Taiwanese Hold Massive Protest Against China

About a million Taiwanese marched through the capital Taipei today, some carrying signs reading “Shame on China,” to express their anger over a new Chinese law that authorises an attack on the island if it moves toward formal independence.“China is a violent country. We want nothing to do with it,” said protester Wu Chao-hsiung, a carpenter from Taipei. “We have to insist on the freedom to determine our own fate.”

Beijing is worried that self-ruled Taiwan is drifting toward independence, and China’s legislature recently passed a law codifying the use of military force against Taiwan if it seeks a permanent split. A civil war split the rivals 56 years ago.

Tens of thousands assembled at 10 different areas in Taipei, with each route representing one of the articles of the anti-secession law. The marchers converged on the wide boulevard in front of the Presidential Office building.

“What do we want from China? Peace,” lawmaker Bikhim Hsiao led the crowd in chanting.

http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=4311479

can go fuck itself.

Arrogant bullying imperialist just like the US.

Imperialist implies that they are creating an Empire and that is done by taking over other countries through-out the world. How many countries does China have military bases in? How many does the US? China built the great wall to keep others out. They just wish to be left alone and mainly by the US. Who else is bugging China almost daily? Sounds to me like you watch too much Fox News

China, like the old soviet union, was created by war and conquest. Much of Chinese aggression is dedicated to keeping conquered minorities in line.

in the streets, and they set up 10 different areas to represent the ten articles of the anti-secession law?

we have the internet, people. we can change things here... we can organize like never before. and our protests can be as symbolically challenging as this one in Taiwan. we should add more symbolism to our protest plans to get more media coverage and implant ideas more deeply in the minds of the general public. the thugs have been exaggerating their "on message" behavior to the point of ridicule... we need to find our own method that uses pure symbolism and appeals to people of all levels of intelligence.

get on it, people!

How can so many people be ignoring the plight of millions of people in free Taiwan and the imprerial Chinese government threatening to turn them into molten slag, and yet we've got 10 threads on the plight of Terri Schiavo?? I can't believe both the media AND this board is ignoring the Taiwanese in favor of a poster woman for a relatively common plight.

I am actually saddened and depressed about this, I can understand the repubs and Hannity (who has finally lost the last of his marbles!) going nuts over Schiavo and ignoring the rest of the planet, but, not here! Come on!

~Almost

I am proud that these folks are standing up for their country

As for China, they will have to respond in some way, to this "taunting the dog through the fence" act. China does not let public displays of this type to go unpunished. It may be a verbal reply, but there will be one nonetheless.

When China decides to make its move to take Taiwan back, I am still unsure what our country will do...my fear is we will stand by and watch, through pre-arrangement.

I think the reason China hasn't yet stepped in and taken "the rebellious province" back by force yet is two fold... they couldn't launch an invasion since their navy (Peoples Republic of China Army Navy... catchy, isn't it?) didn't exist, and is still sad, but, also because we are truly sitting in Taipai with war ships, and defacto hitting a US war ship is like declaring war on the US. The reply will be a paper tiger, and I think that the government of China really believes that they have their own citizenry so under control, so totally blacked out that these events will be poo-poo'd in the news, they will just get overlooked, and the gov't believes the people of China will be content.

Seeing the demonstrations in Taiwan should be making the ruling elites of China shake, because they know that if they tried to cross the Formosa straight, one US sub could probably sink about 2/3 of their invading force. The Chinese Navy is not known as a powerhouse, and I think that the people of the US would see an attack and act with their pocketbooks, forcing the Chinese cash flow to dry up like a puddle in the desert.

~Almost

What's making me spit nails about this is the fact that CNN has yet another (what is this, 30, maybe 40?) different "Schiavo Banner" as their headline, whereas FoxNews is actually covering something MEANINGFUL happening in the world. Let the repubs and Hannity go down in flames for carrying on a crusade that the public en masse dissagrees with!

This China situation is NEWS. We have a treaty with Taiwan for mutual defense. We keep naval vessels parked in Taipai for the explicit purpose of being targets for China, to make them think twice about flipping a few missiles at Taiwan.. remember that if a US Naval ship is attacked ANYWHERE, the country attacking has summarily declared war upon the United States. China drew a line in the sand with their stupid declaration, and now the Taiwanese people have bravely stomped across it, and we are ignoring it!

I can't believe that the Terri Schiavo case is getting such play, let the religious right go insane, but, let the woman die in peace, she will be with God (I truly believe) in a better place, and she won't have to worry about being fed electrolytes through a tube. Let her be.

~Almost

That is an awesome display of people power. I hope they can somehow prevail against China...

Despite the 2,800 tour buses rushing into Taipei City and hundreds of thousands of protesters marching on the streets yesterday, Taipei police and transportation officials reported smooth traffic after they took steps to avert chaos.

