China News
Tsai Ing-wen
Cadence Column: Asia, January 27, 2020
Trying to be polite or indirect while not taking no for an answer does not give anyone a right to make trouble. When someone gives a decisive, “No,” decent people accept that answer, then move on somehow. But, China doesn’t seem able to do that. In Beijing’s thought, relentlessly pushing forward, no matter how many … Continue reading
China says it won’t back off position that Taiwan is its territory
China will not change its position that Taiwan belongs to it, Beijing said on Sunday, after President Tsai Ing-wen won re-election and said she would not submit to China’s threats, as state media warned she was courting disaster. The election campaign was dominated by China’s ramped-up efforts to get the democratic island to accept Beijing’s … Continue reading
Cadence Column: Asia, January 13, 2020
The overwhelming, earth-shattering, landslide re-election victory of Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-Wen sends a shocking message to Beijing: If you plan to take Taiwan, prepare for greater opposition than you got from Hong Kong. But, like the house cat who doesn’t know it’s not God, let alone that it’s not any tiger, they won’t ever decrypt … Continue reading
Taiwan’s president elected to 2nd term as voters back tough stance against China
Tsai Ing-wen was reelected as Taiwan’s president by a landslide Saturday in a victory that signalled strong support for her tough stance against China among voters determined to defend their democratic way of life. Tsai, from the Democratic Progressive Party, soundly defeated Nationalist Party candidate Han Kuo-yu, receiving 57.2 per cent of the vote to … Continue reading
How China may help its enemy get elected in Taiwan
Taiwan’s President Tsai can thank Beijing for its stupidity if she stays in power. This Saturday, voters in Taiwan will choose their next president and the national Legislature. Tsai Ing-wen, the incumbent president who is detested by the Chinese government because of her tough — if, until recently, low-key — anti-China stance, has chosen as … Continue reading
Cadence Column: Asia, December 2, 2019
Opinions on Asia aren’t just flying, but swarming the Pacific. Hong Kongers vote against China in an unmistakable slap to Beijing’s face, then Beijing blames the US—because Beijing still thinks that voters only vote how the government tells them to. And, everything is all America’s fault anyway, right? It took a day of silence for … Continue reading
China is sabotaging itself in Taiwan
China has a lot at stake in getting its favored candidate across the line in Taiwan’s presidential election in January, so it’s strange that Beijing is doing so much to sabotage Han Kuo-yu’s chances. Without a change in its approach, the Communist Party risks making the already difficult task of winning over the self-governing island next … Continue reading
Cadence of Conflict: Asia, June 17, 2019
Trump’s so-called “trade war” with China was never any failed attempt at relations. It was a way to get American companies out of China before the inevitable crud hit the fan. With Hong Kong’s government ignoring it’s people, we can see Trump’s wisdom with China. One million people in a population of just over 7 … Continue reading
Cadence Column: Asia, April 22, 2019
China faces more scrutiny from its own propaganda while Taiwan searches its own soul. Taiwanese elections are fast approaching. Demagoguery is in full swing. Even the founder of Foxconn says a Chinese god told him to run for president. We could say that billionaires are the presidential trend, but Terry Gou’s (郭台銘) money is largely … Continue reading
Cadence Column: Asia, February 25, 2019
Nations and peoples of the free world are reaching toward each other. The EU reached out to Taiwan and Taiwan was grateful. Taiwan reached out to CNN and CNN did an interview. Kim Jong Un is likely on a train headed through China to Vietnam to meet President Trump. President Trump met with the Vice … Continue reading
Cadence Column: Asia, December 3, 2018
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-Wen apologizing after a mid-term defeat at the provincial level will not demonstrate strength on her part, but she shows respect and stability in maintaining her appointees and policy toward China. Having not stood her ground on information about proposal that would have set Taiwan’s team name at the Olympics in Japan … Continue reading
A proxy war after The Pentagon names China as top threat?
