Symphony – Page 148 – Pacific Daily Times Editorials

Taiwan’s landslide election was more historic than the Democrats’ whompping early November. The vote didn’t reject Taiwan’s KMT-Nationalist party as much as it rejected Beijing. One big factor ignored by media: Clearing HK demonstrators in Mong Kong two days before Taiwan elections solidified voters’ decision: The KMT’s de facto agenda of “Taiwan SAR” is unacceptable.

Taiwan’s Premiere “resigned” and President Ma “accepted” it. Rolling the head of the second in command is an old Chinese power tactic. Ma borrowed from the same playbook in his second election when he chose a new Vice President—the man who happened to be governor of Kaohsiung when the 24-year-old gasline was installed, which blew up a few months ago, killing 30 people, wounding 300, and turning one of the city’s beautiful streets into a WWI style trench. Even if Ma resigns as KMT Chairman, as Monday rumors claim, that would only embolden the East Asian culture of Taiwan, which loves the public beating. · · · →

In Prelude

Prelude to Conflict: Asia, November 17

SymphonyNovember 17, 2014Leave a comment

The week of deliberation, choices, and ring around the rosy. Someone sets an unpopular policy, someone else finds a way around. World leaders came together. Rhetoric repeats, “China can grow; China must learn.” HK’s Umbrella Movement continues to wane as the world continues to react from all that Asian students have taught the world over the last 8 months.

International

US, Australia, Japan confer on Asian security issues

Japan economy enters recession after surprise Q3 contraction

Obama lauds Taiwanese democracy

US president’s Asia-Pacific message ‘directed at China’

G-20 leaders target trillions in fresh economic growth

America’s great gamble on China

China and the new regional order

FEATURE: WWII subs still key to Taiwan’s aging naval fleet

Hong Kong

What Beijing Has to Understand

Is Hong Kong China’s future?

Hong Kong police set to clear Occupy protesters ‘this week’

Hong Kong protest leaders refused entry to mainland

Beijing bans student leaders from taking trip to mainland to press for democracy

HK protesters denied Beijing flight (thepuffington.com)

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In Prelude

Prelude to Conflict: Asia, November 10

SymphonyNovember 10, 2014Leave a comment

After political defeat in the US, Obama looks to China. Taiwan’s Ma gets snubbed by China in the shadow of APEC. HK’s Umbrella Movement inches toward the discovery that they weren’t shaping Beijing policy as much as they have already helped shape the world’s policy toward Beijing—a lesson Beijing still hasn’t caught up to.

In a week with few developments, a few links say it all. That’s election season in the US and Asia as the summit approaches.

China’s neighbours embrace asymmetric warfare

Say It Loud: Language and Identity in Taiwan and Hong Kong

TAIWAN INSIDER Vol. 1 No. 7

…a good read to see what happened over the last week.

To China, Shift in Obama’s Political Fortunes Eclipses U.S. Economic Gains

APEC meeting may pour oil on troubled cros-strait waters (wantchinatimes.com)
Transcript of New York Times Interview With President Ma Ying-jeou of Taiwan (rss.nytimes.com)
Taiwan’s President Backs Hong Kong Protesters While Courting Beijing (nytimes.com)

· · · →

In Prelude

Prelude to Conflict: Asia, November 3

SymphonyNovember 3, 2014Leave a comment

Disunity delayed HK’s Umbrella Movement. A policeman turned pro-occupy, then called a retreat, but not after expressing his distaste for a recent swelling arrogance in the HK police force. And reality sets in that 2017 won’t look how people want it. Taiwan addresses internal problems of espionage and the lingering food oil scandal while China looks to space where Virgin fails. Yes, Beijing and the HK police will likely avoid Tienanmen Part II, contrary to the hopes of Western News and readers. But, while HK’s Umbrella Movement seems to be losing their game in HK, Asian students are, once again, winning the hearts of the rest of the world as the international community grows in awareness of HK’s situation and Beijing’s deafness in governing, without having the virtue of “blind” justice. Beijing’s stiff neck will calmly win the HK battle, but, more importantly, it will lose the war of international trust. · · · →

In Prelude

Prelude to Conflict: Asia, October 20

SymphonyOctober 20, 20141 Comment

Paula Bronstein, award-winning photojournalist, was arrested in Mong Kok, HK, for standing on a car to take a photo. Standing on a car, by HK law, is a greater crime than unsheathing a samurai sword in a theater. So, the new question is: How can HK’s Beijing-appointed government defend its sense of “justice”?

In the neighborhood, Taiwan’s government has the stronger sense of “justice”. Taipei is mulling a change in foreign labor—if a foreign employee is sexually assaulted, perhaps the employee should be allowed out of a work contract. Taipei is still considering the change. Which means that Taipei is considering more than either Beijing or Hong Kong.

With how the western media wants to paint Hong Kong’s government as oppressive—rather than deaf as a puppet—the Foreign Correspondents’ Club at Hong Kong should’t condemn Bronstein’s arrest. Quite opposite they should thank the police not only for helping her become more acclaimed than she already is, but by demonstrating the mismatched priorities of governments operating under the supervision of Beijing. · · · →

In Prelude

Prelude to Conflict: Asia, October 13

SymphonyOctober 13, 2014Leave a comment

HK police violence was angering as it was unusual. Hong Kong woke up, then Hong Kongers woke up the world. Beijing will neither listen nor crackdown. Instead, they make fools of themselves. No Tiananmen part deux, condolences to Western media. This week, the world learned: Neither the current Beijing government, nor the former Beijing-based KMT in Taiwan, can be trusted. You read it here first.

Stupid item of the week…

Hong Kong… “It was a nationwide decision and the decision has to face the country’s 1.3 billion people,”

— Rita Fan (范徐麗泰), courtesy Taipei Times, HK protest numbers dwindle while talks make slow progress

…Beijing really said something stupid: If HK is a “nationwide decision” as Rita Fan reportedly says, then 1. Why don’t Chinese government decisions involve their own 1.3 billion people? 2. That would mean Beijing reneged on their 1984 promise that HK rule was a HK decision. · · · →

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