To ease the traffic flow, the Taipei City Police Department mobilized over 4,800 police officers and imposed traffic regulations on the ten parade routes that spilled across half of Taipei City. As of press time, city officials reported no traffic accidents, saying the mass protest closed on a peaceful note.

The Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation also reported an unprecedented load of up to half a million passengers by 4pm yesterday, a figure that is about 120,000 passengers more than usual holiday traffic.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2005/03/27/2003247941

Demonstrators gather during an anti-China protest near the presidential office in Taipei.

The Taiwanese president and his ruling Democratic Progressive Party had urged one million people to take to the streets to peacefully express their anger and rejection of the new Chinese law.
The protest is reportedly one of the largest ever seen in Taipei.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200503/s1332011.htm

The right building is the KMT, Gua Ming Dong, headquarters. They are the one's who invaded Taiwan in 1949 and murderer thousands of indenpendent Formosans. Then they changed the name of the country to Taiwan. For some reason the dirty bastard corrupt American Media Whores say "Taiwan and China split in 1949." This has no basis for fact or reality. It shows you there is some kind of Power Elite in the world/America which has a secret plan and is brainwashing people. I guess that's what Democracy is.

In one of the largest demonstrations in Taiwan's history, about a million people marched through the capital on Saturday to protest a new Chinese law that authorizes an attack on the island if it moves toward formal independence.

"Taiwan is only a small island, so we must speak out really loud to make the world hear that we are a democracy facing an evil giant," said Vivian Wang, a 38-year-old restaurant worker who traveled by bus from the southern city of Kaohsiung — about 190 miles away.

Hundreds of thousands assembled at 10 different areas in Taipei, with each route representing one of the articles of the anti-secession law. The marchers converged on the wide boulevard in front of the Presidential Office building.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050326/ap_on_re_as/taiwan_china_protest

The Robert F. Kennedy of Asia, President Chen Shui Bian (Abian)
http://www.president.gov.tw (Taiwanese)
http://www.president.gov.tw/index_e.html (English)
http://www.scanews.com/collester/article3/article3.html


Generalissimo to be buried in Taiwan
LEGACY: The man who led the shattered remnants of the Chinese Nationalist Party's forces to Taiwan after their defeat by the Communists will be buried here after all
By Chang Yun-ping and Jimmy Chuang
STAFF REPORTERS
Friday, Jul 09, 2004,Page 1

The bodies of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek (???) and his son and successor, former president Chiang Ching-kuo (???), which lie embalmed in temporary mausoleums in Taoyuan County, will finally be buried after Chiang's descendants asked the government to bury the bodies of the two presidents in a military cemetery in northern Taiwan.

Generalissimo Chiang fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing the Civil War against the Chinese Community Party. Chiang died in 1975. The burial of Chiang and his son in Taiwan mark the Chiang family's recognition that the "Republic of China" military could never retake China.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2004/07/09/2003178228


The ‘New Taiwan Person’
Centuries ago, the island had an aboriginal culture of Malay and Polynesian descent. In the 17th century, the Dutch and Portuguese had colonies here, and the imported Chinese laborers — all men — intermarried with locals, forming the basis of the majority of today’s population. According this version of history, it was only in 1887 that China declared Taiwan a part of its territory in an effort to stem Japanese expansionism, say independence activists. But when that failed, China ceded Taiwan to Japan in perpetuity.
The Japanese held Taiwan for 50 years, until their defeat in World War II. In the years immediately after, Allied Forces backed Chiang Kai-shek’s temporary occupation of Taiwan. But according to pro-independence legal experts, the Nationalists never had a legal basis to stay.
“In 1949, Taiwan did not “split off from China”, but was occupied by the losing side in the Chinese Civil War,” according to a 1999 white paper endorsed by 18 overseas Taiwanese associations.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/316717.asp?cp1=1

Lee said that the people of Taiwan need to shrug off the mentality of being a "long-term laborer" after being ruled by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) for half a century, and take up the responsibility of being the master of their own country.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2004/02/09/2003098044

Liu Yan Chun grew up in Taiwan firmly believing that her family would someday go back to mainland China. It took most of her life to realize that there would be no triumphant return, as envisioned by the Nationalists when they retreated (Edit: this word should be INVADED Formosa which they renamed to Taiwan.) to Taiwan after defeat by the Chinese Communists in 1949. It took her longer still to realize that she had no desire to return.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/315530.asp

`One China' review under way
RE-EXAMINATION: An academic at the Heritage Foundation says the US is studying the longstanding policy with an eye to debunking the myth that Taiwan is part of China
By Charles Snyder
STAFF REPORTER IN WASHINGTON
Thursday, Jun 17, 2004,Page 1

The Bush administration is already conducting a secret review of its "one China" policy, although the review is fairly narrow and technical and will not necessarily result in a decision to support Taiwan's independence, a leading Washington Taiwan specialist says.

