Article

2009-12-07 China-Japan-Koreas

Taiwan poll setback will force rethink on China

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Posted by Steve White 2009-12-07 00:00|| || Front Page|| [3 views ] Top

#1 FTA: "...the Harvard-educated lawyer proved..."

Harvard educated lawyer - that's a red flag right there. Wonder if he is contemporary with BHO?

Posted by tipover 2009-12-07 01:50|| 2009-12-07 01:50|| Front Page Top

#2 Special situation with Taiwan right now.
All their retirement (pensions) and medical insurance was invested in drum roll.. AIG!

The PRC (Peoples Republic of China) bought all the AIG paper pertaining to Taiwan.

Taiwan is fucked!

Posted by 3dc 2009-12-07 09:25|| 2009-12-07 09:25|| Front Page Top

#3 I am still convinced that because the mainland would have to have an enormous armada of both military and civilian vessels to cross the Taiwan Strait, the Taiwanese should invest in literally millions of coffee-can sized naval mines that would fill those dangerous waters like jellyfish, then "pollute" the waters with them just as the armada launches.

With a very short range beacon, so that they would not set each other off, and a lifespan of only a week or two before they became inert and sank, they would severely degrade many of the lightly armored or unarmored troop ships, thus evening the odds.

Posted by Anonymoose 2009-12-07 09:34|| 2009-12-07 09:34|| Front Page Top

#4 I imagine the Taiwanese people will soon realize the US is unlikely to defend them right now, and the PRC treated Hong Kong reasonably well. They might soon start thinking about becoming a Special Autonomous Area and hoping for the best.

I imagine that the entire region will change beyond the next administrations ability to restore things.

Posted by rjschwarz 2009-12-07 10:23|| 2009-12-07 10:23|| Front Page Top

#5 Anonymouse, I agree with your assessment. I just don't suspect the political will to fight to defend will last much longer.

It would be nice to see India and Israel (and perhaps others) side with Taiwan to help them when the political winds in the US shift.

Posted by rjschwarz 2009-12-07 10:25|| 2009-12-07 10:25|| Front Page Top

#6 Interesting because the KMT had an overwhelming advantage in advertsing (count 3 or 4 to 1)

For Taiwan joining China I doubt it: Taiwanese like Chinese, whatever the regime, about as much as Americans liked British in 1776.

Posted by JFM">JFM 2009-12-07 11:13|| 2009-12-07 11:13|| Front Page Top

#7 I think the folks in Hong Kong didn't like the PRC much but they came to accept the facts when the time loomed closer and closer and they realized the UK was gonna do nothing to slow or prevent the change-over. Many people grow tired of fighting and living in fear and depending upon others for their protection. Younger generations think differently than older ones.

I don't really know any Taiwanese so I might be totally misreading them, but I've noticed this trend in the West and Taiwan, at this point is still part of the west. I hope they are different. I'd love to see them influence the PRC just by continuing to succeed.

Posted by rjschwarz 2009-12-07 12:43|| 2009-12-07 12:43|| Front Page Top

#8 I know a few Taiwanese and have been in Taiwan recently.

Taiwan isn't Hong-Kong. First, the starit is much wider, i, fact much wider than the English channel who was so diffcult to cross and its history is completely different.

Orginal dwellers in Taiwan were Australains aborigines unrelated to Chinese. By 1300 AD some Japanese and Chinese pirates use it as a safeplace. Then, it becomes a Portuguese, later Dutch possession. It is the Dutch who imported the first proper Chinese settlers as man power. Somewhere by 1590 the Manchus conquer China and end the Ming dynasty. It is at this point that Ming loyalists escaped to Taiwan and conquered it from teh Dutch. After acouple decades the island fell into Manchu hands and this was first time it was united to China. Less than three centuries later it became japanese and for first and last time the Japanese behaved decently towards the liocals and in addition developped the island. I don't think the Taiwanese regret them but in 1945 they wanted their own country instead of being handled to China. However the Chinese had machine guns and they hadn't; Nowadays Taiwanese feel still less Chinese than in 1945. My only fear is that gentale and likeable people can summon enough reserves of meanness and violence to kill for their country.

Posted by JFM">JFM 2009-12-07 15:14|| 2009-12-07 15:14|| Front Page Top

#9 My fear is the PRC doesn't care if the people are alive or dead. They just want to claim the property.

Posted by rjschwarz 2009-12-07 17:17|| 2009-12-07 17:17|| Front Page Top

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