In the news ニュース

A week after the presidential election, the Japan Times got around to commenting on it in an editorial ("Taiwan takes a new approach"):

"The election of Mr. Ma Ying-Jeou, the Nationalist (KMT) candidate, in Taiwan's presidential campaign last weekend could herald a diminution of tensions in the Taiwan Strait, one of the remaining legacies of the Cold War and a potential nuclear flash point. Mr. Ma has called for closer relations with the mainland. More importantly, he pledged that his administration would emphasize economics, rather than the political identity of Taiwan, a marked departure from the approach of the incumbent president, Mr. Chen Shui-bian. This return to pragmatism in Taipei is welcome."

The gist of the editorial is that Taiwan's voters focused on the state of the economy than on issues related to Taiwan's identity when it came time to cast ballots. The JT's editorial staff claims not to have been surprised by the extent of Ma's win:

"In his campaign, Mr. Ma...vowed to focus on the economy. That won over most voters, who elected him over Mr. Frank Hsieh of the...Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), by a 58 to 42 percent margin. The results were expected. The KMT and two small affiliates claimed three-quarters of the seats in parliamentary elections in January and the KMT runs 15 of Taiwan's 25 largest cities. In fact, the prospect of KMT domination of both the executive and legislative branches was one of the most important influences on voter thinking in last weekend's ballot."

Personally, I like the idea of having checks and balances in my executive and legislative branches, but the people of Taiwan have spoken:

"Taiwanese voters know better...Closer relations with (China) do not mean that reunification is around the corner. Most Taiwanese want independence, but they recognize what is not within their grasp. They seek pragmatic accommodation that allows them to prosper while protecting their hard-won democratic freedoms."

So what happens next? According to the Japan Times:

"The biggest concern now is Beijing's understanding of Taiwanese politics. It has wooed KMT leaders for several years and they have reciprocated. But if Beijing expects the new president to sharply alter course, then it is sure to be disappointed. Mr. Ma has said that 'before we can talk about peace, we need to remove the threat,' a reference to the 1,000 missiles reportedly arrayed against Taiwan. Mr. Ma has also promised to increase defense spending to about 3 percent of GDP. That does not sound like a man ready for unification. Fortunately, with the Olympics on the horizon, China will have little appetite for tension."

Can Ma really stand up to Beijing? We'll just have to wait and see. But for the JT, there are things to consider closer to home (i.e. Japan):

"Mr. Ma also reportedly wants to elevate relations with Japan. Japan overtook the U.S. in 2006 as Taiwan's second-largest trading partner: Two-way trade nearly reached $63 billion, and 2.3 million tourists were exchanged. While the KMT has traditionally been cool on relations with Tokyo, Mr. Ma is said to want to launch negotiations on a free-trade agreement. Those talks will be tricky: China is sure to take offense at any deal that appears to prevent reunification."

One of the few things the Chen administration has done well during the past eight years is in fostering a closer relationship with Japan. Let's hope Ma understands the importance of this. The editorial concludes by stating:

"Mr. Ma has his work cut out for him. But the scale of his victory should provide a solid foundation for his administration. Taiwan's voters appear to understand his priorities and appear ready to back a pragmatic agenda. Most significantly, the alternation of power — from KMT to DPP and back to KMT — is powerful reassurance about the state of democracy in Taiwan."

The next few years are going to be, ahem, "interesting" for Taiwan...

The Times also had an article on the election in its commentary section this morning. "Bridge just got started across the strait" is by Frank Ching, a Hong Kong-based hack whose anti-democratic, pro-Beijing (and often anti-Japanese) writings are unsurprisingly carried by the local China Post. In this piece, Ching writes:

"...there is no longer any need for China to fear that Taiwan may seek de jure independence. The past eight years have shown that it is a cause without support from the international community and, in fact, from the majority of Taiwan's population. This is an opportunity for China to win the minds and hearts of the people of Taiwan. This is the time to agree on such things as direct flights and shipping, tourism and investment, which will enable people on the mainland and on Taiwan to get to know each other better. Perhaps, at the time of Ma's inauguration, Beijing can make a dramatic gesture, similar to one it made almost three decades ago when, on the occasion of normalization of Sino-American relations, it announced an end to 20 years of shelling the offshore island of Quemoy. Now is the time for Beijing to show its good will to the people of Taiwan by getting rid of the thousand or so missiles mounted along the Chinese coast and pointed at the island. After all, China has said repeatedly that its weapons are not to be used against its Taiwan compatriots, but only against those who want to split Taiwan from China. Now that the splittists have been defeated and are stepping down, there is little reason to continue to hold a gun to Taiwan's head, especially if the two sides are going to sit down and talk. Who can say that talks are being held on the basis of equality when one side has a gun pointed at the other? The ball is now in China's court. Delicacy and finesse are required and Beijing will have to prove that it is up to the task."