John Tkacik, an academic at the Heritage Foundation, told the Taipei Times that the review aims to debunk the myth that Taiwan is part of China and to clarify just what a "one China" policy means.

He was commenting on a report issued in Washington on Tuesday by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, which recommended that the Bush administration and Congress "conduct a fresh assessment of the `one China' policy, given the changing realities in China and Taiwan."

"I think the State Department is already reviewing the `one China' policy," Tkacik said.


http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2004/06/17/2003175359



Jackie 'Whore' Chan is a Communist Puppet!
Senior DPP figure gets in a tangle over Jackie Chan
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2004/04/23/2003137723




Jackie Chan Rips Taiwan's Election

TAIPEI, Taiwan - Hong Kong film star Jackie Chan (news) said Sunday that Taiwan's recent presidential election was "the biggest joke in the world."

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040329/ap_en_mo/people_j ...

I'm putting the WORLD on notice. This is how Fascism, Communism, Brutal Regimes, Nazis, Hitlers rise. The use of immoral instruments masquerading as moral/just people. Chan, speaking from Communist China and bashing Democracy! This is as laughable as Trent Lott saying aWol got more votes. Jackie 'Whore' didn't mention that there are no elections in China but its obviously the most corrupt and murderous regime on the planet. Where government officials falsely convict citizens, execute them and sell their body parts for cash.

Honk Kong has no ability to vote for its leader either. And the Communists are trying daily to take away ALL rights of Hong Kong citizens.

I was in Hong Kong when the first Chinese astronaut went on tour in Hong Kong. Who was there as the Communist mouth piece? Jackie 'Whore'. Not only did I read in the Hong Kong newspapers, I spoke to many Hong Kong citizens questioning why Jackie 'Whore' was playing the puppet for the Communists. So many people felt this way, Jackie 'Whore' went on a TV 'attack dog tour' (like Condi Lice is doing now), to try to salvage his reputation. He just kept saying, 'We are all Chinese that's why I do it.'

Everyone I spoke to, and also saw personally on HK TV interviews of people standing in line, (The space capsule was put on display at the Space Center next to Kowloon Star Ferry), the Hong Kong people said, 'I don't care about seeing Yang Liwei, astronaunt, I only want to see the space capsule.'

Most all HK people were really pissed at Jackie 'Whore' for his actions. Many said he's a traitor.


----------------------

You've got to look at this honestly people! Everyone stop and look what's go-in down! There isn't an official/knowledgable person in the world who'd say Taiwan's election procedures aren't the fairest in the world.

The people protesting, in Taiwan, are all the Fascists Mainland Chinese who invaded Taiwan in 1949. They are about the most corrupt group on Earth, have been stealing money from Taiwan since 1949 but now no longer have an easy method to steal.

The KMT Party is the richest political party in the world. How did they get this money?

Assassination attempt. Is Jackie 'Whore' willing to take a bullet in the stomach while riding in a Jeep? The investigation is on going but Jackie 'Whore' knows what happened?

You can read just about anywhere the near certainty of ALL Hong Kong media stars being part of the Hong Kong Mafia. Which I would assume has now been taken over by the Communist Chinese Government.

---------

ps. I'll never watch a Jackie 'Whore' movie again!


The book that built the Lien family.
Just when the family assets of Lien Chen-tung and his son Lien Chan became a hot election campaign issue, a dissertation written by academic Lin Yuan-huei.

The 30,000-character paper tells the reader that, during the era of Japanese occupation, both Lien Heng and Lien Chen-tung worked for a pro-Japanese newspaper. It also tells how Lien Heng eulogized the colonizers in poems.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/edit/archives/2004/02/06/2003097679



"Since last year, the pan-blue camp has carried out numerous campaign activities in China, all in violation of Chinese law. However, not only did the Chinese government fail to put a stop to these activities, instead it allowed and even supported their activities," said DPP campaign headquarters spokesman Wu Nai-jen (???).
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2004/02/10/2003098164



More than 60 percent of Taiwan's people believe China's authorities are hostile to the country's government while over 40 percent consider the hostility targeted at Taiwan's population, the Mainland Affairs Council said yesterday after reviewing 80 polls conducted on cross-strait relations last year.
http://www.etaiwannews.com/Taiwan/2004/02/10/1076377991.htm



"It is an embezzlement case with top KMT officials involved. Whoever can control the project has to be someone with a minister status or higher. We should find out who made the decisions back then," Chang said.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2004/02/13/2003098519



Taiwan's Chen Defends Move on Referendum
(Los Angeles Times - free register)
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-chen8feb08,1,5010944.story?coll=la-headlines-world



