tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post3616671066003051709..comments2023-10-22T18:25:39.688+08:00Comments on The View from Taiwan: Can Taiwan's Soft Power Change China?Michael Turtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17974403961870976346noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-76874881411202045102012-05-10T06:44:50.703+08:002012-05-10T06:44:50.703+08:00Do you also have contempt for people who advocate ...<b>Do you also have contempt for people who advocate independence from the safety of a foreign country?</b><br /><br />Nope, they are a needed part of a movement with strong majority support at home, not a minority of right-wingers supporting a program of territorial expansion.<br /><br />MichaelMichael Turtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17974403961870976346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-57979874976496212882012-05-10T02:18:38.374+08:002012-05-10T02:18:38.374+08:00"I have only contempt for people who advocate..."I have only contempt for people who advocate reunification from the safety of a foreign country."<br /><br />Do you also have contempt for people who advocate independence from the safety of a foreign country?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-65555467973088971912012-05-09T20:25:10.633+08:002012-05-09T20:25:10.633+08:00Michael, you do question the value of student exch...<b>Michael, you do question the value of student exchange.</b><br /><br />I don't question it, I love it. I'm just not fooling myself about KMT motives for engaging in it.<br /><br /><b> Against all my advice, Taiwan's government insists on 'culture' as the bedrock of its soft power.</b><br /><br />This is how it aligns itself with China....<br /><br /><br />MichaelMichael Turtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17974403961870976346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-62496635837828668562012-05-09T18:30:11.038+08:002012-05-09T18:30:11.038+08:00Michael, thank you for your thoughtful piece. I ha...Michael, thank you for your thoughtful piece. I have been telling Taiwan's government for years that its soft power lies in its democratic credentials ('an example of an alternative Chinese polity'). I am a big critic of the Asian values thesis which is just a weak justification for authoritarian government. Against all my advice, Taiwan's government insists on 'culture' as the bedrock of its soft power. I do not agree with the comments by Readin that Taiwan is a fragile democracy. My observations of the political system there, and especially the legitimacy of the electoral system, suggests that Taiwan is a consolidating democracy. Michael, you do question the value of student exchange. This is part of a long-term strategy, and while the effects are not immediate, interacting with locals and living in another country - whether in the UK, the US or Taiwan - is a real eye-opener. Just think about how the Chinese tourists visiting Taiwan prefer to stay in their hotels at night to watch local talk shows. <br /><br />My own blog on this subject is at http://wwwpdic.blogspot.comGary Rawnsleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13357725443625620182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-3825551124084928962012-05-09T08:57:06.837+08:002012-05-09T08:57:06.837+08:00The email with the piece had a HK email.
I have ...The email with the piece had a HK email. <br /><br />I have only contempt for people who advocate reunification from the safety of a foreign country.<br /><br />MichaelMichael Turtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17974403961870976346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-4701139060022569232012-05-09T05:52:12.049+08:002012-05-09T05:52:12.049+08:00Yes, I thought that was Sonny Lo's piece. Was ...Yes, I thought that was Sonny Lo's piece. Was not sure. His book "The Dynamics of Beijing-Hong Kong Relations" even claims that HK "reunification" might serve as the "model" for Taiwan. Of course, he has not taught in HK for many years, now working at the University of Waterloo in Canada.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-10324819755877401982012-05-08T06:18:01.743+08:002012-05-08T06:18:01.743+08:00http://www.asiapacificmemo.ca/taiwan-liberal-value...http://www.asiapacificmemo.ca/taiwan-liberal-values-may-corrode-china-authoritarian-systemMichael Turtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17974403961870976346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-13906715951004974312012-05-07T23:30:36.146+08:002012-05-07T23:30:36.146+08:00Michael,
Can you supply a link to the Hong Kong a...Michael,<br /><br />Can you supply a link to the Hong Kong academic's piece? Thanks.<br /><br />Joe MillerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-26580548679169926612012-05-07T23:10:12.404+08:002012-05-07T23:10:12.404+08:00Michael,
Can I ask for the source of the Hong Kon...Michael,<br /><br />Can I ask for the source of the Hong Kong academic's piece on Taiwan? I did not see a link.Zhuxiuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10750933270554207265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-76657552066017238872012-05-07T10:31:57.919+08:002012-05-07T10:31:57.919+08:00The idea that Taiwan serves as an example of a dem...The idea that Taiwan serves as an example of a democratic Chinese society may have some value, but only to the extent that the Chinese people remain ignorant of Taiwan. This is because it is precisely the Chinese part of Taiwan's society that seems to have the most trouble embracing democracy. When reflecting soberly on Taiwan, it seems to be an example of how Chinese society cannot accept democracy, and that Chinese power within a society works against democracy. Taiwan's example makes me very pessimistic that China might ever become democratic. <br /><br />The idea of Chinese students coming to Taiwan to learn about democracy might be a good one if Taiwan's democracy were more deeply embedded. However the fragility of the democracy argues against bringing too many Chinese to Taiwan.Readinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-64761432956716641862012-05-06T23:05:18.771+08:002012-05-06T23:05:18.771+08:00heh. I commented on Friedman here.
Michaelheh. I commented on Friedman <a href="http://michaelturton.blogspot.com/2012/03/friedman-on-taiwan.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>.<br /><br />MichaelMichael Turtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17974403961870976346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-82652875273046454492012-05-06T22:42:30.975+08:002012-05-06T22:42:30.975+08:00Michael, you wrote/linked:
- - -
Gorgeous pictures...Michael, you wrote/linked:<br />- - -<br /><i>Gorgeous pictures of Taiwan's nature and biodiversity</i><br>- - -<br /><br />But the "very serious" Thomas Friedman keeps saying that Taiwan is "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn6CyUMXQNs" title="YouTube video - 'Thomas Friedman on Taiwan'" rel="nofollow">a barren rock…</a>"<br /><br /><a href="http://taiwanmatters.blogspot.com/" title="Taiwan Matters!" rel="nofollow">Tim Maddog</a>Tim Maddoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16943522529132663780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-76050896564731356932012-05-06T22:07:07.577+08:002012-05-06T22:07:07.577+08:00Allow me to paraphrase:
Second, Taiwan should buil...Allow me to paraphrase:<br /><i>Second, Taiwan should build deeper economic interactions with the PRC, including an economic union. This will bind the economies of mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao together. It will also encourage accelerated political transformations in the PRC.</i><br /><br />1) Collect Underpants<br />2) ???<br />3) Political Transformation!Robert R.https://www.blogger.com/profile/12956389352825464115noreply@blogger.com