I do have to hand it to Ching: whereas most commentators have been patting Taiwan on the back for successfully conducting a democratic election, Ching sees Ma's victory as a golden opportunity for China to restore the Qing Dynasty empire. I have the sad feeling that Frank Ching is the only one calling it right here.

In the news ニュース

Several articles appeared today in the Japanese English-language newspaper concerning this weekend's presidential election in Taiwan, including two in the Daily Yomiuri ザ・デイリー読売 and one in the Japan Times ジャパンタイムズ.

The first Yomiuri piece is entitled "Taiwan's democracy matures / After riots in Tibet, direct elections seem shrewd survival tactic", and is written by the Yomiuri Shimbun's 読売新聞 bureau chief in Beijing, Takuji Kawata. It's much more optimistic in tone than the Yomiuri's editorial from the previous day:

"The direct (presidential) election, held in Taiwan at a time when military and police officers were still patrolling the streets in Tibet, was testimony to a democracy in Taiwan that has matured over more than a decade...Despite the fierce election campaign, which divided the population into two camps, the second change of administration (the first occurred with the 2000 election) was held peacefully, proving that democracy has taken root in Taiwan and matured...In the case of Taiwan, demonstrating its democratization to the world has strategic meaning in preventing China from swallowing it whole. The open and confident second change of democratic regime in Taiwan immediately after the eruption of riots in Tibet must have left a favorable impression on the international community. It has also shown the world that democratization can be effectively used as a survival strategy."

Kawata also feels that closer ties with China may not be in Taiwan's best interests:

"After seeing the bloody suppression of Tibet, the Taiwan people will have become more wary of China. As such, democratized Taiwan will have to maintain just the right amount of distance between it and China to ensure its survival."

The second Yomiuri article is divided into two parts. The first section, "Japan-Taiwan ties seen stable after Ma win" looks at the impact of Ma Ying-jeou's (Ba Eikyū) 馬英九 will have on two countries:

"The victory of opposition candidate Ma Ying-jeou in Taiwan's presidential election on Saturday is unlikely to change the current relationship between Japan and the island, observers say. But the incoming administration of President-elect Ma, a former chairman of the Nationalist Party (Kuomintang or KMT), is expected to build a more business-oriented, pragmatic relationship with Japan than that pursued by the current administration led by President Chen Shui-bian of the Democratic Progressive Party, who has been in office for eight years, according to sources familiar with Japan-Taiwan relations."

All is not rosy, however:

"A major bone of contention between Japan and Taiwan, which have no diplomatic ties, is a dispute over fisheries, including waters around the Senkaku Islands. While the Chen administration has been trying to minimize the dispute's effect on the Japan-Taiwan relationship, it remains unknown how the president-elect, who was critical of Japan's territorial claim on the Senkaku Islands, will deal with the problem."

Anti-Japanese sentiment doesn't play as well in Taiwan as it does in China or South Korea, so I doubt the Senkakus will turn into an issue that Ma would be able to get a lot of mileage out of. Part one ends on an upbeat note:

"During his visit to Japan in November, Ma expressed his intention to improve ties with Japan, particularly in the fields of culture and the economy. Given this, the president-elect is expected to strive to maintain the current Japan-Taiwan relationship, which has been substantially strengthened under the Chen administration, with the assistance of KMT Vice Chairman Jing Bing-kun, an expert on Japan."

The second part of the story ("Taiwan Strait seen calmer"), has some serious typesetting problems, so here's the entire section in more legible form:

"The Japanese government does not believe Ma Ying-jeou's victory in Taiwan's presidential election will drastically alter its relationship with Taiwan, according to government sources. Moreover, some within the government welcomed the election outcome because they judge that the incoming administration led by the Nationalist Party will help promote dialogue and ease tensions between China and Taiwan. A strained China-Taiwan relationship would affect Japan's national security policies, they have pointed out. Within the Japanese government, it was initially considered that Frank Hsieh, the candidate of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, was friendlier toward Japan than Ma. When Ma criticized Japan over history and territorial issues, some members in the government and the ruling parties responded by characterizing him as 'anti-Japan.' However, things completely changed following Ma's visit to Japan in November. During his stay, he met with politicians in both the ruling and opposition blocs, including former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, and expressed his intention to strengthen business-oriented exchanges with Japan in the fields of the economy and culture. 'Mr. Ma has studied in the United States, and we hear he's a man of common sense. We don't think there'll be a major change in Japan-Taiwan relations [after Ma takes office],' a senior Foreign Ministry official said. The Japanese government had been negative toward Taiwan's referendums on U.N. membership, which also were conducted on Saturday. The referendums failed to gain the required participation level needed to be considered valid. 'We can't support an attempt to unilaterally change the current framework,' Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said in reference to the scheduled referendum. Therefore, there is a growing view within the government that the change in the administration will have a calming effect on relations across the Taiwan Strait, according to government sources."

