2007 November | The View from Taiwan

Entries for November, 2007

Ma’s Economic Nostalgia

Nov.30, 2007 in 2008 Presidential Election, DPP, Ma Ying-jeou, construction-industrial state, economy

KMT Vice Presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou released his latest economic plan, with a sustained hack on the DPP:
“My economic policies consist of more than opening up for more Chinese tourists and cross-strait direct links. Expanding domestic demand is also crucial and for the government to invest in the nation shows love for Taiwan,” Ma told [...]

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Why Chen Made the Martial Law Comment

Nov.30, 2007 in 2008 Presidential Election, Chen Shui-bian, China, Frank Hsieh

Last week President Chen intimated that he was considering martial law as a possible alternative to handle the KMT’s lawlessness in refusing to obey the regulations for elections promulgated by the CEC. This comment was widely disparaged by observers on all sides of the political debates.
I can only speculate, but this paragraph from Willy Lam’s [...]

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Kitty Hawk through Straits; Latest Nelson Report on Kitty Hawk

Nov.30, 2007 in Chen Shui-bian, China, US, arms purchase, military and defense

The Navy finished the Kitty Hawk affair in fine style, sending the carrier through the Taiwan Strait on the way home.
A U.S. aircraft carrier group sailed through the tense waters between China and Taiwan after it was denied entry last week to a Hong Kong port, the U.S. Navy said on Thursday.
The USS Kitty Hawk [...]

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Le Roi Soleil as a Responsible Regional Player: L’Affaire Kitty Hawk

Nov.29, 2007 in China, Tibet, US, US Navy, military and defense

Yesterday China came out with a claim that it had denied Kitty Hawk a berth in Hong Kong because it was angered by US support for Taiwan (IHT has a similar story):

The Global Times, a tabloid published by the official party mouthpiece People’s Daily, cited an unidentified People’s Liberation Army senior colonel, as blaming Washington’s [...]

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Richard Kagan Announces New Book on Lee Teng-Hui

Nov.29, 2007 in DPP, KMT, Lee Teng-hui, Taiwan independence

Taiwan Scholar Richard Kagan announces his new bio of Lee Teng-hui.
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Member Publication: Kagan,_Taiwan’s Statesman: Lee Teng-hui and Democracy in Asia_********************From: Richard C. Kagan
I am writing to introduce my book to my colleagues. I would appreciate any comments, criticisms, and discussion.
The full citation is :
_Taiwan’s Statesman: Lee Teng-hui and Democracy in Asia_. Naval Institute Press. [...]

Daily Links, Nov 29th, 2007

Nov.29, 2007 in Uncategorized

What’s hiding out on the blogs today?

Rye at Ni Howdy talks up the Edward Curtis Indian photo exhibition.

Craig offers great images of Angkor Wat. And Jiji too.

Pinyin news blogs on an article suggesting Mandarin students write characters using software. Meanwhile Talking Taiwanese talks about reading it. And A-gu has a post on a teacher who [...]

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Wow! How did THAT $10 million get there?

Nov.28, 2007 in KMT, construction-industrial state, corruption, political economy

I’ve often mentioned the Chu An-hsiung case, still canonical as far as Taiwan city council speakers are concerned, but certainly KMT’s Lien Ching-tai, former city council speaker of Tainan deserves an Honorable Mention, as he was recently charged with fraud in a land case that highlights how the System works…
Former Tainan [...]

Media shorts

Nov.28, 2007 in Uncategorized

I took time out from editing a friend’s book on Taiwanese popular religion to have look at the news. My friend has returned to the UK where he is going to Oxbridge, or Camford, or perhaps Hogwarts, to study, after which he will become a Don. This was very confusing to me, since, being from [...]

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Nelson Report on the Kitty Hawk Incident -UPDATE-

Nov.27, 2007 in China, Missiles, Nelson report, US

The Nelson Report, the Washington insider report, gives the point of view of Beltway insiders on the recent flap over the recent problems with the visit of the carrier Kitty Hawk to Hong Kong:
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US-CHINA…let’s start with the bad news. You saw last week that Beijing embarrassed itself by completely mishandling a long-planned Hong Kong courtesy [...]

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Lyndon LaRouche Speaks at China Reunification Conference

Nov.27, 2007 in craziness

This is the kind of thing you just can’t make up. Blogger Woolly Days from downunder found this article from a Chinese news service. To get the full flavor, read Woolly’s post on the mad LaRouche, a nutcase who perennially runs for president….
These are central themes for the now 85 year old Lyndon LaRouche. LaRouche [...]

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Guangdong vs Gujarat

Nov.27, 2007 in China, India

Hot special economic zones. Booming industries. Busy ports. Rapid economic growth. Massive inflows of foreign direct investment. Yup, that’s Guangdong Gujarat.
This week’s Asia Times has a long study of the success of the Indian state of Gujarat (Wiki Gujarat):
The northwestern state of Gujarat - notorious for horrific communal violence in 2002 in which over a [...]

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China Opposes UN Referendum…as Earth still orbits sun

Nov.27, 2007 in 2008 Presidential Election, European Union, France, KMT, UN

Reuters reported that China was once again kvetching about the UN referendum, a harmless piece of electioneering that can have no concrete effect, since China possess a veto in the UN and can block Taiwan’s entry whenever it pleases.
China has again prodded the United States to oppose a controversial referendum on U.N. membership by Taiwan [...]

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A Man, A Plan, Japan

Nov.26, 2007 in 2008 Presidential Election, China, Japan, Ma Ying-jeou

Ma Ying-jeou has returned from his recent trip to Japan, and it appears to have gone well, reports Max Hirsch of the Kyodo News service:
The KMT, which identifies strongly with Chinese culture and nationalism, has traditionally fared poorly in wooing Tokyo.
Ma hopes to improve those relations as Japan becomes a more important trading and strategic [...]

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Underwear Day in Taichung

Nov.25, 2007 in Taichung

With all the negative publicity about our fair city from our high crime rates and the fact that we host the world’s biggest polluting power plant, we get a break:
The Audrey Underwear company in Taizhong city named November 21 Camisole Day to celebrate record sales.
Much to the excitement of their male colleagues - all 500 [...]

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Shannon Meet Up Dec 9 (Sunday!)

Nov.24, 2007 in Swensons meet up

From the Home page of the Reporters without Borders, referring to the 2008 China Olympics.
Jerome Keating sends around the latest skinny on the upcoming Shannon Meet Up: UPDATE: This is now confirmed for Sunday, the 9th. The Shannon is next to Dan Ryan’s on Tunhua N. Rd, across from the concert venue.
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To all,
I am planning [...]

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