007 James Bond - Sean Connery says President Chen is his hero!
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/edit/archives/2003/11/06/2003074804



First lady's European tour seen as diplomatic success
http://www.etaiwannews.com/Taiwan/2003/07/24/1059010376.htm



Assassination Attempt
Chen's wife, you know, was at a time an even more strident crusader than he was for the rights of the Taiwanese and the DPP. In 1985 she was rammed over three times by a truck and was crippled, and the driver was never found despite the fact that there were witnesses. Most Taiwanese believe _ that it was a botched KMT assassination attempt. And Chen has to go home every night and see her sitting in a wheelchair because of it. It's not an easy thing to shake.
http://www.time.com/time/asia/marketqa/2000/03/20 /



Accident or assassination attempt?

One account claims the driver, described in press reports at the time as a "simple peasant with a steady job and a fixed residence, Chang Jung-tsai" was driving an "illegally assembled truck" down the narrow street where Mrs. Chen was standing.

Witnesses said Chang purposefully hit Mrs. Chen. They insisted that the driver reportedly exclaimed "Oh, she's not dead yet" before backing up and running over her again to ensure maximum injury if not death.
http://www.chinaonline.com/refer/biographies/secure/chenshuibian.asp



From poverty to power: Chen Shui-bian's rise to the presidency
http://www.chinaonline.com/refer/biographies/secure/chenshuibian.asp



(Ex President) Lee says pro-unification forces to blame for SARS outbreak
http://www.etaiwannews.com/Taiwan/2003/05/19/1053309473.htm



Ex-KMT mayor gets 7-year sentence
(He should be forced to pay back the money he stole OR buy every person in Taiwan a kayak!)
http://www.etaiwannews.com/Taiwan/2004/01/21/1074621047.htm



Young voters supportive of Chen, poll says
http://www.etaiwannews.com/Taiwan/2004/01/21/1074620716.htm



Chen gains 55% approval rating, survey shows
(The come back kid!)
(Someone send me an Abian doll!)
http://www.etaiwannews.com/Taiwan/2004/01/21/1074620504.htm


Taiwan's Chen Defends Move on Referendum
Calling Taiwan a free and sovereign country, President Chen Shui-bian defended his decision to call a referendum on relations with mainland China and rejected international concerns that the move was a provocation that endangered the uneasy peace in the Taiwan Strait.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-chen8feb08,1,5010944.story?coll=la-headlines-world

http://www.etaiwannews.com/Taiwan/2004/02/09/1076292171.htm





DPP decries Soong's proposal
(Soong and Lien are mainland pigs.)
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2003/06/15/2003055308



The TSU regards Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (??) and People First Party Chairman James Soong (???), both born in China, as "aliens."

(Wow, I didn't know they were born in China. This brings up very very very serious legal issues! Lien and Soong should NOT be issued Taiwan Passports because they were born in China. They should be issued Communist China Passports! If they are not eligible for Taiwan Passports then they are NOT Taiwan Citizens. If they are NOT Taiwan Citizens how can they hold political office in Taiwan? How, who issued them Taiwan passports and Taiwan IDs? I read many stories were a foreigner has a baby in Taiwan but the previous Gou Ming Dong government kicked them out of Taiwan. Even Taiwanese who married a foreigner, the foreigner could NOT stay in Taiwan as a citizen. So how can the Taiwan law be so strict on citizenship but allow Lien and Soong to maintain Taiwan Citizenship?)
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2004/01/29/2003096618



Ma's democratic credentials queried.
Ma, Guo Ming Dong's (KMT) Pig Puppet Mayor
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2004/01/29/2003096609



DPP says KMT should apologize for buying votes
(Apologize? Put the scum in jail!)
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2003/11/23/2003076933




KMT (Pig) rebel blasts party's voting order
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2003/06/02/2003053622



Recent poll shows satisfication with government, Chen
http://www.etaiwannews.com/Taiwan/2003/05/17/1053136494.htm



Former hospital chief under fire (SARS spreader)
Wu was the superintendent of Taipei Municipal Jen Ai when President Chen Shui-bian was Taipei mayor, but he was fired over allegations of corruption in an equipment purchase scandal.

When Ma Ying-jeou (KMT Pig) was elected mayor, he invited Wu back and made him the superintendent of Hoping.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2003/05/13/205762



Premier's performance satisfies public, poll says
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2003/08/01/2003061799



Chirac sold out to PRC for commerce, says Lu Taiwan VP
Vice President Annette Lu (???) declared that French President Jacques Chirac had "sold out the national character and spirit of France" by opposing Taiwan's planned peace referendum Monday during a visit to Paris by People's Republic of China State Chairman Hu Jintao (???).
http://www.etaiwannews.com/Taiwan/2004/01/29/1075343350.htm



Billions Embezzled In China (Like Communist Chinese like KMT. What’s the difference between a Communist Chinese and a Guo Ming Dong Chinese? Answer:Nothing)
Audits aimed at ferreting out corruption in China uncovered $8 billion in misused or embezzled funds and widespread irregularities that produced "serious losses" of state assets, the government said Friday.