Finally, from the Japan Times, Max Hirsch of Kyōdō News 共同通信社 in T'aipei (Taibei) 台北 weighs in with "Taiwan's Ma still open to visiting Japan, U.S.":

"Taiwan's president-elect, Ma Ying-jeou, said Sunday he has not ruled out visiting Japan and the United States before his inauguration in May...'I plan to go to those countries most friendly (to Taiwan),' he told a press conference held exclusively for the Japanese press in Taipei.'After inauguration, I wouldn't be able to go anywhere, so now would be a good chance,' he added. Lacking diplomatic ties with the United States and Japan, Taiwan's leaders are typically denied access to those countries and rarely, if ever, conduct direct, high-level meetings with Washington and Tokyo power brokers. Nonetheless, the United States is Taiwan's chief security guarantor while Japan is its second-largest trading partner and a potential security partner."

If Ma follows through on this, it would help to get his administration off on the right foot after he takes over the presidency on May 20. It makes sense to:

"...'rebuild channels of communication and mutual trust' in Taiwan's bilateral ties with the United States and Japan..."

as these two countries are so crucial to the maintenance of Taiwan as an independent political entity. Considering the possible backlash from China over such visits, this could be the first test of how a Ma administration would stand up to pressure from Beijing.

Actually, if it turns out Ma still holds a US green card, who can stop him from going to the US even after he becomes president?

The Day After in Gaifu 外埔

In the aftermath of yesterday's presidential election triumph by Ma Ying-jeou (Ba Eikyū) 馬英九 of the Kuomintang (Guomindang) 中国国民党, the Daily Yomiuri ザ・デイリー読売 tried to explain the reasons for, and the possible ramifications of, the results in an editorial entitled "Taiwan voters offer olive branch to China". While the Yomiuri's editors cite the usual factors found in most Western media coverage of the voting (a sluggish economy, corruption scandals, the supposed benefits to be had from closer economic integration with China), they seem less than convinced of Ma's adherence to Taiwan's democratic ideals:

"Ma's electoral victory likely is bound to temporarily set back Taiwan's ongoing efforts to make progress in democratization and 'Taiwanization,' the process of establishing systems distinct from those of China--politically, culturally, educationally, linguistically or otherwise. The movement started in the 1990s, when Lee Teng-hui was president."

They also ask the question:

"(During the election campaign) Ma emphasized the need to maintain a one-China policy. However, this was also complemented by his conciliatory approach toward native Taiwanese, who account for 85 percent of the island's population. He said the future of Taiwan must be determined by the 23 million Taiwanese. Will Ma keep this policy intact after taking office?"

Will he indeed. The Yomiuri goes on to ponder the impact of Ma's victory on Japan:

"Ma has said Taiwan will seek good ties with Japan. On the other hand, he has strongly opposed Japan's territorial claim to the Senkaku Islands. Given this, his policy toward Japan should be closely watched."

The Senkaku dispute stirs a lot more emotions on the Chinese mainland than it does in Taiwan. A good indication of where Ma's heart truly lies could be revealed by how he approaches this issue after he takes office in May.

Maybe it has something to do with geographic proximity and the colonial legacy, but leave it to a Japanese newspaper to sum things up much better than most Western publications:

"The future of Taiwan could significantly affect East Asia's security. We hope Taiwan's president-elect will exercise care and caution in running the island."

Hardly a ringing endorsement of the incoming administration. Prove me wrong Ma, please!

Speaking of the colonial past, the family went for a drive this afternoon to a small town in T'aichung (Taijhong) County 台中県 called Waip'u (Waipu) 外埔, and paid a visit at the Tz'ulien (Cihlian) Temple 慈蓮寺. It wasn't clear whether the temple dates from the Japanese era in Taiwan (1895-1945), or whether it was built in a Japanese style at a later date, but the appearance of the main hall, along with the torii 鳥居-looking gates and small garden in the back, definitely make this place stand out from most Buddhist temples here.

