A-bian on the ABC

Last night’s edition of Foreign Correspondent on ABC TV featured a program about Taiwan. It included an interview with President Chen, an interview with KMT legislator Su Qi and coverage of President Chen’s recent visit to the Solomon Islands and Palau.

The report was probably a useful primer for the average Australian with little knowledge of Taiwan, but it lacked depth and promoted various misunderstandings about Taiwan politics. It seemed to paint a picture of Taiwan where the politics was very black and white. According to the report Taiwan was a nation divided where 50% of people supported independence and the other 50% wanted to reunify with China. The reality is far from that simple and the only thing you could safely say about Taiwan is that there is a diversity of opinion and a majority of Taiwanese support the status quo, even if it is only to avoid any possible confrontation with China. It also failed to explain how the entire political landscape has been restructured since President Chen

I suspect that before anyone can “challenge” any of China’s claims over Taiwan, it will be necessary for some legal scholar, think-tank, or other expert to make a fully comprehensive explanation of what Taiwan’s current status under international law actually is !!!

Is United Nations the organization that enforces international laws? Is a non-member protected under international law?

China is threatening to invade Taiwan should Taiwan do anything toward

[quote=“wix”]
I suppose you can’t expect too much of a 20 minute TV program produced for an Australian audience, [/quote]

I am really shocked. One would have thought that the Teletubbies would have to do the interview in order to get an audience. Either that or lots of semi-naked woman and/or footie. :slight_smile:

A transcript of the program is now available:

abc.net.au/foreign/content/2005/s1322621.htm