林保華

China’s sly tricks show its lack of confidence
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times  2016.4.19
Early last month, the UN Security Council voted to toughen its sanctions on North Korea. Due to worries that China would be threatened if the US deploys the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system in South Korea or even “decapitates” North Korea, Beijing this time decided to support the sanctions.

The move angered Pyongyang so much that the government-controlled media condemned not only “American imperialism,” but also a “major power” that is so concerned with saving face and status that it will not even stop at severing a “friendship sealed in blood” as it tried to secretly reach an agreement that suppresses “justice and truth.”

Economy should concern China
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Tomes 2016.4.13

On March 31, international credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s lowered its outlook for China’s credit rating from “stable” to “negative.” Moody’s had already done this on March 2.

On April 1, General Yao Yudong (姚余棟), the director the People’s Bank of China’s (PBOC) Research Institute of Finance and Banking, said in a speech: “From the first quarter of 2016 to the first quarter of 2018, China will enter a new normal of prosperity.”

Tsai has a gentle way belying her inner power
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times 2016.4.4

Within two weeks, president-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) visited both the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology, a developer of advanced weapon systems, and the Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation, a developer of aerospace and defense products. She gave talks showing expertise during both visits. These visits demonstrate that this woman can safeguard national security.

Taiwan might have disputes of ownership over certain islands and reefs with Japan and Vietnam, but it has a greater dispute over national sovereignty with China, which is seeking to annex Taiwan, so these visits were clearly pointed.

Washington bristles, China cowers
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times  2016.3.22

The US-China relationship sits atop four powder kegs: the Korean Peninsula, the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea; with the South China Sea the most likely cause of a direct confrontation between the two nations.

The dynamics of the relationship are changing; this time Washington is serious about confronting Beijing. As a result, China’s leaders have been forced to swallow their pride and make hasty peace initiatives to prevent conflict.

Xi threatened from within Beijing
By Paul Lin 林保華

In autumn next year, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is to convene its 19th National Congress, at which the party’s next set of leaders is to be determined. The internal power struggle is already in full swing. In January, confidantes of Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) tried to assess the possibility that he would be able to establish a core of leaders around himself. The results were disappointing and might mark the beginning of Xi’s fall from power.

The joint meeting of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), which ended yesterday in Beijing, cannot hide this fact.

When it opened on March 3, the China Military Online Web site published an article criticizing the “cliqueism” of Liu Bei (劉備), a warlord during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period in ancient China. It would appear that the word “clique” could be used to label any faction, but the article clearly points directly to Xi.

Chinese army on a war footing
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times  2016.2.21

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平)

nerves were likely stretched to breaking

Politics and judiciary need to be reformed
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times  2016.1.31

After her victory in the Jan. 16 election, president-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) received congratulatory messages from the

US, Japan, Germany, the UK, Canada, Singapore and other nations. That the majority of them used the title “president” to

Election of Tsai, China crisis offer opportunity
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times 2016.1.22

President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) once proposed a “golden decade,

” a pretty slogan that resulted in a loss of sovereignty, an economic

Democratic miracle almost here
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times  2016.1.14

Taiwanese go to the ballot boxes on Saturday and mainstream media around the world are focused on the elections. This is not only because a female president looks set to be elected, but also because it will show the international community that Taiwanese voters reject unification with China. That is why it is so important that all voters who identify as Taiwanese must come out on election day to express their wishes and tell China and the world how they feel.

The following are a few things that are required to fully express the public’s opinion.

Shake-up of military in China Xi’s big problem
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times  2016.1.3

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Eric Chu (朱立倫) repeatedly criticizes Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) over her stance on the so-called “1992 consensus,” because he knows public opinion has abandoned him and he can only play the “communist scare card.” This is both shameless and ignorant.

With Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) facing problems at home, he is unable to assist the KMT, though he might be willing. Not only did Xi’s meeting with President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) fail to boost the KMT’s presidential campaign, hostile buyouts of enterprises in Taiwan’s core industries by Chinese state-run enterprises have also caused a backlash.

Various ‘one China’ views unite
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times  2015.12.25

On Dec. 9, the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) Central Standing Committee identified 11 “difficult” electoral districts where no DPP candidates would run. Instead, the party would support non-DPP candidates and the creation of a progressive alliance in these areas. Still, there have been complaints from the party’s grassroots.

