tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post5308481356790775349..comments2023-10-22T18:25:39.688+08:00Comments on The View from Taiwan: ECFA Signing Round UpMichael Turtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17974403961870976346noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-62507041395002372882010-07-02T09:52:23.287+08:002010-07-02T09:52:23.287+08:00If the Taiwanese (as an electorate) aren't bot...<b>If the Taiwanese (as an electorate) aren't bothered enough to vote out the KMT over these issues, what is *your* problem?</b><br /><br />Reading this simplification, it's clear you are ignorant of the nature of Taiwan politics. And that's YOUR problem!Marcnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-24334979561609127372010-07-02T01:18:52.528+08:002010-07-02T01:18:52.528+08:00Bothered? You must not have family or friends outs...<b><br />Bothered? You must not have family or friends outside of Taiwan who:<br /></b><br /><br />God forbid foreigners outside of Taiwan think those things... whatever shall we do, if the great white hope doesn't come to Taiwan's rescue?<br /><br />If the Taiwanese (as an electorate) aren't bothered enough to vote out the KMT over these issues, what is *your* problem?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-17647228049390466912010-07-01T21:13:33.941+08:002010-07-01T21:13:33.941+08:00If you are looking for something pointing out the ...If you are looking for something pointing out the political nature of the ECFA, try <i>The Economist</i>: <br /><br /><a href="http://www.economist.com/blogs/newsbook/2010/06/taiwan-china_trade" rel="nofollow">"China’s largesse is clearly political.</a> It has learned that sabre-rattling, such as it employed in 1996 by launching ballistic missiles over the island, only encourages Taiwanese voters to choose pro-independence politicians. Now it is trying economic sweeteners instead. It hopes that these will prompt voters to choose Mr Ma’s Kuomintang party in the 2012 presidential election rather than the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).<br /><br />So Mr Ma must now prove that the ECFA will indeed help Taiwan sign free-trade pacts with other countries, or else risk a public backlash. Much here depends on what Taiwan calls itself in these agreements. 'Republic of Taiwan' would please the voters but infuriate China; 'Taiwan, Province of China' would do the reverse. Mr Ma has talked of a possible compromise: Taiwan’s WTO moniker, 'The Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu'. The DPP claims that China will use its clout to block other Taiwanese free-trade deals no matter the nomenclature. When asked about it on June 24th, Zheng Lizhong, who led China’s talks, appeared to duck the question."<br /><br />"No such thing as a free trade."justrecentlyhttp://justrecently.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-10382029046657890442010-07-01T09:54:37.575+08:002010-07-01T09:54:37.575+08:00Not sure why you get so hot and bothered about the...<b> Not sure why you get so hot and bothered about the foreign media.</b><br /><br />I'll take this one...<br /><br />Bothered? You must not have family or friends outside of Taiwan who:<br /><br />A) already believe Taiwan is/was/will be an integral part of China;<br /><br />B) think that Taiwan independence is naughty and communist dictatorships are good;<br /><br />C) won't visit TWN because they think there's going to be a war;<br /><br />D) think that ECFA is good for Taiwan - a little third world country located off China;<br /><br />E) hear that Ma Ying-Jeou is the Obama of TWN, esp after that terrible Chen Shui-bian;<br /><br />F) have never heard of TWN, or don't know where it is (or who envy you because you can eat Thai food whenever you want);<br /><br />...and all this because the international media portrays TWN this way.Marcnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-77964688686860180042010-07-01T09:17:04.692+08:002010-07-01T09:17:04.692+08:00check this out.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-...check this out.<br /><br />http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/29/AR2010062905064.html?sub=ARgreen sleeeveshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03952901787612003242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-50112678167698776742010-07-01T09:11:19.817+08:002010-07-01T09:11:19.817+08:00Michael:
Keep writing to the Washington Post. The...Michael:<br /><br />Keep writing to the Washington Post. The report "Logntime rivals China, Taiwan sign trade pact" , like those from AP, AFP, is one-sided, with only a very small paragraph covering the different in a negative tone: Still, the pact has generated intense resistance...<br /><br />It's true that most Americans don't give a rats ass to what's happening between Taiwan and China. But we still make ourselves heard.green sleeeveshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03952901787612003242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-17345889774172936942010-07-01T04:28:02.005+08:002010-07-01T04:28:02.005+08:00Either....
