"Exuberance" Over Warming Mainland Ties?

A well-written but decidedly one-sided article published in today's New York Times delineates how many Taiwanese show "exuberance" over Taiwan's markets opening to investment from Mainland China. While it's true that President Ma has been pragmatic in his efforts to engage the Mainland both economically and politically, not everyone on the island, as the writer may lead you to believe, is thrilled about recent increased cooperation between Taiwan and the Mainland.

A little less than half the population (currently around 40%) supports the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) (民主進步黨). Opposition candidates and "pan-green" citizens that support the party are grumbling that "President Ma Ying-jeou and the KMT are giving everything away to the Mainland..." Just ask your neighborhood taxi driver. The writer takes a decidedly pro-business slant and interviews notables in the investment community rather than candidates or supporters of the opposition political party.

To illustrate my point, Taiwan Premier Liu Chao-shiuan, in an article published the following day (Thursday, May 14), struck a far more cautious tone : "The government prefers to adopt a more conservative approach in the initial stages to allay public concerns."

Regardless, let's hope that Taiwan's markets improve along with its international relations.

Taiwan to Establish "Think Tank" With Mainland Chinese Military

Taiwan is currently in the process of setting up a think tank at a Taiwan university to create a dialogue with the Mainland Chinese military. It is hoped that the think tank will continue to reduce tensions on both sides of the Taiwan strait.

During his campaign, Ma Ying-Jeou Ma called for increasing dialogue and economic ties with Beijing; after being elected and sworn in as president on May 20, 2008, he reversed many of the policies instituted by his predecessor, former Taiwan president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), including opening Taiwan to Chinese tourists, instituting direct weekend charter flights between Taiwan and China, and, most recently, accepted China's "gift" of two pandas. While Ma has been praised for taking prudent measures to improve Taiwan's economy, he has also been criticized by the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) (民主進步黨) for eroding civil rights during his tenure.

The story was reported here.

Taipei In A Day is available here, Amazon.com and at Barnes andNoble.com. In Taipei the book is available at Cherry Valley Bookstore, Tienmu East Road, Lane 8, #99,Tienmu, Taipei (behind TAS)(台北市士林區天母東路8巷99號) (02) 2876-9293. Thank you again for making Taipei In A Day the highest-rated Taiwan travel book on amazon.com!

I look forward to meeting some of you at the Taipei American School (TAS) Spring Fair on Saturday, March 21! --Scott