Here's Dumb: Yao Ming Visit Blocked

If Taiwan had feet, they'd be riddled with bullet holes. The latest gaffe from our foreign ministry involves NBA star Yao Ming, who has invited to Taiwan to raise money for local charity:

Yao Ming, center for the NBA's Houston Rockets, was denied permission to visit Taiwan next month for a charity fund-raising luncheon, the China Times reported, citing Taiwan Basketball Association Deputy Secretary- General Wang Jen-sheng.

The Mainland Affairs Council on Aug. 23 verbally informed the association, which had submitted the application, of the Taiwanese government's decision, the Taipei-based Chinese- language newspaper reported. Yao, who is from China, was scheduled to arrive on Sept. 7, and planned to raise $200,000 for the island's charity groups, the newspaper reported.

No reason for the decision was given in the newspaper report.

Taiwan and China have been ruled separately since 1949, when communist troops took control of the mainland. China has threatened to invade Taiwan if the island declares independence.

What dumb idea! Fortunately, the media is reporting today that the government realized how stupid it was being, and is reconsidering:

Taiwan government agencies last week called a meeting to review the application and decided to ask Taiwan Basketball Association, which had submitted it, to provide "further details" on the basketball player and the purpose of his trip, Liu Te-Shun, vice chairman at the council, said today in a telephone interview.

Liu denied a China Times report earlier today, citing Taiwan Basketball Association Deputy Secretary-General Wang Jen- sheng, saying the council had verbally informed the association the government decided to reject the application.

"We didn't see all the details and information needed to make a decision," Liu aid. "We will hold another meeting after the association has submitted materials as asked."

Maybe the China Times is making the story up -- such invention is routine and used to cast positive moments for the government in a negative light (like the cadet sex story). But the government's comment that it will hold "another" meeting indicates that the story is likely true.

MEDIA NOTE: Observe how in both stories, the last paragraph baldly asserts that....

Taiwan and China have been ruled separately since 1949, when communist troops took control of the mainland. China has threatened to invade Taiwan if the island declares independence.

.....even though that particular media factoid has nothing to do with the story at hand. Editors constantly interpolate this and similar constructions into stories out of Taiwan. This practice results in readers constantly being bombarded with Beijing's point of view (China has....), as well as occupying space that could be used to give more developed and nuanced presentations. The fact is that China has not threatened to invade if Taiwan actually declares independence. It has threatened to invade if the island moves too far in that direction, not mere for reaching that goal (hence the construction is wrong). Imagine if the presentation was Taiwan-centric:

China has claimed Taiwan since 1949, when the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) retreated to the island after it lost the Chinese civil war to the Communists. However, postwar treaties make no mention of the final recipient of the island's sovereignty, and legal experts consider China's claims doubtful at best.

What a strange world that would be, eh?

[Taiwan] [media] [China]

Aaarrgh! to the Sydney Morning Herald

Sydney Morning Herald reporter Mary-Anne Toy just got back from a Taiwan government-supported trip to Taiwan and produced a very uneven article that at times offers an excellent review of affairs, but at others, remains within the conventions that govern journalistic writing on Taiwan. Consider this:

Beijing has claimed sovereignty over the island democracy since their split in 1949 at the end of the Chinese civil war. It has threatened to use the 1000 or so missiles aimed at the island if Taiwan tries to formalise its de facto independence by, for example, calling a referendum on the subject, as Taiwan's retiring President, Chen Shui-bian, has threatened. So behind the razzamatazz in April when China unveiled the route for the torch relay for next year's Beijing Olympics was yet another chapter in the continuing war.

It's wonderful that Toy refers to the missiles, as many commentators are wont to ignore them, but at the same time she repeats the formula that China and Taiwan split in 1949. But in 1949 sovereignty over Taiwan belonged to Japan, and it was the KMT and the CCP that split, not China and Taiwan.

More fundamentally, she regards the Torch issue and the Panda issue as battlegrounds in a "proxy war" between China and Taiwan. In fact the real battle ground is the media. China's "anger" is something that takes place only in the media reality -- it almost never intrudes on our reality. Despite "anger" the flow of Taiwanese money, businessmen, and tourists continues unabated, and China never makes a move against Taiwan that results in concrete costs for its side, the way Russia signaled its displeasure with US policy in the Balkans by tearing up a treaty, or the UK recently signaled "anger" at Russia by expelling its diplomats. The debate is largely symbolic, and aimed at the media. Thus, Toy's presentation on the "proxy war" misses the point that she herself is the object of the campaign.

