“Ko was reported to have won Beijing’s approval for the visit after saying in a June interview with Hong Kong-based online media outlet China Review that cross-strait relations were neither international nor foreign relations, as they were handled by Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, rather than its Foreign Ministry.”
From the article above
They are falling apart, Freddy Lim has just left the party.
Ouch. First they kick out their sole Indigenous lawmaker; now Freddie leaves. The NPP is imploding.
Guy
Yep, just read that. My heart is broken. My hope was on the young people, but the old mummies with money -looking at you Guo Tai-ming, puppet of elite interests- have bulldozed them. Sigh.
5 years I need, hopefully 10. Pretty please, can Taiwan have some hope to last that long?
Hope for what? I mean, what kind of future are you hoping for (for Taiwan)? Honest question.
This isn’t the Ko from 5 years ago. Ko from 6 years ago would have lots to say about what Ko from the present is doing wrong.
I used to think DPP is being ridiculous when they criticized Ko for pivoting towards China, now it seems like DPP was telling the truth.
On the topics of China forcing the perspective that the 92 consensus is One China only, Mayor Ko said back in 2011 that accepting that perspective is to surrender to China. Now he says accepting it is about peace and respect.
This is a serious change. There are many many more changes to his stance on domestic topics as well. It’s almost like he doesn’t really care about his messages, he just say whatever will give him an advantage. The man is a true chameleon.
That it will keep on being the Taiwan we all love instead of an oppressed colony under Chinese thumb.
He’s no puppet of elite interestes, he IS the elite interests.
That depends on what you mean by “oppressed colony”. It could mean you don’t want Taiwan to be officially under PRC’s jurisdiction under a HK type of arrangement. Or it could mean any economic ties with PRC make Taiwan an “oppressed colony”. Or somewhere in between.
For me, the real question is how does Taiwan continue to benefit from economic ties with PRC while still maintaining its sovereignty and self-determination to the full extent that any normal country would have (or at least as close as possible to that). You may disagree and think the solution is to cut off all ties with China (ban all visitors from China, ban all direct flights, ban all money inflows, cancel ECFA, ban all trade with China, etc). Good luck with that.
Behind those elite interests lie even darker entities CCP, cough cough…
There is no way Taiwan is going to land a “Hong Kong arrangement”, unless you mean this slow descent into replacing the original people with their own people.
Firts of all, China doe snot respect arrangements. Second, once one thinks an arrangement has been made, China will strike back to show its power. Third, there is too much baggeage between China and Taiwan. The CCP may sign something… then hit us hard because it needs to set an example, or else its grip on China will fall apart.
Taiwan as a whole does not benefit from the interconectivity with China. It is not a fair nor transparent deal. It only benefits a few runnaway businesspeople, mafias, obscure invetors and double dealing stock manipulators.
The illusion of cutting ties with Chjina is along teh lines of Taiwan being a good infkluence that will lead China to democracy, meaning both are unattainable pies in the sky.
To have normal trade, we would need China to be a normal country, then allow Taiwan to be a normal country too. That ain´t happening either.
While cutting ties is not realistic at this moment, some caution must be exerted. Not all eggs in one basket, the only China matters approach is self destructive. Look how countries in Europe and Australia and most of Africa have to bend to its will. And there is no legal frame, no fair play, no consequences. No accountability.
Diversification in all areas, including tourism, is needed. I mean, we had thriving economy before China became a blip in teh economic sphere.
It acts like a red giant, and it pulls everything in its periphery in. Overrunning with interference nearby countries like Indonesia and Malaysia and Filipinas, taking over SEA seas, disrupting and practically slaving. Having no choice but them for commerce is not beneficial.
Yes, cutting all ties with China now is not realistic. And diversification for Taiwan is a good thing. But isn’t that exactly what Tsai has tried to do as President? And her popularity still isn’t that high. At the end of the day, its about what do Taiwan voters really want? Do they know themselves?
None darker than he himself
She has tried to sign free trade agreements with other countries and China basically vetoed them. She has tried to get into many global organizations and China vetoed this
Exactly. Tsai has tried, but China keeps stonewalling every move she makes then attempt to blame her.
Yes, and China will keep doing that to Taiwan. So what’s the solution?
Keep trying and hope some western counties grow some courage to stand up to China.
Well, she pushed to extend tie swith SEA countries, which was a trend already worldwide, and has benefited Taiwan by giving them frontline acess to resources and business.
However, all we hear in Taiwan is SEA tourist engaging in prostitution.
Business is also thriving with remaing allies and conversations going well on a possible FTA with the European Union.
But no one hears about that. All they see is stories about Korean Fish slapping cakes in teh face with the ex legislature president.
The Taiwanese voters do know they want to keep their homes, their investments, their lives. But they are painted a distorted picture by media and they do not have the facts to analyze and decide. And they were conditioned during the Martial Law era to keep their head down, maybe then they won´t be singled out for punishment. They were made accomplises de facto. And in guilt and shame they foster greed, as all is well if there is enough money in the bank.
Little do they know what happens when a bully rolls in town and take sit all. Or they do, and do not want to remember. Those who remind them are labeled “renegades”. But the shut up and take the CCP money does not work when the CCP can take it away just as fast.
Also, educate the public. I keep taking to people who blame Tsai for the economy… It’s ridiculous. Like China literally cuts the tourist numbers then people blame Tsai for bad tourism economic numbers