Auditors investigated 130,000 state businesses and offices last year as part of the communist leadership's campaign against the pervasive graft that has soured public faith in the government.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/01/30/world/main596944.shtml



Protest staged over KMT assets
Forging ahead with a campaign to exert pressure on the Kuomintang to return swathes of its financial and property holdings to the state, local activists yesterday staged a protest in front of the former ruling party's headquarters demanding it hand over allegedly 'ill-gotten' assets.

Members of the Alliance to Campaign for Rectifying the Name of Taiwan brandishing leaflets entitled 'Returning KMT Party Assets' yesterday morning converged on the Chinese Nationalist Party headquarters, downtown Taipei and called on KMT Chairman Lien Chan (??) along with other party staff to vacate the building.
http://www.etaiwannews.com/Taiwan/2004/01/29/1075343998.htm



Taiwan's democracy has need of America
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/edit/archives/2004/01/29/2003096653
Chinese army preparing large-scale military exercises aimed at Taiwan
BEIJING, (AFP) - China is gearing-up for large-scale military wargames aimed at "taking control of the Taiwan Strait", with 18,000 troops and the amphibious landing of a tank brigade.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/040601/photos_ts_wl_afp/040601073707_3wk987jc_photo0
AFP/File Photo




The exercises were to take place in June and July on Dongshan Island in southeastern Fujian province just 150 nautical miles west of Taiwan's Penghu Island, the New Express Daily said, citing a pro-Beijing Hong Kong newspaper.

China has become increasingly agitated with independence-leaning Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian, and the report referred to the exercises as the first-ever aimed at "striving to control the Taiwan Strait."

The 18,000 soldiers will be deployed from the land, navy and air force of the Nanjing Military Region, where some 500 short-range ballistic missiles are pointed at Taiwan.

"Sukoi Su-27 fighter jets will be outfitted with KN59M guided air-to-surface missiles in an effort to maintain control over the Taiwan Strait and ensure that tank brigades can make a landing and engage in warfare," the report said.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1503&ncid=2069&e=1&u=/afp/20040601/ts_afp/china_taiwan


KMT youth urge Lien to spare them any favors



By Huang Tai-lin
STAFF REPORTER
Wednesday, Jun 02, 2004,Page 1

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (??) is too much of an embarrassment for many younger members of his party, who say they would rather not be associated with the three-time election loser.

"How can you embark on a `thanksgiving and unity tour' when you don't work to unite party headquarters first?" said Chiu Teh-hung (???), organizer of a group of young party members calling itself the "Blue Eagle Warriors" (????).

KMT spokesman Alex Tsai (???) announced on Monday that Lien, 68, was planning a tour of central and southern Taiwan this month to thank supporters and drum up support for KMT candidates in the year-end legislative elections.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2004/06/02/2003157897



Taiwanese VP asks world support against possible attack by China



SAN JOSE (AFP) - Taiwanese Vice President Lu Hsiu-lien asked for international support for her island against a possible attack from mainland China, saying Beijing posed an "imminent danger" to Taiwan.

"Taiwan has been fighting alone for 50 years to protect itself against this possible invasion," she told a press conference on the second day of an official visit to Costa Rica, part of a three-country Central American tour.

"Today," she said, "we need the world to give us a hand so that this threat does not become reality."

Lu Hsiu-lien said China has been expanding its military power and at the moment it has along its eastern coast "more than 600 missiles aimed at Taiwan," a number she said could be increased to 800 to 1,000 next year.

The missiles, she said, pose an "imminent danger," not only to Taiwan, but to "the entire Asia-Pacific region."

China "puts on an outwardly peaceful mask" but in reality "is developing massive power in many areas," said the Taiwanese vice president.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1530&ncid=2069&e=1&u=/...









KMT must return its media to the public
The Campaign for Media Reform is a local media monitoring group

Monday, Jun 07, 2004,Page 8

Advertising
The media have reported that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) intends to sell all its media businesses as a single package for about NT$8 billion.

These media businesses include Chinese Television Company, Ltd (CTV), Broadcasting Corporation of China, the Central Daily News and the Central Motion Pictures Corporation.

Private enterprises such as Eastern Multimedia Corp and Chinatrust Group have shown their interest in the deal.