Taiwan is not the first time Beijing has used such tactics. During the return of Hong Kong there was a steady drumbeat of attacks on Chris Patten, the last governor, so vitriolic that UK commentators frequently admonished Patten out of fear that Beijing would restrict the UK's trade with China. Naturally, nothing ever happened. Beijing was simply attempting to use the UK media to control Patten, transferring the cost of control to the UK rather than itself, just as it does today with the Taiwan case.

In addition to remaining with the parameters of Beijing's use of the media to advance its cause, Toy also makes other errors. She writes:

Taiwan and China's influence-buying in the region can undermine governance and encourage corruption and instability. Australia and New Zealand have told the rivals to stop the chequebook diplomacy to buy the allegiance of countries. Rioting in the Solomon Islands last year, which sparked Australia's billion-dollar RAMSI intervention, was blamed on Taiwan and China backing rival political factions in a tussle over whether the tiny nation continued to recognise Taiwan or to switch allegiance to China.

I've written before on the hypocrisy of the New Zealand and Australian positions, kowtowing to Beijing and then demanding that Taipei stop its diplomatic struggle to survive -- if democracies like New Zealand and Australia supported Taiwan, Taiwan wouldn't have to buy support elsewhere. But more importantly, Toy didn't do her homework, and simply repeats a factually incorrect slur about the riots. As the China Post reported earlier this year, the Solomons Riots had nothing to do with Taiwan or China:

The commission, headed by former Papua New Guinea judge Brian Brunton, said that while there was animosity toward Chinese in the community, it was not the cause of the riots.

"The assertions that the riot was a spontaneous outburst because of the corruption of the previous government and its links with the Chinese ... does not ring true," he said in the report.

"The evidence suggests that a group of persons planned events and decided that if their candidate was not elected prime minister ... they would cause such trouble so as to force a regime-change," he said.

He did not name any suspected orchestrators of the violence.

The report said police should have known tensions would be high during the "king-making period" immediately after the elections, when the government would be formed through intense political horse trading.

But police were caught off guard and had no plan to deal with a riot.

"The Solomon Islands Police Force were, in effect, unprepared without riot gear, or a riot trained capability on that morning," the report said.

The report said local police were at the time effectively under the control of the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands, the Australia led force deployed to the country in 2003 to quell a long-running tribal conflict.

Toy's article also regards China's drive to annex the island as "taking it back" although the PRC has never ruled Taiwan, nor did any previous government of China ever control the whole island.
It's not a bad article in many ways, but it reflects, rather than reflects on, the media's presentation of the Taiwan-China issue.

[Taiwan] [China] [Australia]

The China Problem is a US Problem

The Wall Street Journal, which abused UN Secretary-General Ban for his erroneous interpretation of UN 2578 last week, received a comically bombastic letter from the Chinese representative in the US:

King of the U.N." (Review & Outlook, Aug. 13), which lodged an unjustified accusation against U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's rejection of [Taiwan President] Chen Shui-bian's letter regarding "application for U.N. membership." Your editorial questioned the position that Taiwan is a part of China -- a position that is universally held by the international community -- and made irresponsible comments on the U.N. members' decision to reject Taiwan's participation in an international organization of sovereign states. The contents of this editorial contravene the one-China policy of the U.S. government and the principles enshrined in the three Sino-U.S. Joint Communiqués, and interfere in China's internal affairs. The Chinese people are gravely concerned and firmly opposed to this.

Yadda yadda yadda. Ross Terrill in The New Chinese Empire wrote that In 1997 China protested to the Kyrgyz foreign ministry about Res Publica, a local newspaper, reporting on Uighur riots in Xinjiang. Beijing called it "impudent interference in China's internal affairs," and claimed the paper had "seriously offended the feelings of the Chinese people." Nothing daunted, the paper offered to publish anything the Chinese government wanted to say on the matter, provided it did not "insult the feelings of the peoples living in Kyrgystan." Hope WSJ comes up with something as witty in response. Meanwhile the press agent for the Chinese embassy yowled on:

As an inalienable part of the Chinese territory, Taiwan does not qualify for the U.N., an international organization composed of sovereign countries. This is the universally held position by the vast majority of the countries in the world. Seeking "U.N. membership under the name Taiwan" is a secessionist attempt of the Chen Shui-bian authorities. It has been, and will continue to be, resolutely rejected and firmly condemned by the international community and will never have a chance to succeed.

Usually they use "Taiwan authorities" but here they go a step further -- it's the Chen Shui-bian authorities. Obsessive hatred of Chen Shui-bian is a hallmark of both the CCP and the KMT. If you read some of the editorials at the KMT news site, they apparently believe that Ma Ying-jeou's rival is Chen Shui-bian, although he is not running in the election.

