林保華

Warding off CCP’s ‘underground’
By Paul Lin 林保華

TaipeiTimes 2019。11.2

Rumors have been spreading online that Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam (林鄭月娥) and Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) are long-time members of the “underground” Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Other secret members allegedly include the “three Leungs” — former Hong Kong chief executive Leung Chun-ying (梁振英), former Hong Kong secretary of justice Elsie Leung (梁愛詩) and former Hong Kong secretary of financial affairs Anthony Leung (梁錦松).

While the rumors cannot be verified, if true, it would mean that the CCP — the world’s largest political party with nearly 100 million members — is on a mission to bring the world under its thumb through its shadowy membership outside of China.

HK’s official reaction crippling a generation
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times 2019.10.2

The anti-extradition movement is uniting under the slogan “Liberate Hong Kong, the revolution of our times,” a slogan proposed following the “Umbrella movement” by Edward Leung (梁天琦), who was then a leader of Hong Kong Indigenous (本土民主前線) and is now serving a six-year prison sentence for rioting in connection to the 2016 protests.

When he proposed the slogan, Leung gave some thought to whether it should be “our times” or “our generation,” as ideas diverged between the young generation and the old pan-democracy camp. Because he felt that intergenerational unity was important, he picked “revolution of our times,” which also reflected the Hong Kong spirit.

Election focus is on beating Tsai
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times  2019.9.22

Late on Sept. 16, the Formosa Alliance announced that it had nominated former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) as its presidential candidate. That was followed by Hon Hai Precision Industry Co founder Terry Gou’s (郭台銘) announcement that he would not be running for president. This basically settled the confusion over who would run.

An inventory of potential and actual candidates and their backgrounds results in a list of people from across the political spectrum who want to bring down President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), which is quite shocking.

HK police are loyal to China, not the public
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times  2019.8.27

Since the anti-extradition protests began in Hong Kong in June, the public has focussed its attention on the performance of the Hong Kong police force.

After police shot teargas and rubber bullets at protesters in a bloody incident on June 12, there have been calls for an independent investigation of their abuse of power, but such calls have been opposed by police-related groups and rejected by Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam (林鄭月娥).

Hong Kong police and gangsters
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times  2019.8.6

The July 21 anti-extradition bill demonstration in Hong Kong showed another kind of “two systems.”

Traditionally, demonstrations start at Victoria Park at 3pm. In the past, protesters would reach Admiralty or Central districts before dispersing by subway, but the July 21 march was ordered by police to end at Luard Road i n Wan Chai.

HK protests need West’s support
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times 2019.6.25

Last week’s 2 million-strong demonstrations in Hong Kong shook the world and exceeded even the 2 million who supported the student-led demonstrations in China in 1989.

In 1989, the demonstrators in Hong Kong expressed their support for the Chinese democracy movement; this time they are fighting to protect their own rights.

The lies that lie behind negotiations with China
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times  2019.3.26

In a Jan. 2 speech to mark the 40th anniversary of the “Message to Compatriots in Taiwan,” Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) announced a five-point proposal to bolster China’s “united front” tactics against Taiwan, using the term “democratic negotiation” to divide Taiwanese over issues such as signing a cross-strait “peace agreement.” Some Taiwanese lose their bearings when they hear the phrase “democratic negotiation” and think that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) really is expressing good will.

What does “democracy” mean to China? Communists think of Vladimir Lenin’s “democratic centralism.” As elaborated by Mao Zedong (毛澤東) on several occasions, the concept combines centralism on a democratic basis with democracy under central guidance. In the Chinese constitution, Mao made the concept more concrete, saying that it means “from the people, to the people.”

Removing stains of Chinese culture
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times 2019.3.16

The nationwide local elections on Nov. 24 last year saw major losses for Taiwan’s pro-independence parties. One of the reasons for this setback is that some voters fell for then-Kaohsiung mayoral candidate Han Kuo-yu’s (韓國瑜) promise that they would get rich if he became mayor. Some of those people already regret voting for him.

Why did voters fall for Han’s promises so easily? Some observers put it down to a Taiwanese tendency to “love money and fear death.” These words were originally spoken by Shinpei Goto, who served as head of civilian affairs under the Japanese governor-general of Taiwan from 1898 to 1906.

Traitors need to be rooted out now
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times  2019.3.8

In an interview, newly appointed National Security Council Deputy Director-General Arthur Iap (葉國興) said: “The current domestic situation is grim, the enemy is already in the country.”