As a media reform group, Campaign for Media Reform is strongly disappointed with the KMT's handling of its party-run media businesses.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/edit/archives/2004/06/07/2003174131





What is China's beef with Chen?
By Sushil Seth

Thursday, Jun 10, 2004,Page 8
Why is China so angry with President Chen Shui-bian (???)? Because he is not delivering Taiwan on a platter. Otherwise he appears quite reasonable, even from a Chinese viewpoint. For instance, in his recent inauguration address he scrupulously avoided the question of independence for Taiwan. He simply sought Beijing's cooperation "to guarantee there will be no unilateral change to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait." Indeed, he hasn't ruled out "any possibility, so long as there is the consent of the 23 million people of Taiwan."

For all his efforts at moderation, Beijing has branded his "provocative pro-independence activities the biggest threat to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait." It has declared that "we will absolutely not tolerate Taiwan's independence" and would crush it "at any cost."

The sub-text of this harsh message is that Beijing doesn't trust Chen, no matter what he says. They also feel frustrated at the lack of credible political alternatives in Taiwan to advance China's unification goal. Indeed, Chen has consolidated his position by polling about 11 percent more votes than in 2000.


http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/edit/archives/2004/06/10/2003174509



Pan-blues losing support, poll says
CHANGING ATTITUDES: The post-election antics of the opposition parties have cost them dearly, according to a poll conducted by the think tank Taiwan Advocates
By Chang Yun-ping
STAFF REPORTER
Friday, Jun 11, 2004,Page 1

Advertising
The two-month-long protest and resistance against the legitimacy of President Chen Shui-bian's (???) re-election by the pan-blue alliance has resulted in the loss of public support, which would lead to a marked defeat of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (??) by Chen should the presidential election be held now, a public opinion survey released by Taiwan Advocates (???) said yesterday.

The think tank yesterday held a press conference to release the results of a public opinion poll investigating the public's attitudes toward the two-month long protest by the KMT and People First Party (PFP).

Its findings showed that the disapproval rate of the pan-blues' protests has increased to 67.8 percent from 53 percent.

The poll also found that if the election were held today, 60 percent of the public would vote for the Democratic Progressive Party-backed presidential ticket of Chen and Vice President Annette Lu (???), while 40 percent of the voters would support the KMT-PFP alliance's Lien-James Soong (???) ticket.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2004/06/11/2003174569



China's a dying tiger, to be feared in decline
Jin Zhong??

Sunday, Jun 13, 2004,Page 8

When Hong Kong residents rallied to commemorate the fifteenth anniversary of the bloody Tiananmen Square crackdown, they mourned with a question in mind: Why did 1989's wave of democratization help end communist rule in Russia and across Eastern Europe, when at Tiananmen it heralded a rollback of people's rights that has lasted 15 years since then?

Princeton University professor Yu Ying-shih (???) once remarked on China's future with the saying "a dying tiger is the most ferocious." The 3,000-year-old tiger of China's feudalism devoured many, but the tiger of China's communist tyranny is even more bloodthirsty, preying on tens of millions. But the 1989 democracy movement sounded the communist tiger's death knell. Ever since the Tiananmen massacre, a sense of crisis has weighed heavily on China's government.

Earlier this year, some Beijing scholars described China's policy framework as "market economy, elite alliance, authoritarian politics," claiming that this framework will remain unchanged for the next 10 years. Such is the autocracy that has emerged in China since 1989. After a visit to southern China, the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping (???) gave the green light to a free-market economy, linking China's bureaucracy to international capital to strengthen the dictatorship's effectiveness.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/edit/archives/2004/06/13/2003174890




US fires back at China over Taiwan
`STATUS QUO': The US Department of State's spokesman said yesterday that there had been no recent changes in Washington's policies or commitments to Taiwan
By Charles Snyder
STAFF REPORTER IN WASHINGTON
Friday, Jul 16, 2004,Page 1

The US on Wednesday rejected Chinese demands that Washington cut back on weapons sales and other cooperation with Taiwan, insisting that US policy had not changed in recent months.

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher made the comments in response to statements Tuesday by Chinese Embassy spokesman Sun Weide (???), who said that Beijing was "gravely concerned over the recent US moves on the Taiwan question."

"I don't know why one needs to talk about `recent US moves,'" Boucher said at his regular daily press briefing. "There's been no change in US policy regarding China and Taiwan."

