Daily Links, April 25, 2011

Beware heretics! The Inquisition has wheels!

I'm finally done with my sojourn in Pingtung, so the links are back. Enjoy!

What's rolling on the blogs today? Don't miss the great piece right below:

SPECIAL:
Jens Kastner has an important piece in the Asia Sentinel on the numbers the Ma government is using to paint such a rosy picture of ECFA:

Tung Chen-yuan, a professor at Taipei's National Chengchi University's Graduate Institute of Development Studies, cast his eye on the numbers after the so-called early-harvest list of goods subject to tariff concessions 539 Taiwanese products and 267 mainland products – went into effect Jan. 1 under the ECFA.

After the list, an object of considerable political wrangling between the ruling Kuomingtang (KMT) and its opponents, came online, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) began placing advertising in local newspapers, boasting that “according to statistics,” the value of Chinese imports from Taiwan in January and February increased by 20.19 percent. It was further pointed out that the rise included a 28.47 percent increase in the value of products exported on the early harvest list.

For President Ma Ying-jeou's administration, it seemed like a pretty obvious win and that those railing against the trade deal with China were wrong. But Tung, the author previously of a sobering look at Taiwanese business people being victimized on the mainland, Doing Business in China Isn't All Roses, Asia Sentinel, Feb. 21, says the government is promoting a fairytale.

Here’s the catch: instead of the rather sobering economic data gathered by the Taiwanese authorities themselves, the KMT government has been presenting China's trade numbers as its own to make its case for the ECFA to its people.

Read the whole thing. It's a devastating indictment in every way, if true.

BLOGS:

• Government says Dachen wetlands might become preserve.
• the Lin family gardens in Banqiao from Steve Crook.
• David on Morning Tea with Tsai Ing-wen. Ben as well.
• Taiwan: sense of safety
• Angling for Indo-Pacific Tarpon.
• Fili on Yingge.
• Oz on the gayness factor in Taiwan's politics.
• Writing Baron dresses down a rude guy on a train.
• Dom is back with a great piece on tarts.
• Michael on our ride in Kenting.
• Dating in the Hsinchu Science Park: overcoming the 14-1 ratio.
• Taiwan's cinema "innovative unique and powerful"
• Apple Daily Poll has Tsai and Su thumping Ma. Hahaha. No way.

MEDIA:

• Analysts mull Kuokuang impact. Yes, President Ma has indicated the site of the proposed petrochemical complex will be made into a Wetlands Conservation Park. It is hard to believe, bt this project might really really be dead. Pinch me.
• Small parties don't want the Presidential and Legislative Elections merged. 
• Sinocentric with article on the new socialism in China.
• NextMedia animations not popular with government or local film students
• Pingtung County government takes people up Mt Dawu on annual rite of passage.
• WSJ column: China hopes boost Taiwan banks.
• Home sell-off expected in Taipei, Taichung
• The Mazu pilgrimage left the temple with millions in gold. I should have founded a religion and gotten rich....

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