What's aflame on the blogs this week?
BLOGS:
- Echo Taiwan on the Ma Administration's plan to put military instructors (political commissars) in the nation's public schools. A MUST READ.
- Drew and friends' hundred mile ride through the mountains of Taichung and Nantou. Awesome.
- Taiwanese Identity on pop musicians and identity
- Taiwan's Korea Strategy from Hear in Taiwan
- Darren Melrose on torturing your feet.
- maddog rips Reuters' Ralph Jennings for the piece I linked to below.
- Ben on ECFA and other stuff in a Threesome!
- Cycling Satin Sestina with more CNC pics. Lovely.
- maddog comments on the problem of public order here under Ma. Jerome on the KMT and crime in Taichung. Sorry, but it wasn't any different when we had a DPP mayor; there's just a lot more money now. Still the Central government is pitching in to help....current KMT mayor Jason Hu.
- Hanjie on Ma-Kau Ecological Park
- Getting behind the wheel in Taiwan
- Global Voices: an open letter to Tadao Ando
- Laowiseass rips the McTruths about Taiwan and China. Exellent work.
- Sean on the H1N1 hype: Big Pharma driven.
- Tea Masters finds the perfect spot to drink tea. With great pics.
- Scott says White House to announce interesting news on Mars' potential for life.
- Everyone but Reuters: Reuters with the bizarre claim that Taiwanese show "guarded acceptance" of ECFA -- in a country where it routinely gets only 40% of the population to support it in polls. Compare the two excellent pieces on the same topic by AP (Taiwanese president faces hurdles in key China trade deal) and BBC (Taiwan at crossroads in relationship with China) that contain actual poll information and correctly state that Taiwanese at best are divided. See also this piece from SCMP, normally a KMT cheerleader, another strong article on the ambivalence of the local population toward ECFA (except for the weird claim that 7,000 Chinese tourists are visiting each day).
- Taiwan Today with editorial on Ma Administration's food policy. The mating of foods with areas -- Taichung's sun cookie, Hsinchu's meatballs, etc -- was a deliberate KMT policy to encourage local tourism without encouraging local interest in local history and the growth of a local alternative identity. The current policy of promoting Taiwan's food to the world relies on the ardent Taiwanese belief that the island's cuisine is world class.
- Taipei Times argues Taichung needs a change of mayor. The crime and close links between police and gangs are well known to the public.
- Visits: Feinstein, the Senator from California whose husband is a major businessman in China, is on whirlwind visit to the island. Mike Huckabee, the former presidential candidate, is also here scooping up cash.
- Kaohsiung Stadium rated best in the world. You can't make this stuff up.
- Taiwan News rips the Grand Justices on the death penalty.
- Cycling in Taiwan by Paul Murray.
- Dell loses consumer lawsuit here.
- DPP to introduce new funding mechanisms.
- 3000 Chinese students have already enrolled here.
- Taiwan's envoy in Manila pushes for Philippines-Taiwan FTA.
- AIT head says TIFA between Taiwan and US can go without China approval.
- Years too late, head of Taiwan business association says it may be time for Taiwan firms to exit China.
- China in nuke deal with Pakistan.
- Commonwealth explores why South Korea has surpassed Taiwan.
- Burma/Myanmar, in partnership with N Korea, appears to have begun a nuclear weapons program.
CLIMATE: Arctic Ice in death spiral.
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9 comments:
I think the Commonwealth piece mention some good points but it forgot or is affraid to mention another important elements: China sucking Taiwanese capital.
Although SK's companies also have factories and operation in China, the amount is far less. Also, as mentioned in the articles their conglomerates invested in R&D etc domestically and in exporting to other countries which result in their diversification etc. Therefore, percentage wise, their investment into China is even less.
At the same time, Taiwan's industries stay mostly in OEM and ODM etc...and a lot of them choose to or force to move to China, instead of considering other alternatives (there are of course some exceptions). This outflow of manufacturing sectors, of cours, result in shrinking service sectors and downward pressure on salaries. If this does not make GDP growth slows down dramatically I don't know what will.
Obviously, one can argue that the SK model and strategy has its own drawback and problems, which I agree completely. But the important thing is to figure out a way for Taiwan to gradually step out of this shit hole and move on.
Yes, obviously the writer has overplayed SKorea's involvement in China, which may have mushroomed in recent years, because of his political biases. he also points out how unified Korea is, we'll never see that here because of the KMT's divide and rule strategies. Ironically the S Korea path was a lot closer to the DPP's position...
I'm just praying that Ma will be defeated in 2012 and the damage will be relatively contained and not spread.
"The mating of foods with areas -- Taichung's sun cookie, Hsinchu's meatballs, etc -- was a deliberate KMT policy to encourage local tourism without encouraging local interest in local history and the growth of a local alternative identity. The current policy of promoting Taiwan's food to the world relies on the ardent Taiwanese belief that the island's cuisine is world class."
As someone who talks to a lot of foreign visitors of all nationalities, I think promoting Taiwan as a foodie destination makes a lot of sense. For HKers, Singaporeans, Japanese and other Asian visitors, Taiwan's food is a very important attraction. But I'm not saying there aren't other motives, and I do think the Taiwanese are a little too proud of their cuisine (and not proud enough of other aspects of the country).
I teach a class in creative business writing. One of the first writing tasks is to write a persuasive letter to someone inviting them to Taiwan - giving reasons and incentives that appeal to the senses.
Over the many times I've done this, very few have mentioned the food. CKS Memorial, National Museum, Yangmingshan and nightmarkets are consistently mentioned, but not the food.
I've been told by many of my professional clients that foreigners won't/don't like the local food.
Night markets are ALL about the food. In fact, this sector will come in for promotion under the government's food plan courtesy of a Tourism Bureau program slated for later this year.
I have to laugh every time I hear Taiwan wants to become an international tourist destination. WTF is here that people really want to see and experience?
Beef Noodle Soup?
P.S. Steven, good point about the KMT and the food promotion issue.
Taste of food is really a subjective thing. Our taste are developed since young. It would always be interesting to let foreigners taste the local food, but as a way of advanture, not as something superior. They might or might not like them. It would be interesting to survey which nationalities like which food etc...
why is it so surprising that kaohsiung world games stadium was voted best in the world? (when you said "you cant make this stuff up" i sensed cynacism there, unless i read you wrong). it's a beautiful stadium AND its environmentally friends. being that its the world's first 100% solar powered large-scale stadium warrants the #1 spot, and it should not be a surprise to anyone. and again, it's a beautifully designed stadium.
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