Want to take a break from the usual pro-Bejing stuff in the foreign media? Simon Tisdall of the Guardian has a good piece on Taiwan-China-US relations that manages to avoid many of the pitfalls (still reproduces the "renegade province" formulation, though, a phrase that is an invention of the western media) that plague foreign reporting on Taiwan. It manages to be informed, not make egregious errors, not incorporate Beijing propaganda, not say that Chen "provokes" China, and include comments from Taiwanese officials. Few pieces in the international media are as good. Thanks, Simon! Here it is:While the US frequently encourages Taiwan to buy new and second-hand US weaponry to be better able to defend itself, it has criticised Taipei's indigenous development of the long-range "Hsiung Feng' cruise missile, which it (and China) views as an offensive weapon. Chen was recently obliged to pledge to "consult" Washington before firing the missiles. US fears about fuelling cross-strait tensions, stoked by Beijing, also appear to have delayed Taiwan's purchase of 66 state-of-the-art, US-made F16 fighters.
Taiwanese officials say China has become adept at manipulating the Bush administration. "They are under pressure from China. China is very clever. If they want to do something on Taiwan, they call the White House and tell the Americans that Taiwan is rocking the boat. Then the US government puts pressure on us," a senior official said.
"We tell the Americans they should deal directly with us, they should take our national interest into consideration. But of course we are afraid about the growing cooperation between the US and China. It is a problem for us. It is definitely squeezing Taiwan."
Political factors are also straining Taipei-Washington ties as Taiwan moves towards next year's contentious legislative and presidential elections, in January and March respectively. Chen, who is standing down after two terms, is determined to hold a national referendum before he goes on changing the country's official name - Republic of China - to the more familiar Taiwan. The plan is then to apply for UN membership (it is currently excluded) under the new name - thereby raising "global awareness" of the Taiwan issue.
Poll watchers say the referendum proposal, opposed by the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) but backed the ruling Democratic Progressive party (DPP) and 3 million signatures, is likely to pass as matters stand now. That prospect infuriates China, which rightly sees the vote as a ploy to emphasise Taiwan's separateness, and alarms the risk-averse US.
Mayhap Tisdall can flip this piece to his colleague Jonathon Watts in Beijing, whose articles are generally disastrous regurgitations of what Beijing is thinking.
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Meanwhile Highway 11, the East Coast's leading expat magazine, graciously consented to run my piece on drowning. The regular editors must have been out at the bar, I guess, when the editorial decision was made. Also in this month's issue are a collection of articles held to a much higher standard, including a piece on hostels in Hualien, and an article on the craft fair there. Show your support for Highway 11 by clipping one of the many ads and taking it to a local restaurant next time you're in Hualien.
[Taiwan]
"Chen, who is standing down after two terms, is determined to hold a national referendum before he goes on changing the country's official name - Republic of China - to the more familiar Taiwan."
ReplyDeleteWell, there is one major flaw here at least. He seems to be implying that Chen has the ability to change the official name of the country. In this, he does fall unintentionally into Beijing's desire to see the referendum as a concrete and war-worthy step towards changing the non-existant status quo.
Yeah, the referendum could be seen as an expression of the desire of the Taiwanese people to call their country Taiwan, but it is by no means a change to the country's name. Only informed readers will see the difference.
Yes, I agree, but it is still way ahead of so many articles I've seen. Taiwan-centeredness should be encouraged whenever it manifests itself in the international media...
ReplyDelete"As I've continually pointed out, it is best to see the mechanism that Chen and Hsieh have constructed:
ReplyDeleteSTART:
CHEN MILITANT
HSIEH MODERATE
MEDIA REPORTS HSIEH-CHEN SPLIT
HSIEH AND CHEN DENY SPLIT
RESET TO START
...as entirely a bit of political theatre which the DPP is using to make Hsieh look moderate."
Glad to see you repeatedly pointing this out. Not only does Hsieh (a)avoid being linked with the unpopular Chen and (b) come off as moderate; he also gets to avoid spending his own time and energy securing the deep-green flank, because Chen is doing it for him. Further, Chen baits Ma in ways (Ma's father's urn) candidate Hsieh cannot afford to do; the DPP is hoping Chen can draw Ma into a mudslinging match that damages the latter's urbane-gentleman image. Also, the strategy creates an energy-consuming gauntlet; it forces Ma to constantly turn between two directions to deal with incoming fire. Most of all, the strategy has freed Hsieh to do what Ma hoped he wouldn't do: talk much more about the economy in non-Chen terms. (Ma: “It’s the economy, stupid.” Hsieh: “Though unlike you, I do think the nation’s identity is important, I agree about the economy – which is why I’m talking about it more now than you are.”)
Does the green media understand the strategy and just not want to point it out? Hilarious that the monomaniacal blue media -- Oh, ye mighty Ahabs ever out to slay minnow Chen! -- interpret Chen's actions as further evidence of his (presumed) lust for post-presidential power. Never mind that they also predict he is sure to abscond to the US to avoid prosecution if Hsieh loses; Chen’s the demon who merely as chairman could and would make a puppet of his own party’s president. But then what else do control freaks do when not in charge but consume themselves and any capacity for insight as they furiously project their own inner foulness? Once again, the "cultured and refined" Chinese chauvinists are showing themselves to be dull-witted compared to the Taike bumpkins. If the blues are this easily hoodwinked by people they have long rubbed-elbows (and knocked heads) with, how easily Beijing will hose them and Taiwan if Ma wins. And if the greens are able, through such a transparent gambit, to win the presidency again, won’t they feel well at ease in frittering away another four years through their knack for caprice, laziness, and seat-of-the-pants planning?
i've never heard of that magazine. cool article. i hope it makes a difference.
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