Letters to the Editor
FAPA YPG’s mission is not only to educate members of Congress but to educate the American public. Writing letters to the editor is one of the most effective ways to ensure that we Taiwanese-Americans have a voice. Below are letters written by YPG members and published in various media sources.
“Thank you, Dalai Lama”
Anonymous officials in the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) have voiced concerns that the signing of an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China may have to be postponed — the implication being that the postponement is a result of the Chinese leadership’s displeasure at the Dalai Lama’s visit to Taiwan....[Read more.]
“Taiwan’s Katrina moment”
Like Hurricane Katrina, Typhoon Morakot brought flooding that local infrastructure could not withstand, while the aftermath was beyond the local capacity for disaster relief. Tax revenue and power are largely in the hands of the central government, at the cost of effective administration of local affairs by local governments. The...[Read more.]
“Unburying Tiananmen”
I can relate to the Chinese student in Dan Southerland’s June 2 op-ed, “Tiananmen: Days to Remember,” who did not know about the 1989 massacre. I, too, grew up in an authoritarian regime -- in Taiwan, only 100 miles from China -- where government strictly controlled and manipulated information. It...[Read more.]
“A ridiculous comparison”
President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) supporters love to compare him to US President Barack Obama. During last year’s presidential campaign, one of Ma’s most famous — now infamous — commercials featured galloping horses with the words “The Power of Change” plastered across the TV screen. Pan-blue-camp supporters portrayed Ma as having...[Read more.]
“US China policy must be unbending on human rights”
ANNE WU’S Jan. 26 op-ed “Fresh hope for US-China cooperation” suggests that former president Bill Clinton made a reasonable move in his dealings with Beijing by focusing on profits: “When President Clinton first took office, he linked China’s trade privileges to its human rights record; eventually he separated these two...[Read more.]
“Human rights mark closed”
Last March, I came back to Taiwan from the US as part of an election observation tour. During the tour, I had the privilege of visiting the Taiwan Human Rights Memorial Park in Jingmei. I have longed to take my parents to the memorial, as it is a place they...[Read more.]
“Warming relations or hot air?”
When Ma Ying-jeou was elected president of Taiwan earlier this year, the Western media hailed it as a landmark step towards the improving of relations between Taiwan and China. Since the election, more and more articles have been written about how relations are warming and how the ties between the...[Read more.]
“Why should a non-Taiwanese care about Taiwan”
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” Martin Luther King Jr. said, and his words are stunningly apt. His words do not mean that every violation of human rights represents an immediate existential threat to everyone else. Each small country in the world that violates human rights is a...[Read more.]
“Let’s recognize Taiwan for what it is”
Did you hear about that country whose leaders are restricted in their visits to the U.S? These government officials have been denied entry to the U.S on multiple occasions. They’re so awful even the U.N repudiates them. What country am I talking about? Iran? Zimbabwe? Cuba? Sudan? Would you be...[Read more.]
“Threatening neighbor”
Editor - While it is true that Taiwan has recently allowed Chinese tourists on the island, Robert Scheer's analysis in “Taiwan declares peace on China” (July 9) could not be further from the truth. What is driving the detente is not consumerism or cultural bonds but Taiwan's recent economic downturn...[Read more.]
“Singapore good or bad?”
President-elect Ma Ying-jeou’s suggestion that Taiwan should adopt Singapore’s national strategy is worrying (“Ma says Taiwan can learn from Singapore model,” May 11, page 8). First, it is naive to compare Singapore with Taiwan, as, for one, Singapore does not face the threat of Chinese missiles. It is an independent...[Read more.]
“Outlook for Taiwan-U.S. ties”
Bravo to Bolton for proposing a sensible alternative to the United States’ current policy toward Taiwan. It is time we recognize that Taiwan is a de-facto independent state and start treating it as such. It has always struck me as hypocritical that the United States spends billions of dollars promoting...[Read more.]
“Complexities of Taiwan overlooked”
TO AN outsider reading "Panda politics in Taiwan," it may seem that those so-called political games that Taiwan plays are senseless and petty. It is understandable that one would be confused about the country’s recent name change and the decisions to reject pandas from China and to not have the...[Read more.]
“Despite PRC fantasy, Taiwan is absolutely independent”
Taiwan is not (and has never been, not even for a day) a part of the People’s Republic of China. Period. On that same note, the People’s Republic of China is not a part of Taiwan. Period. Perhaps that’s easier to understand. Recently, the 17th National Congress of the Communist...[Read more.]
“Let Taiwanese decide own future”
Dear Editor, When I read Martin Willison’s editorial entitled “More to Taiwan separation issue than meets the eye of editorialist”, my brain did not go through the struggle Willison did. Both sides of my brain told me to respond immediately to Willison erroneous interpretation of the political situation in Taiwan...[Read more.]
“Removal of statues overdue”
A heated debate is raging on about whether the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) drive to remove statues of dictator Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) from the premises of military installations is an abuse of discretion. Is it really inappropriate to remove such statues? Dictators throughout history have had a tendency to imprint...[Read more.]
“Forgetting Taiwan is forgetting our ideals”
Politics and propaganda often have the effect of obscuring why we care about things. Often we forget or cannot see what really matters to us. Whether the Taiwanese know it or not, their defiance of China’s ambition to “liberate” the island symbolizes the general struggle for a world where people...[Read more.]
“Toughen our stance toward Beijing”
I STRONGLY disagree with the Globe editorial “Dealing With China.” Instead of calling for greater cooperation and understanding between the United States and China, the Globe should be advocating a tougher stance and greater vigilance toward China. When China’s president, Hu Jintao, visits the White House today he will try...[Read more.]
“Taiwan’s Future”
My compliments to Times staff writer David Pierson on an insightful and fair piece on the convoluted issue of Taiwanese versus Chinese identities among first- and second-generation immigrants from Taiwan (April 2). The passion and devotion of the Taiwanese Americans in the article brought me to near tears. It’s wonderful...[Read more.]
“China and Taiwan”
SIR - I must object to your article’s assertion that Taiwan was ever part of the People’s Republic of China (you talk of Taiwan having “run its affairs for half a century” and of China threatening to “retake” the island by force). Historically, Taiwan has never been a province of...[Read more.]
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- Letters to the Editor: 2009
- Letters to the Editor: 2008
- Letters to the Editor: 2007
- Letters to the Editor: 2006
- Letters to the Editor: 2005
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