 

Given the Ma administration's lack of enthusiasm towards the preservation of Japanese-era architecture while he was mayor of T'aipei (Taibei) 台北, will buildings such as these survive the purge following the establishment of the Taiwan Special Administrative Region?

Gregory Clark and Tibet

It didn't take Gregory Clark long to come up with a column in the Japan Times ジャパンタイムズ on the recent troubles in Tibet チベット ("Tibet and Olympic Games"). He only makes one reference to Taiwan, but it's a classic:

"As for Tibetan independence, people forget that the strongest opponent was the Western-backed Nationalist Chinese government that ended up in Taiwan. Beijing simply inherited that Western-approved situation."

So it's all Taiwan's fault! Well, Greg, I'm no fan of the KMT 中国国民党, but it wasn't their forces that invaded Tibet in 1950, and drove the Dalai Lama ダライ・ラマ into exile in 1959. But there's no end to the excuses that Clark dreams up to explain away one of the world's worst abusers of human rights. In fact, he's been writing in this vein for so long, it's hard to work up a sense of outrage anymore. But it does make me wonder how people who can otherwise distinguish between what is right and wrong (as far as I know, Gregory Clark has never committed any felonies) can betray those most basic principles of being human when the lives of literally millions are needlessly suffering. Or is that also a part of being human?

And so we come to Taiwan, and the March 22 presidential election. I'm having a difficult time comprehending why otherwise decent people would consider voting for a party like the KMT, with it's long history of unrepentant corruption (and cozy ties with gangsters) and repression (40 years of martial law 戒厳令, the 228 Incident 二・二八事件, the White Terror 白色テロ etc.) This isn't like deciding to vote against the Republicans 共和党, where even though one might disagree with many of their conservative principles, it is still the party of Lincoln, after all. No, the KMT is odious, plain and simple, yet it controls the legislature, and stands a good chance of capturing the presidency. There are plenty of types like Gregory Clark here in Taiwan, with their warped views of both history and current events often being reflected on the pages of the China Post, a newspaper which frequently tries to portray Chiang Kai-shek (Shō Kaiseki) 蒋介石 as the man who (almost single-handedly!) defeated the Japanese in World War II (never mind the fact that the Japanese army was still entrenched in China when the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima 広島 and Nagasaki 長崎, and the Red Army 赤軍 attacked Manchuria 満州国); protected Taiwan from communism (no, it was the U.S. Seventh Fleet 第7艦隊 that did that); and started Taiwan on the path to democracy (a process which was actually begun by his son following Chiang's death). I guess it all comes down to what benefits the individual more than anything else, and if the KMT is judged to be party that can better bring home the bacon, then a little moral obfuscation will help to swallow the bitter pill that comes with all that pork.

Perhaps the day will come when the KMT will attempt to atone for its sins of the past, either by reforming itself into a new party, like the former communists in Hungary ハンガリー, or agreeing to the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to look into past misdeeds, as was done in South Africa 南アフリカ共和国. And someday, too, pigs may take to the skies, and there will be snowball fights in Hell.

Tōkai University 東海大学

It's probably a safe bet to say that spring has arrived in central Taiwan. The weather has warmed up noticeably, in spite of the scattered rainfall we've had the past several days. Today was sunny, though the air quality left a lot to be desired. Nevertheless, it seemed like a good day to let Amber run around outside, so off we went to T'aichung (Taijhong) 台中.

Following a stop for lunch at a small shopping mall on Chungkang (Jhonggang) Road 中港路 operated by Taisugar 台湾製糖, we parked our car on the side of the road, and walked into Tunghai (Donghai) University, a private university founded by Protestant missionaries. Tunghai is best noted for the Luce Memorial Chapel 路思義教堂, designed by none other than I.M. Pei イオ・ミン・ペイ. There were lots of people taking pictures of the chapel, and generally enjoying themselves on the grassy lawn. The mid-afternoon sun reflecting off the side of the building resulted in a lot of glare:

 

Amber uses her feet to massage her father's back. It might have been a good idea to have taken her shoes off first.

