11:28:19.946+08:002012-11-01T11:28:19.946+08:00Regarding the Bush administration: my impression i...Regarding the Bush administration: my impression is that early in his term Bush was very pro-Taiwan. However he gave signs that he put a high value on personal relationships when dealing with other countries (hence the insane comment about looking into Putin's soul). Something seems to have gone sour between him and Chen (perhaps related to Chen not making room for other priorities as you mention - perhaps Bush got wind of Chen's illegal behaviors - one can speculate). Bush seemed to pivot pretty hard from being very pro-Taiwan to being very anti-Taiwan (but mildly warm to the "Republic of China").<br /><br />Obama, on the other hand, has never given me the impression that he thinks one way or the other about Taiwan. It's just this place and it is easiests to follow the policies laid down by his predecessors. He seems unwilling to take political risks to push it one direction or the other. This contrasts on one hand with Clinton who generally seems to have liked Taiwan/ROC and on the other hand with Biden who infamously told Taiwan that we had already decided for Taiwan that it would be annexed by China (though I've come to doubt the precision of that quote - I suspect it was a paraphrase rather than a direct quote).<br /><br />As for the F-16 sales - how much American technology should we be willing to let former ROC military officers sell to China? How does it help Taiwan's defense to give China information about the technologies we would use to defend Taiwan?Readinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-92177544663898432562012-10-30T07:54:07.502+08:002012-10-30T07:54:07.502+08:00Another military officer arrested for spying for C...Another military officer arrested for spying for China?<br /> <br /><br />"A defense ministry spokesman says several other officers have also been arrested."<br /><br />several - how many?<br /><br />Taiwan is the same as the Senkakus.<br />Either China is right and they are part of China. Or China is wrong and Taiwan/Japan and their allies should say so in no uncertain terms and act accordingly(develop Senkakus,declare Taiwan is a real country).yankdownundernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-72915812834650483642012-10-30T07:14:33.800+08:002012-10-30T07:14:33.800+08:00[quote]Even if the sale never goes through, Romney...[quote]Even if the sale never goes through, Romney offering to sell the F-16s would at least put the burden back on the KMT to explain why they aren't intersted in defending the country.[/quote]<br /><br />True, but they would simply point out that the budget won't cover it, as always.Michael Turtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17974403961870976346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-65899724312418350062012-10-29T23:03:24.985+08:002012-10-29T23:03:24.985+08:00From an article you linked to: "With Taiwan t...From an article you linked to: "With Taiwan to be formally admitted to the U.S. visa waiver program Nov. 1, Sanchez has been invited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to attend a celebration to mark the event, the AIT said." So within a few days of Taiwan's presidential election, the Obama administration announces easing of rules with Taiwan to help Ma get elected, and now he has this visa waiver taking effect within days of the vote in America. Readinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-3004020203289262712012-10-29T22:45:50.148+08:002012-10-29T22:45:50.148+08:00The main point of the comment about F-16s is that ...The main point of the comment about F-16s is that Romney is promising to sell the F-16s to Taiwan. You're right of course that neither Bush the Younger nor Obama the Unready has shown much interest in supporting Taiwan. However Bush is not on either party's presidential ticket. You have a choice between Romney who doesn't have record on Taiwan (other than promising support) and Obama who refuses to sell Taiwan useful weapons and hasn't done any serious work on a FTA with Taiwan (I suppose he might consider such an agreement "offshoring"). <br /><br />Even if the sale never goes through, Romney offering to sell the F-16s would at least put the burden back on the KMT to explain why they aren't intersted in defending the country.Readinnoreply@blogger.com