In addition to the first three seats the party gave up — to the New Power Party’s Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌), Freddy Lim (林昶佐) and Hung Tzu-yung (洪慈庸) — more controversial names on the latest list include former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City councilors Yang Shih-chiu (楊實秋) and Lee Ching-yuan (李慶元) as well as People First Party (PFP) Taipei City Councilor Vivian Huang (黃珊珊).

Beware China’s economic invasion
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times  2015.12.23

China used to call the investments and marketing activities of its multinational corporations in other nations an “economic invasion.” However, the real economic invasion is the current international expansion of Chinese corporations, with the Chinese government pulling the strings behind private businesses.

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd chairman Jack Ma’s (馬雲) recent acquisition of Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd is considered by some to be an attempt to help Beijing improve its image.

Fighting for Taiwan and liberty: Lin Rung San
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times  2015.12.15

I was devastated to learn of the passing of Lin Rung San (林榮三), the founder of the Liberty Times and the Taipei Times, on Nov. 28. The news had particular significance for me, as I have been a columnist for the paper he founded for about two decades.

In June 1996, the year before Hong Kong’s handover to China, Liberty Times Group chairman Wu A-ming (吳阿明) and Rick Chu (朱立熙), then head of the paper’s international section, visited me in Hong Kong. They wanted me to write a weekly column introducing and commenting on Hong Kong current affairs. I had been very worried that China would turn its attention to Taiwan after it had taken back Hong Kong and jumped at the chance to write for the Liberty Times.

CCP is the terror group threatening the nation
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times 2015.12.7

Late last month, during a speech at the East Asia summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, US President Barack Obama said that in the Asia-Pacific region, Taiwan, Australia, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea are among the members of its coalition against the Islamic State group. Several days later, the extremists released a video featuring the flags of the members of Obama’s coalition that included a Republic of China (ROC) flag.

Some observers have said that the US only thinks of Taiwan in bad times, not good times. This is the knee-jerk response of some muddleheaded people.

Hong Kongers vote for awakening
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times  2015.11.29

The Hong Kong District Council is, by its nature, only a consultative

body and is, therefore, not considered very important by China. For many

KMT tricks and the US’ rebalancing toward Asia
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times  2015.11.21  

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Eric Chu’s (朱立倫) US visit was a failure, because both Chu and the KMT are denying reality and have failed to keep up with changing times. The fact that this century-old party is out of touch with reality is related to its concern about its own benefits. In particular, it is paving the way for President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to step down safely next year.

TPP bid an opportunity to globalize the nation
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipeitimes  2015.11.8

Taiwan’s bid to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) offers

an opportunity to globalize its economy and move away from

Tsai has inclusive foreign policy goals
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times  2015.10.20

During Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) visit to Japan, her hosts afforded her a degree of courtesy almost equivalent to the treatment she received during her visit to the US.

Japanese media outlets reported that Tsai had a secret meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, but the existence of such a meeting has not been confirmed, just like there was no confirmation of her alleged meeting with US National Security Adviser Susan Rice in Washington.

KMT must put Taiwan over China to survive
By Paul Lin 林保華

During the nine-in-one elections last year, a popular election slogan — “Unless the Chinese Nationalist Party [KMT] falls, Taiwan will never do well” — proved to be effective. Given recent developments, I propose changing the slogan a little to: “Unless the China Party falls, Taiwan will never do well.”

There are two reasons why the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) should change its name to the China Party. First, next year’s presidential and legislative elections are national elections that involve Taiwanese sovereignty. We must cast aside parties that think of themselves as Chinese political parties and advocate unification with China, such as the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), the New Party and others.

Second, there is a Taiwan-centered faction within the KMT that is setting up the “Taiwan Nationalist Party Alliance.” That is, they are abandoning the word “Chinese.” If they are sincere and not just doing this because of the election, but indeed acknowledge that Taiwan is a sovereign and independent country that is not part of “one China,” then we are of one family. Although elections are a competition, we should all protect Taiwanese sovereignty and build a future for Taiwan together, regardless of whether we win or lose an election.

Terrorist China misleads rival US
By Paul Lin 林保華
Taipei Times  2015.9.26

Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), leader of the world’s largest terrorist nation, started his visit to the US on Tuesday. How his trip unfolds will not only affect the US-China relationship, but will also have an impact on the future of the world.

China’s terrorism originates from its violent domestic and foreign policies. Its means are not necessarily the most barbaric, but its power and influence are the greatest. Many people, including Americans, did not believe this, but they are beginning to do so.