US officials have repeatedly communicated the US' continuing Taiwan policy to China, Boucher said. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice reiterated the policy during her meetings in Beijing last week with the top Chinese leadership, as did Secretary of State Colin Powell in a recent meeting in Indonesia with Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhao-xing (???), Boucher said.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2004/07/16/2003179141







http://darkerxdarker.tripod.com/tiananmen.html link for destriptions below:

China's purged Communist Party chief Zhao Ziyang poses for a photo at home in Beijing in Autumn of 2002. Zhao is 84, with silver hair and in declining health, but still lives under house arrest 15 years after he was toppled for opposing the army crackdown on student-led pro-democracy protests. Picture taken in Autumn 2002. REUTERS/Stringer/FEATURE/CHINA-TIANANMEN-ZHAO



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Local residents load wounded people on a rickshaw flatbed shortly after PLA soldiers opened fire on a crowd in Beijing in this June 4, 1989 file photo. Friday, June 4, 2004 marks the 15th anniversary of the military assault that killed hundreds, possibly thousands, and ended seven weeks of protests centered on Tiananmen Square. (AP Photo/Liu Heung Shing)




The bodies of dead civilians lie among mangled bicycles near Beijing's Tiananmen Square in this early June 4, 1989 file photo. Friday, June 4, 2004 marks the 15th anniversary of the military assault on pro-democracy protesters who had occupied the square for seven weeks. Hundreds, possibly thousands, died in the early hours of June 4, 1989 when troops shot their way through Beijing's streets to retake the square. (AP Photo)





This is a May 27, 1989 file photo of student leader Wang Dan in Tiananmen Square Beijing calling for a city wide march. Friday, June 4, 2004 marks the 15th anniversary of the military assault on pro-democracy protesters who had occupied the square for seven weeks. Hundreds died in the early hours of June 4, 1989 when troops shot their way through Beijing's streets to retake the square. (AP Photo/Mark Avery, File)



A Chinese man stands alone to block a line of tanks heading east on Beijing's Changan Blvd. near Tiananmen Square in this June 5, 1989 file photo. Friday June 4, 2004 marks the 15th anniversary of the military crackdown on a student-led demonstration for democratic reform and against government corruption, which left hundreds, possibly thousands dead. (AP Photo/Jeff Wide ner, File)


Chinese tanks guard a major approach to Tiananmen Square two days after the June 4, 1989 crackdown on democracy protests. A resolution was introduced in the US Congress condemning China for the brutal crackdown 15 years ago and offering hope to Chinese citizens that democracy will ultimately triumph in the communist-ruled nation(AFP/File/Manuel Ceneta)

Hundreds of thousands of people chanting "Oppose war, Love Taiwan" joined President Chen Shui-bian Saturday to protest against China's anti-secession law that sanctions the use of force against the island.

Chen's ruling Democratic Progressive Party hopes the protest will draw international attention to the new law and put pressure on China to scrap it.

Organizers said 1 million people joined the show of people power against Beijing's military threat, but Taipei police estimated the crowd at just over 240,000.

Hundreds of thousands of people chanting "Oppose war, Love Taiwan" joined President Chen Shui-bian Saturday to protest against China's anti-secession law that sanctions the use of force against the island.

"I am here to protest against a barbaric China which looks down upon the Taiwanese people," said 70-year-old businessman Fan Wen-yi, adding he was not affiliated to any political party and had never participated in a protest before. "The anti-secession law, simply put, is a law that authorizes war."

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050326/wl_nm/taiwan_china_dc_1

Demonstrators from across the country participate in yesterday's March for Democracy and Peace to Protect Taiwan, organized to protest China's ``Anti-Secession'' Law, gather at Ketagelan Boulevard.
PHOTO: FANG PIN-CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/photo/2005/03/27/2003163824

Around 1 million people, led by political leaders including President Chen Shui-bian (???), former President Lee Teng-hui (???) and Premier Frank Hsieh (???), yesterday took to the streets of Taipei to protest China's "Anti-Secession" Law, which sanctions the use of "non-peaceful means" against Taiwan.

Participants from around the country expressed their abhorrence of China's threats and their hope for peace, saying that the Taiwanese people's voice should be heard by the whole world.

Launched by the Taiwan Democratic Alliance for Peace, a group made up of 34 civil groups and over 500 societies, the march yesterday created a record turnout for a demonstration in a single city in the history of Taiwan.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2005/03/27/2003247928

Dozens of members of Taiwan's expatriate community marched in yesterday's rally, saying that the world needs to pay more attention to Taiwan's plight
By Mo Yan-chih
STAFF REPORTER
Sunday, Mar 27, 2005,Page 2


Jake Stevenson, a 22-year-old student from the US, joins the rally against China's ``Anti-Secession'' Law near National Taiwan University. His shirt reads, ``Helping Taiwan on behalf of the US,'' and his sign reads, ``Commies: Not `one country, two systems,' but `one country, two fingers.'''
PHOTO: MO YAN-CHIH

About a million Taiwanese poured onto Taipei's streets to show their anger at China's "Anti-Secession" Law, as members of the foreign community marched along with the crowds yesterday to show their support, urging the international community to pay more attention to Taiwan.

Foreigners who work or study in Taiwan either alone or gathered together in a group, joined a rally in front of National Taiwan University (NTU) yesterday afternoon to voice their opposition to China's threat of using "non-peaceful means" against Taiwan.

