One China, One Taiwan
Bush's democracy-promotion doctrine doesn't square with his China policy.
by Ellen Bork
12/13/2005, The Weekly Standard, Volume 011, Issue 14

DURING HIS RECENT TRIP TO Japan, South Korea, China, and Mongolia, President Bush extolled the region's wave of democratization as "one of the greatest stories in human history" and lamented the holdouts who are "out of step with their neighbors and isolated from the world." The president also made it clear that democratic Taiwan, though itself isolated internationally, is as important to the United States as Japan and South Korea. He pointedly held Taiwan out to China as an example of a "free and democratic Chinese society."        more ...

Ex-AIT boss Bush praises Taiwan's democratic progress
By Jean Lin
Taipei Times STAFF REPORTER
Sunday, Dec 11, 2005,Page 3

Former American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Chairman Richard Bush said yesterday that the US and other democracies will support the efforts of democratic consolidation in
Taiwan.       more ...

Why Taiwan's Voters Are Fed Up With Chen

BusinessWeek

Is Chen Shui-Bian a lame duck? Taiwan's President was voted into office twice on the strength of his anti-China, pro-independence stance. But the rhetoric is wearing thin. Promised economic reforms are going nowhere fast, and his efforts to clean up government have been set back by charges of alleged corruption involving two senior advisers and a confidant from the business community. Worst of all, Taiwan's economy is showing signs of stress because of Chen's resistance to investment in the mainland. Result: A recent poll by the island's United Daily News put Chen's approval rating at 25% -- a nine-point drop from September. "The President is facing the most severe political challenge of his life," says Emile Sheng, a political scientist at Taipei's Soochow University.       more ...

Bush on Taiwan
Friday, November 18, 2005
“Taiwan is another society that has moved from repression to democracy as it liberalized its economy. Like South Korea, the people of Taiwan for years lived under a restrictive political state that gradually opened up its economy. And like South Korea, the opening to world markets transformed the island into one of the world’s most important trading partners. And like South Korea, economic liberalization in Taiwan helped fuel its desire for individual political freedom — because men and women who are allowed to control their own wealth will eventually insist on controlling their own lives and their own future.

“Like South Korea, modern Taiwan is free and democratic and prosperous. By embracing freedom at all levels, Taiwan has delivered prosperity to its people and created a free and democratic Chinese society. Our “one China” policy remains unchanged. It is based on three communiqués, the Taiwan Relations Act, and our belief that there should be no unilateral attempts to change the status by either side — the status quo by either side. The United States will continue to stress the need for dialogue between China and Taiwan that leads to a peaceful resolution of their differences.”      more ...

Bush praises Taiwan
U.S. President George W. Bush prodded China on Wednesday to grant more political freedom to its 1.3 billion people and held up Taiwan as a Chinese society that successfully moved from repression to democracy as it opened its economy.

In remarks sure to rile Beijing, Bush suggested China should follow Taiwan's path. "Modern Taiwan is free and democratic and prosperous. By embracing freedom at all levels, Taiwan has delivered prosperity to its people and created a free and democratic Chinese society," the president said.        more ...

Bush to China: Emulate Taiwan
Wednesday, November 16, 2005

KYOTO, Japan — Piquing China just days before meetings with its leaders, President Bush on Wednesday held up the self-governing island of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own, as a model of freedom "at all levels" that the communist giant should emulate.      
      more ....

Sale of Submarines to Taiwan Stirs Controversy in US
By Al Pessin, VOA.com
Washington
09 November 2005

Eight members of the U.S. Congress have sent a letter to the commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, demanding an explanation of his alleged opposition to the proposed sale of submarines to Taiwan. The commander says he does not oppose the sale, but is concerned about raising tensions between Taiwan and China.       more ...

Taiwan to attend WHO meet on avian influenza
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Thursday that Taiwan representatives will attend the upcoming World Health Organization international conference on avian flu next week in Geneva from November 7 to 9.