Regardless of what Taiwan’s future looks like, and regardless of whether the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) salvages the situation, this statement will become a classic.

US could go to war to fix China
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times 2019.1.5

Tuesday marked the 40th anniversary of official US-China diplomatic relations. On Thursday last week, US President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter: “Just had a long and very good call with President Xi [Jinping (習近平)] of China. Deal is moving along very well. If made, it will be very comprehensive, covering all subjects, areas and points of dispute. Big progress being made.”

Trump is very experienced in dealing with rogue states. He talks a lot and no one knows if what he says is true.

The many challenges facing the DPP
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times  20190102

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) celebrated its 30th anniversary only two years ago. “At 30, I stood firm,” as Confucius says.

The party should only just have entered the stage of maturity, but instead it looks as if it is on its last legs, ready to draw its last breath. Watching the largest Taiwan-centered political party meet this fate, supporters are devastated.

Combating CCP effort to meddle in elections
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times 2018.11.14

Over decades of ongoing revolution and construction, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has several strategies and tactics that were concisely described by Mao Zedong (毛澤東).

Perhaps the best known is: “Seize both ends and drag the middle along with them,” ie, using what Mao called seizing “the advanced and backward extremes” to “drag” the middle “along with them.”

Chinese tactics affect every level
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times  2018.9.9

On Aug. 24, the US Congress issued a report on the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) overseas “united front” work.

Among the “united front” activists are Chang An-le (張安樂), also known as the “White Wolf,” in Taiwan, and Tung Chee-hwa (董建華) in Hong Kong.

Solidarity key to DPP election win
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times 2018.8.24

When President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) made a stopover in Los Angeles en route to Latin America, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) — as usual — organized protests through its underground organizations. The number of protesters ranged from a few dozen to a few hundred, too few to match its status as a “big power.”

US President Donald Trump has protested strongly against Chinese espionage, both verbally and in action. Perhaps this explains why China’s “fifth column” was not active this time, as it keeps hiding and waiting for the right moment to take action.

Xi Jinping’s loss of power is beginning to be noticed
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times 2018.7.23

Rumors that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) power is waning have spread across China, all because Xi was not on the front page of the state-owned People’s Daily for a few days.

The rare disappearance occurred less than 20 days after Xi, during a meeting with US business leaders last month, boldly said that China would respond with “an eye for an eye” to the trade war.

PRC navy might be no more than a paper tiger
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times 2018.7.1

According to some Chinese media reports, Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on June 12 visited the Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology in Qingdao, China, calling for a “strong maritime nation” to be built.

He then traveled by boat to Weihai’s Liugong Island (劉公島), where the Qing Dynasty’s Beiyang Fleet was formed before the island was occupied by British and Japanese troops for years.

Chinese ICT products should be discouraged
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times 2018.5.10

As a China-US trade war heats up, Washington has banned Chinese telecom ZTE Corp from buying US-made chips and components. Beijing has responded with hard and soft tactics, but is focusing mainly on the soft, which shows that the US has hit the mark, since a hoodlum bullies the weak and fears the strong.

Gang leader and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) pretends to be tough lest he lose authority and his regime collapse, and it appears as if Chinese Vice Premier Liu He (劉鶴), who is in charge of the economy, has had to give up some of his powers in an internal power struggle.

Inept Xi resorts to military bombast
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times 2018.4.26

During the Boao Forum for Asia earlier this month, Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) ordered the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy to hold two naval drills.

This was obviously an attempt by Xi to follow up on his imperial coronation by showing that China has the military power required to back an imperial expansion. He did this even though it was extremely rude to all the heads of state attending the forum.

A trade war would harm China more than the US
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times 2018.4.1

The US-China trade war has begun.

At first, China threatened revenge, saying it would “fight to the end” and warning the US to “pull back before it is too late.” When the threats were ineffective, China pretended to care more for the US than the US itself, saying a trade war would harm other nations and the US.

More than Shaanxi experts required
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times  2018.3.16

The third plenary session of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) Central Committee approved a list of recommended leaders for national institutions, which it passed on for approval by this month’s sessions of the National People’s Congress and the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, along with constitutional amendments that allow President Xi Jinping (習近平) to become an “emperor.”

Xi mimics Mao Zedong (毛澤東), but lacks his confidence, because he cannot match Mao’s cultural foundation or his political achievements, still less his military ones.