Walking alone in the crowd with a placard in one hand, a miniature flag in another, and a T-shirt with the Chinese-language slogan "Helping Taiwan on behalf of the United States," Jake Stevenson, a 22-year-old American from Washington, said that the "Anti-Secession" Law was a childish move by the Chinese government.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2005/03/27/2003247934

More than 1,000 Taiwanese-Americans converged on Washington Friday to attend a mass rally to protest China's "Anti-Secession" law, in an effort to raise the visibility in the US capitol of the worldwide movement against the law by expatriate Taiwanese.

Taiwanese-Americans from throughout the country were preparing to hold a rally yesterday in front of the Capitol Building, followed by a protest in front of the Chinese embassy a few miles away.

Taiwanese-Americans are "passionately opposed to the law," Bob In-yu Yang, the chief spokesman of the 17 groups of Taiwanese-Americans sponsoring the rally, said at a press conference Friday.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2005/03/27/2003247935

Former president Lee Teng-hui (???), spiritual leader of TSU, told the media before proceeding to another segment of the rally that it's time for the government to think of new ways to deal with its bullying neighbor, China.

"The people of Taiwan must understand that Taiwan has been an independent nation and has recognized China as a nation since May, 1, 1991 when I announced the abolishment of the Temporary Provisions Effective during the `Period of National Mobilization for the Suppression of the Communist Rebellion' (??????????)," he said.

As the move signified the termination of the status of civil war between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Chinese Communist Party, Lee said that there is no pro-Taiwan-independence power existing in Taiwan as China claims.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2005/03/27/2003247936

Shuimu.com is just one of China's thousands of Internet chat rooms. But when non-students were barred this month from using the site at Tsinghua University in Beijing, it triggered a rare burst of outrage.

A brief protest erupted at the school. Users posted appeals on other sites for Web surfers to speak up. Some compared the crackdown to persecution in Nazi Germany.

Until a few days ago, Shuimu was the biggest university forum in China. For 10 years, students, alumni and others used it for lively debates on everything from physics to politics.

Now, in a crackdown aimed at preventing critics from posting anti-government comments online, communist authorities have closed the site to users outside the university campus.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2005/03/27/2003247954

I think the author means America not China.

Wow! How'd he do that while pandering to his religous base?

Yesterday's march was indeed the best response that Taiwan could make in the wake of the passage of the Chinese "Anti-Secession" Law. With a simple and easy to understand theme of "peace, democracy, save Taiwan," as well as a high turn out rate (it is estimated that around one million people joined the march) accomplished through mostly voluntary grass-roots participation, Beijing has been put in an awkward spot.

A golden rule that must never be forgotten in Taiwan's dealing with China is this: Democracy, freedom and human rights are the best weapons that Taiwan has against China. No amount of military spending -- although that is critically necessary as well -- comes even close in terms of the weight of the punch. That's because these things are universally accepted values, but also because they represent everything that China isn't. They are like a mirror that reflects the autocratic and militant nature of the Beijing regime. Even more importantly, they serve as justification for the international community to voice their support. Yesterday's march was a success precisely because it highlighted all these precious virtues.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/edit/archives/2005/03/27/2003247965

On March 14, 2005, China promulgated an "Anti-Secession" Law with a vote of 2,896 to zero at its National People's Congress. The Anti-Secession Law authorizes China to "employ and execute non-peaceful means" against Taiwan when the Chinese president deems necessary to bring Taiwan into their authoritarian fold.

The intended application of this law is clearly targeted at not only Taiwan, but the US.

The motivation and contents are nothing but barbaric, malicious, and peace-threatening. It is a revival of historical Chinese imperialism.

We could handle this situation in various ways. We could leave it alone. After all, it is a domestic Chinese law. The People's Republic of China has never ruled Taiwan in history. Nor does this law have any jurisdiction over Taiwan.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/edit/archives/2005/03/27/2003247969

The government must respond to the Taiwanese people's outcry during Saturday's rally against China's "Anti-Secession" Law with concrete actions, former president Lee Teng-hui (???) said yesterday. It should urgently consider a comprehensive adjustment in its China policy and put the brakes on negotiations for direct cross-strait travel, he said.

"The March 26 march ended perfectly, yet it wasn't just the close of a political carnival," Lee said. "It was a new starting point for consolidating people's identification with Taiwan and declaring the Taiwanese people's strong will to defend their right of self-determination."

Lee made the comments at a symposium held by Taiwan Advocates, which invited academics and analysts to discuss the impact of China's Anti-Secession Law on cross-strait relations.

"That 1 million Taiwanese people came out was a display of the mainstream of Taiwanese public opinion, and officials should respond to that with practical actions and policies," Lee said. "Otherwise the march will just have been emotional venting, which won't solve the current problems."

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2005/03/28/2003248060