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2008/11/09

Is this Really Going to Help?

The news out of Taiwan after "the push" and the protests over the most recent meeting between the head of China's Cross Straits Relations organization Chen Yunlin and the head of the Taiwanese government (I will follow Chen's lead and not call him "President") Ma Yingjiu makes one wonder. In all of the news stories about the visit (at least those from outside of China) and as reported here, it seems that things got pretty contentious on the streets of Taipei during Chen's time in Taiwan. Whether those protesting in the streets and so openly opposed to Chen's visit represent the majority of the Taiwanese people or just an extremely vocal minority is not something that I can attest to knowing. It would be my guess that they would be in the minority, as Ma was elected through popular vote to run the island.

Is it just me or is it an interesting contrast that took place, sort of like the French police who beat the shit out of T!bet protesters? Taiwan may be taking the first steps towards unification with these cross straits meetings, but they are so concerned what their "big brother" will think of protests in the street that they resort to tactics that would surely be admired by the PSB. Maybe it's just me, but this just doesn't seem like the way unification is supposed to look like.

And let me throw this out of left field, I know its extremely unlikely, but there are those who think revolution is possible in China, so surely anything can be said without being laughed at. This is truly "outside the box" thinking and I am openly admitting that this is without having looked at any recent economic data on Taiwan (I, like the world, ignore its existence), but if China and Taiwan could somehow work out an extremely quick unification agreement within the next 6 months, the absorption of the Taiwanese economy and the positive feelings it would create on the mainland would go a long way at weathering whatever the economic crisis throws at China. Or just call me crazy.

UPDATE: In an interesting post on EastSouthWestNorth, a survey by Taiwanese media reveals that 50% of the population thinks the protestors went too far, while 21% had no opinion. Further, 46% agree with the way police handled things or don't think the police did enough, while only 33% think the police handled things too strictly.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'll call you crazy for suggesting unification within 6 months.

Reading polls on Taiwan one should keep in mind the roughly 33% pan green 33% pan blue 33% moderate rigid break down. Poll results are usually reflect the extreme polarisation and are very partisan aligned, and the thing to watch for is the sentiment of the moderate. Furthermore, if let's say a partisan choice do not gain the support of the 33%, it is pretty significant, meaning the sentiment is even cutting into the hardcore base.

Anonymous said...

I can't understand why you even write about Taiwan when you admit you don't even know about it.

Personally I would be out there demonstrating with the Taiwanese who were against the Chinese diplomat. Why? Because how can you become part of a country which so routinely violates its own people's rights? Why would you agree to lose your own rights?