According to the WHO, in recent weeks, a series of country, regional and international meetings, field missions and conferences have clarified the H5N1 challenge in many parts of the world. The meeting will put those pieces into a global picture for a comprehensive assessment and will identify the next steps for the control of avian influenza in animals and preparedness efforts for a human influenza pandemic.      more ...

Taiwan needs more support, US official says
INSECURITY: The lack of overt support for Taiwan from Western democracies has contributed to the nation's domestic political struggles, a former US diplomat said
By Chang Yun-ping
STAFF REPORTER
Taipei Times Sunday, Oct 30, 2005,Page 3
The US, Japan, the EU, Australia and other democracies should be more supportive of Taiwan's democracy to prevent it from being absorbed by China, a former US diplomat said. He added that should such a fate occur, it would be a "grave historical mistake" on the part of Western democracies.

John Tkacik, Jr, a retired US diplomat who served in Taiwan and China and is now a senior research fellow at the US Heritage Foundation's Asian Studies Center, said in a recent interview with the Taipei Times that the US and other Western democracies are partly to blame for Taiwan's political conflict, which has prevented a consensus on self defense.         more .....

Taiwan should be more proactive on security: researcher
CNA , TAIPEI
Monday, Oct 24, 2005,Page 3

Taiwan should play a more proactive role in the US-Japan security arrangements in the Asia-Pacific region, a researcher with the private policy research institute Taiwan Thinktank said yesterday.    more ...

Taiwan prepares to make its own Tamiflu
By Kathrin Hille in Taipei
Published: October 24 2005 18:43 | Last updated: October 24 2005 18:43
Two Taiwanese pharmaceutical companies have made small amounts of Tamiflu, the most effective treatment for avian flu, in a step that readies the island to manufacture its own stockpiles of the drug even if Roche declines to license a Taiwanese producer      more ....

Chinese envoy warns Ottawa over Taiwan bill
By JEFF SALLOT

Thursday, October 13, 2005 Page A6

OTTAWA -- The Chinese ambassador to Canada warns of "very serious consequences" if the minority Liberal government cannot kill a Conservative bill that would strengthen Ottawa's ties with Taiwan.

The very underpinnings of Canada's 35 years of good relations with Beijing could be destroyed if Parliament affords Taiwan any greater recognition in diplomatic and political affairs, Lu Shumin said yesterday.        more ...

Chen must revitalize Taiwan's democracy
2005-10-10 / Taiwan News /

Coinciding with the arrival of National Day today, Taiwan politics has reached a major historical crossroad in which potential political decay may well overwhelm the democratic evolution that our country has progressively realized to date.

Such concerns are underlined by the recent flurry of criticism over the governing Democratic Progressive Party government's inept handling of alleged malpractice in the hiring of foreign workers for the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit System project and an apparent lack of decisiveness and determination to push forward the so-called second phase financial reform.        more ...

Americans celebrate link with Taiwan
Double Tenth Day event in Edison marks birth date of Republic of China.
JOHN MAJESKI
Gannett New Jersey

EDISON -- For Belle Mead resident Fannie Luo, the message at Sunday's Republic of China National Day celebration was simple: Remember your roots. "Don't forget where your ancestors come from," the native of Taiwan said. "For me, it brings back memories (of Taiwan)."

Luo was one of more than 400 attendees who packed into the Clarion Hotel and Towers on Route 27 to celebrate Double Tenth Day, which is today. Double Tenth Day commemorates the 1911 Wuchang uprising in China, which led to the fall of the Qing Dynasty and the rise of the Republic of China.     more ...

Taiwan plans launch of spy satellite
Taipei, Taiwan

10 October 2005 11:33

Taiwan may launch a spy satellite in three years to step up its surveillance of military activities of rival China in the face of growing missile threats from Beijing, a newspaper reported on Monday.

Costing up to $300-million, the planned satellite, codenamed "Follow-On RSS" (remote surveillance satellite) would be able to take images as close as 50cm from any scanned area, the major newspaper United Daily News reported.         more ...

