liar this man --ma

Taipei Times - archivesA year has passed since President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) began extolling the virtues of an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) his government intends to sign with China. What has this publicity campaign achieved? A cartoon strip by CoCo on March 17 answers that question quite well.

liar ECFA

Taipei Times - archives
It’s an irony for Chinese negotiators who took part in the second round of economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) negotiations in Taoyuan County yesterday to say from a resort in Dasi that they remain open-minded about the trade pact and would do whatever they can to minimize any potential negative impact on the local economy.

free China

Taipei Times - archives“We just made a decision that we didn’t want to act as an agent of the Chinese government,” Jones told lawmakers.

Taipei Times - archives

Taipei Times - archives

http://help.funp.com/lib/exe/fetch.php/funp/tools/tools_postbtn_script.png?cache=cacheSome businesses and academics are complaining that they were coerced to endorse an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) the government seeks to sign with Beijing, Soochow University professor Luo Chih-cheng (羅致政) said yesterday.

Luo, who doubles as chief executive of Taiwan Brain Trust, said that when the think tank talked with businesspeople, trade unions and industrial groups, some complained they were “threatened” or “lured by the promise of gain” to support an ECFA or refrain from expressing their concerns over the pact.

This kind of china

Taipei Times - archivesA search for “Falun Gong” — the spiritual group with ties to the Times — resulted in one image of anti-torture exhibits held by Falun Gong adherents, the Times said. While official Falun Gong Web sites did not show up in search results, a link to Tian Ti Books, which sells Falun Gong books, showed up at the top of the search results, the paper said.

Taipei Times - archives

Taipei Times - archivesIn his first public comments since returning from important two-day talks in Beijing earlier this month, US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg did not sound overly optimistic about the future of the US-China relationship.

Asked if arms sales to Taiwan and the recent visit to the White House by the Dalai Lama could result in relations deteriorating before they get better, Steinberg sought to avoid the question.

Red china

Taipei Times - archivesFor China, the Dalai Lama is a traitor to the motherland and a monk in wolf’s clothing.

By any dispassionate analysis, though, China appears terribly paranoid about the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan issue.

China rolls out sticks and carrots

Taipei Times - archives

http://help.funp.com/lib/exe/fetch.php/funp/tools/tools_postbtn_script.png?cache=cacheChina wants to absorb Taiwan. That’s its policy, which it calls “complete reunification” (完全統一). The policy will change as circumstances change. The basic strategy is a two-pronged approach of military force and the so-called “united front strategy,” a classic carrot-and-stick policy that is manifested in a variety of ways. Intimidation by violence is relatively simple, but Beijing can be more creative with the carrots.

liar ma do as hagemony

Taipei Times - archivesThe government doesn’t suffer from a lack of publicity; what it lacks is the correct policies and their forceful implementation in order to provide tangible improvements to the lives of the public. The economy may look brighter, but with employment still hovering just under 6 percent and no sign of dropping, and with industry moving abroad, it hasn’t yet recovered. Many unemployed have no income. Households are suffering and the misery index remains high, so why should the public give the government the thumbs-up or vote for the ruling party?

Beijing scare of Taiwan culture

Taipei Times - archives

http://help.funp.com/lib/exe/fetch.php/funp/tools/tools_postbtn_script.png?cache=cache Beijing is now seizing the opportunity created by the presidency of Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to impose a Chinese cultural template on Taiwan.

Evil ma not a leader

Taipei Times - archivesThe most obvious impression the public has is of an uncompetitive bureaucratic system that ignores their complaints. The government’s policy implementation has been too lax, as it has been unable to resolve domestic social pressure created by the economic downturn. Internationally, Taiwan’s global competitiveness is stumbling, as the trade-oriented nation fails to handle industrial transformation.