After checking out the chapel at Tunghai, we drove over to the nearby Taichung Metropolitan Park 台中都會公園. This park is located on top of a ridge, and on a clear day (and night), the views would be fabulous. This wasn't one of those days. The park was packed with couples and families, but for once, this produced a good vibe, as everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. And the poor air quality did make for a nice sunset (shot courtesy of my wife, Pamela):

ニュース

First up this morning was a brief, but interesting, article in the Daily Yomiuri ザ・デイリー読売 entitled "Taiwan emergency 'Japan security concern'":

"A military crisis in the Taiwan Strait 台湾海峡 would present a matter of concern for Japan's own security, a senior official of the Defense Ministry 防衛省 told a Liberal Democratic Party 自由民主党 panel Thursday. Asked about a possible government response in the event of an emergency in the strait, Nobushige Takamizawa, director general of the ministry's Defense Policy Bureau 防衛政策局, said, 'It's a serious matter for our country, so before we decide to consider it as a crisis in areas surrounding [Japan], we, of course, would like to strengthen surveillance by the Self-Defense Forces 自衛隊. It's not [merely] a matter of the Japan-U.S. security cooperation, but also a matter of Japan's national security,' he told the ruling party's Research Commission on Security."

While this would seem obvious given both the close proximity of Taiwan to Japan (Yonaguni 与那国島, the westernmost island in the Ryūkyū Islands 南西諸島 chain, is only 78 miles/125 kilometers from the east coast of Taiwan), and the fact that the Taiwan Strait lies near one of Japan's vital economic sea lanes, it's rare for officials like Takamizawa in such high positions to make public remarks on the subject. As the article notes:

"The (Japanese) government has been ambiguous about the definition of a crisis in areas surrounding Japan, saying the definition is not bound by geographic factors. The stance is apparently out of consideration for China, which is concerned about possible containment moves aimed at it by Japan, the United States or other countries at the time of a contingency in the Taiwan Strait."

The story points out that Takamizawa's comments are likely to provoke controversy, though so far none has been reported.

Another Sunday in Taichū & アンバーの始めて運動会

One of the rites of growing up in Asia is the 運動会, or "undōkai", an athletic meet. For children, of course, an undōkai isn't very difficult or challenging, and the emphasis is (or should be) on having fun. A little while back, Pamela enrolled in a program offered by a company called Your Family, which sends us material designed to encourage Amber's physical development, and holds classes that our daughter attends in T'aichung (Taijhong) 台中 once a month. Today they organized a sporting event, and Amber took part in some activities like pushing a tire, or standing on my shoes while I walked us around. When she wanted to, that is. For it seems our daughter, much like her old man, doesn't go in much for group activities, preferring instead to have fun on her own. Which in northeast Asia, at least, could be a problem should we still be here when Amber is old enough to start school. Or am I just worrying too much?

After the event, we drove to a sporting goods store, where I finally found what I had been looking for for so long: a kiddie porter, or a kind of backpack that allows the parent to carry the child on their back when they go hiking. It's been my dream to bring Amber along when I go for walks in the mountains, and the child porter would have been ideal. Note that I wrote "would have been" instead of "is", because Amber did not enjoy being in one at all. Trying it out in the store, she started to get very upset, and wanted to be put down as soon as possible. Faced with the question of whether I should force my daughter to do something she clearly didn't enjoy, I decided to forgo the porter, at least for the time being. One step at a time, I suppose...

Following lunch, we spent the rest of the afternoon in downtown Taichung. First stop after finding a parking spot, was the old Taichung Broadcasting Bureau 台中放送局 building. Built during the Japanese colonial period in 1935, it was Taiwan's third broadcasting station, after ones in T'aipei (Taibei) 台北 and T'ainan (Tainan) 台南. It's now a cafe for the most part, though there is apparently a commercial radio station broadcasting from the second floor. I'm happy to see Japanese-era architecture not just being preserved as museum pieces, but as functioning buildings in their own right as well. Lots of photographers were taking pictures there, including one group that was seemingly inspired by the Japanese connection.

The fascination among Taiwanese youth with Japanese hipness was in evidence along Sanmin Road 三民路:

 

For those in the know, Shibuya 渋谷 is a trendy young fashion district in Tōkyō, and the 109 Building is one of the well-known landmarks there, hence the name of the hair salon in Taichung (I'm guessing).

 

Amber checks out some of the Japanese magazines in Mag Freak. Two floors of virtually nothing but reading materials in Japanese. If it wasn't for the hefty price tag (NT740; that's ￥2480, or $24.15), I would've bought a magazine on Taiwanese trains. Amber was checking out the latest trends in fashion from Nippon: shades of things to come?

Finally, it was back to the car for the trip home, but not before stopping off at the Taichung Broadcasting Bureau again for a quick doughnut or two in the late afternoon sunlight. At the end of a long day, not even the genkiest of children could find the strength to stay awake.