Struggles Across Taiwan Strait: U.S. Sends Mixed Signals
by Ivy Sellers
Posted Oct 5, 2005

The unsettled status of America’s policy toward China confuses leaders in China and the United States, and it needs to be abandoned, said Rep. Steve Chabot (R.-Ohio), co-chairman of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus.

“One-China is a dangerous fiction that most of the international community has bought into in order to mollify China,” said Chabot at a recent conference hosted by the Heritage Foundation.        more ...

Corning pours $425 million into Taiwan glass fab
Spencer Chin
EE Times
10/05/2005 5:43 PM EDT)

MANHASSET, N.Y. — Corning Inc. will allocate an additional $425 million into expanding an liquid crystal display (LCD) glass substrate fab under construction in Taichung, Taiwan.

This investment will be used to fund the third phase of the Taichung facility, with most of the expenditure to be incurred during 2006 to 2007.

Corning (Corning, N.Y.) announced plans for the first phase of the Taichung fab in July 2004, investing $750 million. Taichung is the company’s second glass fab in Taiwan, joining an existing plant in Tainan.      more ...

Inside the Ring

The Washington Times
By Bill Gertz and Rowan Scarborough

Taiwan envoy Douglas Paal, the U.S. government representative to Taiwan, is under fire from the State Department for misrepresenting Taiwan's policies to his bosses.
A State inspector general report said Mr. Paal's leadership style caused low morale among employees of the American Institute in Taiwan, the official U.S. office in Taiwan.
The most serious IG charge, however, is that Mr. Paal falsely reported on Taiwanese issues to senior State Department officials, a cardinal sin for envoys.       more ...

The Fourth Geneva Convention, Military Occupation, and Taiwan
The Taiwan Cession
Compiled by Richard W. Hartzel

Sovereign Nation, Province of the PRC, or Something Else?
Much talk in Taiwan centers on the terms of the Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States (1934). According to this Convention, there will be a State in the international sense when four conditions are fulfilled: a defined territory; a permanent population; a government (the political agent of the State); and ability to have relations with other states (independence for action). Many claim that Taiwan meets all four conditions. However, what is ignored when reviewing the events of October 1945, and subsequent developments, is the international law precedent that "foreign occupation does not transfer sovereignty to the occupying power."      more ......

Taiwan sees wider recognition as key to upholding democracy
By KYOICHI MIYAGAWA
Staff writer

Taiwan has been endeavoring to lift the stature of its 23 million people in the eyes of the international community as a foil to China's plans for unification.

One recent effort of this endeavor was the establishing of the Democratic Pacific Union -- a body comprising political and civil leaders from 26 countries in the Pacific Rim region. Taiwan's Vice President Annette Lu, who has taken the initiative in organizing this club for years, was elected the first DPU president at the inaugural meeting in Taipei in mid-August.      more ...

Taiwan reaches a US$3bn deal with farmers across US
BY CHARLES SNYDER
STAFF REPORTER IN WASHINGTON , WITH CNA
Friday, Sep 16, 2005,Page 2

Taiwan on Wednesday inked a new pact in which it committed to purchase up to US$3.1 billion in agricultural produce from the US.
The agreement committed Taiwan's flour, grain and hide-processing industries to purchase up to that amount in US wheat, corn, soybeans and animal hides both next year and in 2007.      more ...

Beijing warns US against missile help for Taiwan
AGENCIES , BEIJING
Friday, Sep 02, 2005,Page 3
China warned the US and other governments yesterday against using missile-defense systems to protect Taiwan or helping Taipei produce its own system.     more ...

Amtrak sorry for saying `province'
BY JEAN LIN
STAFF REPORTER , WITH CNA
Friday, Sep 02, 2005,Page 2
The US' Amtrak apologized for listing Taiwan as a province of China on its online reservation Web site after protests from Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA).

Amtrak, the National Railroad Passenger Corp, which operates most intercity passenger railroad routes in the US, corrected the mistake online and apologized for the misunderstanding,       more ...

Son: Father innocent of spy charge
Saturday, August 20, 2005; Posted: 12:47 a.m. EDT (04:47 GMT)

NEW YORK (CNN) -- The son of an American being held under house arrest in China on suspicion of conducting espionage for Taiwan said his father is an apolitical businessman who has no contacts in Taiwan and no dealings with any government agencies there.      more ...