Major media organs are reporting that Taiwan is planning a 16% boost in defense spending. Taiwan's defense spending has been stagnant for a decade or so by some counts, and the US has been pushing Taiwan to spend more. Can't sustain a campaign for independence without a credible military deterrent, sadly. As China attempts to expand to the old Qing imperial borders -- something 60% of the nation is not "China proper" and is occupied wholly or in part by non-Han peoples -- most of the nations on China's border face the problem of what to do about Chinese expansionism. The answer is increasingly the same for all of them, and all of them face same obstacle: US ambivalence. For example, consider India's China policy, from a commentary in the Asia Times:

Yet another Indian thinker concluded, "The choice presented to India is stark and simple. Either India integrates itself with the global powers or it isolates itself to be dominated by China and perpetually countervailed by Pakistan."

The Indians have tied themselves in knots. There seems to be embarrassed silence in Washington. The theorist who saw all international politics as a chessboard, former US national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezenski, would feel confused at hearing the Indian experts waxing on his pet subject. The "balancer" par excellence in modern diplomacy, Henry Kissinger, must be having a wry smile. Bush's close friend, US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, would turn red in his ears.

Clearly, it is impossible for Washington to see eye to eye with the Indian doctrine that the international system arrays the "world powers" against China. Paulson wishes to see China as one of the most important "stakeholders" in the international system. Paulson sees a China that is estimated to hold more than US$900 billion in a mix of US bonds. And when China sold a net $5.8 billion of Treasury bonds in April, he took careful note.

Paulson is a China expert from his days as head of Goldman Sachs. Bush's choice of him as treasury secretary was itself a measure of the crucial importance that Washington attaches to calming the waters of the United States' relations with a rising China. The hard fact is that the US Treasury has no currencies to redeem its debt. Washington knows it has no hegemony over China's policies.

As the recent CFR report makes clear, US decisionmakers are attempting to treat China as a responsible player in the international system -- read, willing to play along with US hegemony. This is a massive error that will cause much doleful shaking of heads among future historians. China buys US bonds not because it wants to demonstrate rationality and stability, but because it knows that with each and every dollar of debt it underwrites, the Bush Administration will stay in Iraq that much longer, further reducing US power and influence in the world. This is situation unique in history: not many nations have been in a position to obtain interest payments while helping their chief rival dig its own grave.

The fact is that the China problem is not merely a "China problem." It is a US problem -- without the US obsession with the Middle East and its faltering foreign policy elsewhere, China would not be "a problem." Randall Shriver alluded to this with a recent commentary in the Taipei Times. Writing on Taipei's requests for a re-iteration of the six assurances, he observed:

While it's true that the language was actually proposed by the Taiwanese side, it is also true that circumstances were very different in 1982.

Would Taiwanese leaders today feel "reassured" if the US pledged that the sovereignty of Taiwan should be "determined by Chinese [on both sides of the Strait]" themselves?

With the People's Liberation Army build-up opposite Taiwan unabated, are there still remaining concerns that the US would set a date to end arms sales to Taiwan? In 1982 Taiwan was happy to hear that the US wouldn't alter the terms of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), but in 1999 Taiwan lobbied very hard for a Taiwan Security Enhancement Act. And cross-strait interaction was at a very nascent stage in 1982.

The real concern for Taiwan in 1982 seemed to be potential pressure from the US to enter into dialogue, whereas now the concern is "too much dialogue" (in the form of business people, political parties, and people-to-people contact) without a proper political framework for this interaction.

While I continue to wonder why the US government seems reluctant to publicly state the six assurances and to endorse its sustained relevance to US policy, I come back to the conclusion that our problems run much deeper, and the required solutions are likely more bold than a restatement of long standing policy.

It has been over three years since the last major policy address by a Washington-based, senior US official on US-Taiwan Relations. The last such occasion was when then-assistant secretary of state James Kelly testified before the House International Relations Committee in April 2004 marking the 25th Anniversary of the TRA.

In his testimony, Kelly said, "our position continues to be embodied in the so-called `six assurances' offered to Taiwan by [former] president [Ronald] Reagan."

While his words were reassuring at the time, I think over the three years since this testimony trust between the US and Taiwan has weakened. Thus there is a need today for a strong, clear statement from a senior US official that will move us toward genuine reassurance. If the US government does see fit, I suggest they not think about reissuing the old six assurances -- rather, they should consider delivering "six new assurances."