AP, a subsidiary of Xinhua... or
The ...Either....<br /><br />AP, a subsidiary of Xinhua... or<br /><br />The reporters working for AP are drawing the real salary from Xinhua.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-88795740481143870412010-07-01T02:31:51.985+08:002010-07-01T02:31:51.985+08:00Not sure why you get so hot and bothered about the...Not sure why you get so hot and bothered about the foreign media. <br /><br />Why, surely with all the great content being pumped out by the Liberty Times and the appalling behavior by the pan-Blues... the Taiwanese will surely vote out the foreign KMT looking to enslave them over the next 2 years.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-45918388385841398682010-06-30T21:18:06.652+08:002010-06-30T21:18:06.652+08:00Yeah, I thought that tung1234 joke was priceless t...Yeah, I thought that tung1234 joke was priceless too.Michael Turtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17974403961870976346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-37037430546580077612010-06-30T20:14:57.362+08:002010-06-30T20:14:57.362+08:00That 通同統痛 joke is brilliant! Your friend's fat...That 通同統痛 joke is brilliant! Your friend's father is a genius.LeafOnTheWindhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07763275442277699987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-28639215199538713132010-06-30T15:03:55.700+08:002010-06-30T15:03:55.700+08:00Unfortunately, I don't believe the U.S. popula...Unfortunately, I don't believe the U.S. population could give a rats ass about what happens on Taiwan today. They have far too much on their minds and do NOT wish to support anyone outside the border. Protectionism is alive. <br /><br />The media, is far too busy reporting on 2 wars, lost jobs, lost homes, oil spills, mutinous generals, Sarah Palin and Tiger Woods to really begin to understand what is happening on Taiwan. <br /><br />Pomfret serves Pomfret and continues to try and justify his existence in print. <br /><br />The bottom line, it doesn't sell.Sagenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-74869769748264957832010-06-30T12:45:45.162+08:002010-06-30T12:45:45.162+08:00I almost wrote them a letter, but I've written...I almost wrote them a letter, but I've written about Pomfret's incompetent reporting on Taiwan so many times it makes me want to cry. <br /><br />MichaelMichael Turtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17974403961870976346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-66752770257379656122010-06-30T12:36:13.331+08:002010-06-30T12:36:13.331+08:00I really had to laugh at this bit in the WaPo piec...I really had to laugh at this bit in the WaPo piece:<br /><br /><i>"Taiwan has been badly battered by the global economic crisis that began in 2008. It was unable to jump-start its export-oriented economy without full and free access to China's massive market."</i><br /><br />really?? A quick look at the numbers would have shown that export orders have been heating up for months, completely independently of ECFA. I can't find the articles on this that Michael linked to a week or so ago, but somebody might want to dig them up and point them out to these so-called reporters.<br /><br />Also, <br /><br />"<i>"Taiwan needed this trade deal far more than China. The mainland has signed similar free-trade agreements with the 10 member-nations of ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and Beijing is in talks for similar deals with South Korea and Japan. None of those countries would negotiate similar arrangements with Taiwan -- which is diplomatically isolated in the region -- unless it had first reached its own deal with China.</i><br /><br />Way to not point out all of the (widely-available) evidence casting doubt that these other putative FTAs will ever happen. But then, it's John Pomfret and two researchers in China, so what do you expect.janicenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-58280408106793391872010-06-30T12:36:13.330+08:002010-06-30T12:36:13.330+08:00I really had to laugh at this bit in the WaPo piec...I really had to laugh at this bit in the WaPo piece:<br /><br /><i>"Taiwan has been badly battered by the global economic crisis that began in 2008. It was unable to jump-start its export-oriented economy without full and free access to China's massive market."</i><br /><br />really?? A quick look at the numbers would have shown that export orders have been heating up for months, completely independently of ECFA. I can't find the articles on this that Michael linked to a week or so ago, but somebody might want to dig them up and point them out to these so-called reporters.<br /><br />Also, <br /><br />"<i>"Taiwan needed this trade deal far more than China. The mainland has signed similar free-trade agreements with the 10 member-nations of ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and Beijing is in talks for similar deals with South Korea and Japan. None of those countries would negotiate similar arrangements with Taiwan -- which is diplomatically isolated in the region -- unless it had first reached its own deal with China.</i><br /><br />Way to not point out all of the (widely-available) evidence casting doubt that these other putative FTAs will ever happen. But then, it's John Pomfret and two researchers in China, so what do you expect.janicenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-69999178493501301202010-06-30T12:34:09.557+08:002010-06-30T12:34:09.557+08:00"...it may be very difficult to separate Taiw..."...it may be very difficult to separate Taiwan from China." ... "For example, ... many people around you may be Chinese compatriots"<br /><br />Well, it won't help if you call them compatriots.Robert R.https://www.blogger.com/profile/12956389352825464115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-62352426154354840752010-06-30T12:29:28.681+08:002010-06-30T12:29:28.681+08:00I don't think this is the "uncritical int...<b>I don't think this is the "uncritical international media at work" but a particular damn fool working for AP.</b><br /><br />Yes, and another damn fool at Reuters, another at the BBC, another at CNN, and another at AFP.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-15420869029999993022010-06-30T12:01:56.654+08:002010-06-30T12:01:56.654+08:00You're right, of course, but we need to also r...<b>You're right, of course, but we need to also remind ourselves that the uncritical international media only accepts the press-releases sent out by the KMT. They don't bother to look at other sources.</b><br /><br />I don't think this is the "uncritical international media at work" but a particular damn fool working for AP.Michael Turtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17974403961870976346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-46710581877494865702010-06-30T10:22:18.408+08:002010-06-30T10:22:18.408+08:00"China to Drop Tariff on Taiwanese Bike Parts..."China to Drop Tariff on Taiwanese Bike Parts<br />SportsOneSource Media <br /> Posted: 6/29/2010<br />China and Taiwan signed a landmark trade agreement Tuesday that will greatly lower tariffs on Taiwanese bicycles and bicycle parts imported into China.<br /><br />China now collects a 17% tariff on bicycles and bicycle parts imported from Taiwan. Under the Economic and Co-operation Framework Agreement, that tariff would be eliminated over three years.<br /><br />In an interview with the Financial Times, the CFO for Giant Manufacturing, the world’s largest bike maker, said the deal would enable it to export more carbon fiber bikes to the mainland. Giant currently makes it high end bikes in Taiwan and uses factories in China for more moderately priced aluminum and steel framed bikes." <br /><br />** So ... Taiwan's opportunity to maintain a "point of difference" and produce technical, high end quality "finished" products in Taiwan,(the high end range of bikes as example?)... will soon be history.<br /><br />As Ross Perot might ask, "Can you hear that sucking sound". That's the sound of the few remaining jobs left in yet another Taiwan industry. <br /><br />The noose is being tightenedSagenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-49891706016739512622010-06-30T09:47:38.293+08:002010-06-30T09:47:38.293+08:00Polls DO NOT show a majority of the island support...<b>Polls DO NOT show a majority of the island supports the deal. </b><br /><br />You're right, of course, but we need to also remind ourselves that the uncritical international media only accepts the press-releases sent out by the KMT. They don't bother to look at other sources.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com