Taiwan struggles with Chinese dissidents
By Caroline Gluck
BBC News, Taipei

The self-ruled island of Taiwan is proud of its democratic principles, even though the Chinese communist mainland regards it as part of its territory.     more ...

China eases travel rules to Taiwan
Move seen as way to promote exchanges

Sunday, July 24, 2005; Posted: 2:31 a.m. EDT (06:31 GMT)
BEIJING, China (Reuters) -- China has simplified exit and entry rules for Taiwan residents as part of a campaign to foster closer economic ties with the island, state television said on Sunday.     more ...

Taiwan hails US report on China's military might
Thu Jul 21, 4:18 AM ET
TAIPEI (AFP) - Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian has hailed a US
Pentagon report on China's military build-up that Beijing protested as interference in its internal affairs.   more...

Computex Taipei: The New Comdex
By Cristina McEachern, VARBusiness
VARBusiness, Thu. Jul. 14, 2005
From the July 11, 2005 VARBusiness

At its peak in the late '90s, Comdex attracted more than 200,000 attendees to the Las Vegas desert for a look into IT's future. But as the sun set on the ubiquitous trade show last year, signaling the decline of the big shows in the West, Asia seems to be trying to pick up the slack. Taking place in the shadow of Taipei 101--the world's tallest building "right now," as anyone will remind you--the 25th annual Computex Taipei trade show jockeyed once again for its big-show status     more ....

Lies from Xinhua News RE: Taiwan's "referendum"
Referendum on Taiwan's sovereignty status must involve participation of people from the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao as well, should there be such a popular vote at all more...

The "Six Assurances" to Taiwan

July 1982

In 1982, during negotiations for the third, United States - China, Joint Communiqué on Arms Sales to Taiwan, the Taiwan government presented the United States with six points that it proposed the United States use as guidelines in conducting United States - Taiwan relations. According to former Ambassador John Holdridge, the United States agreed to these points, conveyed this assent to Taiwan, and, in late July 1982, informed the Congress of the agreement. The six points are ,,,,

Taiwan Overtakes S. Korea as Top LCD Maker Again in May
Wednesday June 29, 2:53 PM
SEOUL, June 29 Asia Pulse - Taiwan eclipsed South Korea as the largest manufacturer of liquid crystal displays (LCD) for the second straight month in May, a Seoul-based market researcher said Wednesday.

Taiwanese LCD makers such as AU Optronics Corp. (TAIEX:2409), Chi Mei Optoelectronics Corp. (TAIEX:3009) and Chunghwa Picture Tubes Ltd. (TAIEX:2475) shipped a total of 7.32 million LCD panels sized greater than 10.4 inches last month, compared with South Korean firms' total 7.24 million units, the researcher Displaybank said in a statement.       more ...

Canada Taiwan Act could harm relations with China
CTV.ca News Staff

Lawmakers will soon vote on a private member's bill that, if passed, could have serious ramifications for Canadian relations with China.  more.....

Rumsfeld warns on China military
"I just look at the significant rollout of ballistic missiles opposite Taiwan, and I have to ask the question: If everyone agrees the question of Taiwan is going to be settled in a peaceful way, why this increase in ballistic missiles opposite Taiwan?"  more...

China's New Taiwan Tack
BusinessWeek
One move is to lean on Taiwanese executives close to Chen    more ...

Why Taiwan Matters
BusinessWeek
INTERNATIONAL COVER STORY
The global economy couldn't function without it. But can it really find peace with China?   more ...

Protection against the united front requires a united Taiwan
As a former adviser to the late general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Hu Yaoban and himself a party memeber for 37 years, senior advisor to the president Ruan Ming knows all-too-well Beijing's nature and its aim of eventual unification with Taiwan. Ruan sat down with "Taipei Times" reporter Huang Tai-lin and gave his insight on opposition party leaders' trip to China and how Beijing aims to use these meetings to its advantage      more ...