Internally, actions taken by both Taipei and Washington have damaged the relationship. Externally, China's rapid rise in East Asia, and the declining US position in the world, have also changed the context of US-Taiwan-China relations. This is why Nat Bellocchi, former head of the officially unofficial US representative organ here, AIT, recently commented in the Taipei Times:

Now both sides of the pan-blue pan-green political spectrum support including a referendum in the next presidential election. In expressing disapproval of the referendum effort, the US may now have helped ignite stronger disapproval from China. It is clear that some means of preventing a serious problem in the Taiwan Strait is needed, or -- at the very least -- means of minimizing any harm to US interests.

Clearly the US needs to stop signaling China that its territorial aggrandizement is acceptable in today's world. Taiwan is not "the final piece of the puzzle" and letting China have it will only encourage further expansion by Beijing. The Qing Dynasty, whose imperial holdings the current PRC state inherited, doubled the size the Ming holdings, and China looks hungrily at the Qing possessions it does not yet hold, as well as at other islands. The proper response to Chinese expansionism is the carrot of international legitimacy and peaceful economic growth, backed by an alliance system that takes in nations from India to Japan. But such a response requires leadership from a vigorous and confident US that is looked up to by the international community -- and achieving that requires restoration of sensible, credible, competent leadership to the White House.

[Taiwan] [US] [China]

WAPO: ChThoniC: A Voice for Freedom

The Washington Post has a wonderful piece on ChThoniC, the Taiwan metal band that is raising our visibility in the US:

It's all part of an effort to drum up sympathy and support among a younger generation of music fans that may not be aware that Taiwan has been self-ruled since nationalist forces fled there in 1949 after losing a long-running civil war with communist forces. It had a U.N. seat as the Republic of China until 1971, when China asserted sovereignty and threatened military action if Taiwan tried to secede. The United States has been trying to encourage a peaceful resolution ever since.

"The things that we can do are not too much," Lim admits. "We didn't organize this tour for a political reason -- first of all, it's a musical tour -- but as citizens of Taiwan we had to express our political message in the same time when our country needs our support." Lim says the band has "met fans here and in Europe, even in high school, who are involved in social justice action and want to write about Taiwan, let their classmates know about Taiwan. Who knows? Those young people may be somebody who in different areas can support Taiwan in the future.

"So we do the most that we can do and hope that after we honestly express our opinion, we can inspire more Taiwanese citizens to bravely express their own opinions in international society, like the many movie directors and the baseball players in major league baseball in Japan. We are just a heavy metal act and we have to fight for our own musical career, but at the same time we want to fight for our country."

Seeking international political recognition while asserting its independence has been difficult for Taiwan, Lim says. "In my opinion -- and I think the opinion of all the citizens in Taiwan -- they consider Taiwan is already an independent country," he says. "We have all rights like the citizens of America: We pay the tax to our own government, we vote for our own president, we have our own army. It is for us an independent country, no doubt. That would be the point we want to mention: Accept 'unlimited Taiwan,' like the song.

"But we don't write anything political in other songs," Lim adds. "All our songs are about mythology in Taiwan. I'm a fan of all kinds of mythologies since I was in kindergarten. When I started to write music, I made up my mind to write about things that normally human beings cannot do -- I love to write about gods, ghosts, spirits."

Taiwan's "recognition entrepreneurs," private citizens who raise awareness of the island and its struggle for independence, are a key aspect of Taiwan's campaign. I wish more Taiwanese citizens took the time to speak with foreigners about the island's aspirations......the article goes into some detail on the band's creative influences and its music. Good stuff.

[Taiwan]

Taiwan 419 Scams

The 419 letter repository blog had this today:

MRHUANG CHILIN LETTER TO YOU

From: JTERRAhoustonrrcom - houagchilin@yahoo.com.tw

I am Mr.Huang Chi-Lin.I work with Sino Pac Bank, formerly known as International Bank of Taipei as General Manager, Northern Branches, Taiwan. I have an obscure business proposal for you. My client, Mr.Thabit Alwan an Iraqi Merchant, made a fixed deposit of 17.3mUSD for 18 months with my bank.

Upon maturity several notices were sent to him.

It was later discovered that he and his family were killed in Iraq war living no living witness to this fund.If you are interest I will like you as a foreigner to stand as next of kin so we can receive his....

419 scams, as these scams are known, are a common sight on the internet. You'd think by now that people would have wised up, but there is a sucker born every minute, apparently, for scammers all over the world make a good living from them. For more on 419 scams, visit the informative and entertaining 419eater.com, where people make a hobby out of baiting scammers. Don't miss the Trophy Room there.