It could mean a proxy war when the Pentagon says they will be “forcing them (the competitors China and Russia) to confront conflict under adverse conditions”. Where may it be? “Inter-state strategic competition, not terrorism, is now the primary concern in the U.S. national security”, announced by the United States Defense Secretary James N. Mattis … Continue reading
America planning big new arms sales to Taiwan despite China’s concerns
The Trump administration is crafting a big new arms package for Taiwan that could include advanced rocket systems and anti-ship missiles to defend against China, U.S. officials said, a deal sure to anger Beijing. The package is expected to be significantly larger than one that was shelved at the end of the Obama administration, the … Continue reading
China hypocritically attacks US over human rights violations
China lashed out at the United States for its “terrible human rights problems” in a report on Thursday, adding to recent international criticism of Washington on issues ranging from violence inflicted on minorities to U.S. immigration policies. The U.S. State Department‘s annual report on rights in nearly 200 countries last week accused China of torture, … Continue reading
Cadence Column: Asia, January 9, 2017
http://podcasts.pacificdailytimes.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2017/01/Symphony-Cadence-2017-01-09.mp3 Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen (蔡英文) is in Houston, TX. Joshua Wong (黃之鋒) and a few lawmakers from Hong Kong are in Taiwan. A new wave of smog is in Beijing. And, more threats from Beijing to Trump are in the headlines. Wong was a Hong Kong Umbrella Movement leader and is now secretary-general of … Continue reading
China upset at name change of de facto Japan embassy to include name “Taiwan”
China expressed dissatisfaction on Wednesday after Japan‘s de facto embassy in self-ruled Taiwan, which Beijing considers a breakaway province, said it would change its name to include the word Taiwan. Japan, like most countries in the world, maintains only informal relations with Taiwan while it has diplomatic ties with Beijing. From Jan. 1, the Interchange … Continue reading
Cadence Column: Asia, December 26, 2016
Beijing continues rattling prototype sabers over Trump’s talk and his walk. The Trump cabinet will be packed with savvy Secretaries who are wise to bad deals. People who want good deals will be supportive. People who want bad deals will object. Everyone has made his own position clear. Now, it’s time to see whose ideas … Continue reading
China says Trump must toe line on Taiwan
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will face “serious” consequences should he attempt to revise U.S. policy toward Taiwan, a state newspaper China Daily said. The editorial welcomed Trump’s plan to nominate Iowa Governor Terry Branstad as ambassador to Beijing, who’s known Chinese President Xi Jinping for almost three decades and was described by the country’s foreign … Continue reading
Cadence Column: Asia, December 5, 2016
A negative response in the wake of President-Elect Trump’s phone call with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen (蔡英文) could backfire. Such an educational, peaceful, and friendly phone call—clearing up an enormous misconception and even security concerns—deserves nothing less than praise. One harmless, little phone call encouraged millions of people in Asia to relax. Only an aggressor … Continue reading
Cadence Column: July 4, 2016
We see the psychology of Chinese cultural leadership on full display. China stopped communicating with Taiwan. An accidental firing of a live missile, killing one and injuring two, on a parked Taiwanese naval corvette was judged to indicate a “loose screw” in Taiwan’s military leadership. The KMT-Nationalists from Mainland China have been managing Taiwan’s military … Continue reading
Taiwanese warship accidentally fires missile towards China
A Taiwanese warship has mistakenly launched a supersonic “aircraft carrier killer” missile towards China, the navy said, as ties between the island and its once bitter rival deteriorate. The domestically developed Hsiung-feng III missile flew about 45 miles before plunging into waters off Penghu, a Taiwanese-administered island group in the Taiwan Strait. The Taiwanese navy … Continue reading
Cadence of Conflict: Asia, May 30, 2016
China has reportedly announced that it has been outdone by US technology. This implication came from the statement that it can only respond to the US “freedom of navigation” exercises by sending nuclear subs to the South China Sea. While some claim that the reports from Beijing are “exaggerated”, either scenario shows Beijing revealing its … Continue reading
Cadence of Conflict: Asia, May 23, 2016
Taiwan has a new president. Security is a hot topic. New leaders bring change. Change can be unstable. As a general rule, web and program developers don’t like software “updates” because they can cause other dependent software to crash. In general, admirals and generals don’t like map updates either, and for good reason. Constantly changing … Continue reading
Cadence of Conflict: Asia, November 9, 2015
The two presidents of the two governments of China met in Singapore. The exiled government was protested on the island where it remains in exile. It was a wild week. Taiwan’s president, Ma, defended the importance of dialog while nearly every branch of his government clashed with protests. The meeting comes at the brink of … Continue reading
Cadence of Conflict: Asia, September 21, 2015
China mostly talked this week. And they plan to talk more next week with Obama about Taiwan’s elections. Taiwan now allows 5,000 new Chinese visitors per day and China will give Taiwanese electronic passes in their visits. This raises questions about why China wants so many people in Taiwan while making Taiwanese in China easier … Continue reading
Cadence of Conflict: Asia, August 24, 2015
North Korea does it’s annual late summer saber-rattling while the US and South Korea run their annual pre-autumn laps on the peninsula. Everyone’s in an uproar and “this time” it could be dangerous—again. Back to school. China’s market slows while it’s naval activity rises. Chinese business is no longer the talk of town, though banking … Continue reading
Cadence of Conflict: Asia, June 8, 2015
A week of political campaigns. Imagine if John McCain were under review to be kicked out of the Republican Party for not supporting big money enough, there was no strong Republican Candidate, Hillary was already the Democratic nominee, and McCain said, “If the RNC orders me to, it would be my duty to run for … Continue reading
