Letter | Former Taiwan leaders mainland China itinerary holds an important message
Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at [email protected] or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verificationAt a press conference on March 25, Hsiao Hsu-tsen, director of the Ma Ying-jeou Culture and Education Foundation, announced that upon invitation, former Taiwanese leader Ma Ying-jeou would be leading a delegation to mainland China from April 1 to April 11.The delegation’s agenda includes exploring cultural and historical sites, attending an annual ceremony at the mausoleum of the legendary Yellow Emperor and visiting Sun Yat-sen University and Peking University, as well as facilitating exchanges among young people from both sides of the strait. This is Ma’s second trip to mainland China; he first visited in March last year.
Ma’s itinerary has sparked intense debate in Taiwan. However, amid current tensions across the Taiwan Strait, his trip will undoubtedly have people on both sides of the strait who want peace heaving a sigh of relief. Ma is once again conveying a significant message to Taiwan, showing his capability and role as a facilitator of cross-strait peace and development.
While last year’s ancestral worship by Ma and his family focused on individual ties across the strait, this year’s tomb-sweeping ceremony for the Yellow Emperor represents the link of shared heritage across the Chinese nation.
In addition, his itinerary includes several prestigious businesses, including internet, new energy and aerospace companies, and iconic landmarks such as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, the National Speed Skating Oval and the “Bird’s Nest” Stadium, which showcase the mainland’s strength and achievement.
While such efforts between the two sides are crucial, the Democratic Progressive Party’s anti-mainland ideological stance has been depleting the scarce mutual trust between people on both sides of the strait. Hence, there is heightened anticipation as to whether Ma will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on this trip. The Taiwan Affairs Office neither denied nor confirmed this on March 27.
Regardless of the outcome of Ma’s trip, the pursuit of maximum consensus between the two sides should be a significant consideration for future agendas following the 1992 consensus.
Christopher Tou and Guo Zhi Jun, Tuen Mun
US foreign policy is grounded in ends justifying means
I refer to the report, “US envoy’s Scarborough Shoal remarks – gaffe or policy?” (March 30).One surely wonders why the United States is so concerned about territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Around the world, there are many such disputes among countries. For example, one wonders why the Falklands belong to the United Kingdom instead of Argentina, which has long fought to get the islands back. Why isn’t the US on the side of Argentina? What about the dispute over Dokdo or Takeshima, the islets claimed by Japan and South Korea, both good friends of the US? And then there’s Northern Ireland and Catalonia.The US seems to be mulling another proxy war in the South China Sea like the one in Ukraine; it has been friendly with Vietnam, and active in the Philippines, with its military drills.
But the best way to defeat your rivals is to do so without sending a soldier out. When Donald Trump was in office, he threw his weight behind Boris Johnson who was a staunch supporter of Brexit, possibly calculating that a weaker European Union would surely be good for the US.
Finally, isn’t it strange that the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, where the US has stationed troops and tortured people, is located in Cuba, a sovereign state on which Washington has imposed sanctions for years? In maintaining American global dominance, “the end justifies the means” is apparently the US motto.
Ringo Yee, Tuen Mun
Millions of children in China need help
I refer to “Boy’s death a reminder of China’s neglect of ‘left-behind children’” (March 21).In mainland China, left-behind children are usually entrusted to extended family members as their own parents aren’t able to live with them. These children’s living conditions can vary, but most of them live in rural areas.
According to 2020 census data, there are nearly 67 million left-behind children, and research shows they are at higher risk of becoming victims of bullying, engaging in criminal behaviour and developing mental health issues.
The Chinese government should improve their situation, by strengthening rural education, providing subsidies or promoting family reunification.
Tse Hei Yin, Kwai Chung
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