[Taiwan]

Daily Links, Aug 23, 2007

It's pouring here. Again. Wednesday not a harbinger; it was merely a respite. Meanwhile good stuff is falling out of the blogs as well....

A-gu posts on the warning that China is stepping up its military maneuvers in advance of the Taiwan UN referendum.

Bent and I both blog on the economy and its bad news for Ma Ying-jeou. Everyone please say sutras every day from now on for the health of the US economy.

Submit your pics: Craig is looking for photos for featured photographers. And Taiwan Photographers is always hungry for Taiwan photos.

For those of you wondering how "sophisticated dualists" handle the problem that there is no need for a soul to make the mind work, the Cogitator has the answer

fili posts video clips from weird Taiwan TV shows.

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Jeff Miller's great post on the Sino-French War.

An interview up at Getting a Leg Up focuses on local music talent MoShang from S Africa.

Ben responds to J Michael Cole's piece in the Taipei Times.

Thirsty Ghosts on Taiwan's stray dogs.

Matsu going to the UN to save the UN bid?

Awesome post on the Eight Generals on a blog I'm delighted to read for the first time today.

[Taiwan]

On a clear day you can see Changhua

Betel nut stand on Wu Chuan W Rd.

Sepat cleared our skies, making Wednesday a beautiful day to take pictures....

Hard at work at the famous Lai Lai Snacks on Wen Hsin Road. This chain is found all over the island and has opened branches in China now.

Until a typhoon blows in, it is possible to live in Taichung and never realize that we are bounded by towering peaks.

The sky was clear and the day was cool. Good views. Naturally.....

....I made a panorama of this spot.

On a beautiful day like today, everyone is indulging in the national sport.

Stopping at the university to drop summer grades, I took a moment to again make one of my favorite panoramas: the city of Taichung seen from the south.

Heading back into town, I collected this pan of the rivers heading to the sea from Taiping and the mountains behind.

On my way over to Chunghsing University to visit a friend, I stopped at the wholesale market downtown by the train station.

I used the panorama function to capture the northern end of the market, making this composite of three images. With so many people on the move in the market, lots of people were cut off ghostly by the seams.

Shoppers crowd a fruit stand.

Helmets are mandatory on Taiwan's streets, but not yet for vegetable sellers. Still, with all the scooters zipping through the market, it's probably not a bad idea.

I walked around the market shooting the vendors.

Taiwan's markets are always crowded...with motorcycles.

Three amigos.

Lots of vendors sell a little of everything.

Pomelos, a great favorite of our family, arriving a little early in the season.

A yam what a yam.

Cleaning the product.

Dirt lends authenticity to the product.

Vendors enjoy a laugh together.

I've never seen these before -- some kind of nut?

Although largely a fruit and vegetable market, there are a few butchers and a couple of clothing vendors.

Mother and child reunion.

The cabbages of Li Shan are famous.

The southern arms of the market.

Lots of vendors make samples to hand out to prospective customers.

I grabbed these shots from the bridge on Fuhsing Rd.

I left that market and headed over to Minyi Street, full of stalls selling clothing and trinkets. One arm of this market terminates in a traditional wet market that is accessible from Taichung Road south of the train station.

Motorcycles are common in local markets. Despite what you may here from more westernized Taiwanese, as my friend and local scholar Clyde Warden pointed out when we discussed them later that day, traditional markets remain the main food retailing channel in Taiwan, just as they still are strong in Hong Kong. One reason for this is the convenience of motorcycling in....

A shopper scans a shop.

The market.

I always wanted a geode.

An underwear retailer adjusts his stock.

In every culture, humans love to adorn themselves.....

A vendor walks through the market selling sushi.

After visiting the markets, I ran over to Chunghsing to visit my friend Clyde. One of the first universities of the postwar period, Chunghsing started as an agricultural university.

A lake on campus.

Clyde took me to the library so I could enjoy some of the views. If you're ever there on a clear day, the views from the seventh floor are fantastic.

Here's one shot from the seventh floor of the library.

Chaoyang U., my university, on slopeland above Wufeng (background).

Southern Taichung and Tali.

Same street, different angle. I did two panoramas from the library that turned out real well, I think....

This panorama shows downtown Taichung seen from the seventh floor of the library. Looking north toward the city.

On a clear day you can see Changhua.... Panorama of southern Taichung county and beyond, looking south with the central mountain range on the left. A gorgeous day.

UPDATE: My beautiful and intelligent student Joslin informed me of what the strange nuts are: 蘋婆. This website here has some beautiful pictures of the nut, known as Sterculia nobilis. Thanks, Joslin!

[Taiwan]