China Unduly Influencing Taiwan

[shawn_c]

There is a lot more information out there in Chinese about how China is unduly influencing Taiwanese politics, but there is at least some English information available.

I just wanted to share with you guys some of the "conspiracy theories" certain people have, that is not available in English:

- The KMT had the election in January, rather than March as usual, because they wanted to obliterate the Green strongholds of the South. Basically, for college/university students studying in Taipei that support Green, they'd have to go back South in order to cast their ballots... but, one week before Chinese New Year's and during exam time?! Undoable for many, impractical for most. On the other hand, students that support Blue are already at home in Blue strongholds of Taipei... and even if Taichung, not very far. The voter turnout for northern cities was close to 75%, whereas Tainan, for example, was only 68%.

- China stopped allowing tourists to come to Taiwan in the weeks up to the election, probably for two reasons. The first reason is so that "Taishang" (Taiwanese businessmen conducting business in China) would have flights to get back and vote Blue. The other reason being that they didn't want their people to see democracy in action... although, that's blatant, it's no conspiracy.

- And the most sinister conspiracy: Hu Jintao was given a mandate and a team to reunify Taiwan by peaceful and economic means by the end of Ma's second term. Barring that, they would result to force. Ma is playing right into their hands, as are the Taiwanese business leaders - such as HTC's Sherry Wang or Foxconn's Terry Gou - who publicly declared their support of the KMT. Why would business leaders do such an un-businesslike thing? Pressure from China. Threats from China.

Here's a great article to read: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/ ... 2003523512

The Chinese democracy activist mentioned in the article, Wang Dan, has some great pieces in the Chinese version of the Taipei Times (The Liberty Times) about how China is using economic factors to influence Taiwan, how Taiwanese are already starting to self-censor, etc.

Is it about time to move to a new country?!?!

[Mawvellous]

- The KMT had the election in January, rather than March as usual, because they wanted to obliterate the Green strongholds of the South. Basically, for college/university students studying in Taipei that support Green, they'd have to go back South in order to cast their ballots... but, one week before Chinese New Year's and during exam time?! Undoable for many, impractical for most. On the other hand, students that support Blue are already at home in Blue strongholds of Taipei... and even if Taichung, not very far. The voter turnout for northern cities was close to 75%, whereas Tainan, for example, was only 68%.

The turnout in Tainan was 74%, not 68%. Also, I believe most students finished their exams on the Friday before the election.

[Steviebike]

I thought you could only vote, where you are registered, which is in most cases for students, the family home.

[bohica]

The KMT had the election in January, rather than March as usual, because they wanted to obliterate the Green strongholds of the South. Basically, for college/university students studying in Taipei that support Green, they'd have to go back South in order to cast their ballots... but, one week before Chinese New Year's and during exam time?! Undoable for many, impractical for most. On the other hand, students that support Blue are already at home in Blue strongholds of Taipei... and even if Taichung, not very far. The voter turnout for northern cities was close to 75%, whereas Tainan, for example, was only 68%.

Having to go home is not such a hardship as to be undoable. Taiwan is not a very big place, it's not that tough to go from north to south (especially with high speed rail).

[finley]

Having to go home is not such a hardship as to be undoable. Taiwan is not a very big place, it's not that tough to go from north to south (especially with high speed rail).

Except when every other man and his dog is doing the exact same thing ...

[urodacus]

dogs can vote these days?

[plasmatron]

- The KMT had the election in January, rather than March as usual, because they wanted to obliterate the Green strongholds of the South. Basically, for college/university students studying in Taipei that support Green, they'd have to go back South in order to cast their ballots... but, one week before Chinese New Year's and during exam time?! Undoable for many, impractical for most.

FWIW I took the HSR to and from Taipei on election day and again on the Sunday. It was, strangely, less full than it normally is on weekends and even though I was expecting bedlam, my pre-booked tickets proved unnecessary.

- China stopped allowing tourists to come to Taiwan in the weeks up to the election, probably for two reasons. The first reason is so that "Taishang" (Taiwanese businessmen conducting business in China) would have flights to get back and vote Blue. The other reason being that they didn't want their people to see democracy in action... although, that's blatant, it's no conspiracy.

Sorry, but calling flat out BS on that one, on election day I was taking a visiting friend from London around the Palace Museum. It was crawling, literally crawling, with Chinese tour groups, sadly the same was true for Confucious Temple, Taipei 101 and other tourist sites we visited over election weekend, so I doubt very much that anything in the way of restrictions on commie tourists were really implemented by Beijing or anyone else.

[bohica]

And the most sinister conspiracy: Hu Jintao was given a mandate and a team to reunify Taiwan by peaceful and economic means by the end of Ma's second term. Barring that, they would result to force. Ma is playing right into their hands, as are the Taiwanese business leaders - such as HTC's Sherry Wang or Foxconn's Terry Gou - who publicly declared their support of the KMT. Why would business leaders do such an un-businesslike thing? Pressure from China. Threats from China.

This is just fear mongering from the green camp, pure and simple. Fact is China is fine with the status quo and using economic and soft power to bring Taiwan in and will remain so at the end of Ma's second term. There's nothing special about the end of Ma's second term that'll make China want to say "ok, reunify now or else." Of course when 2016 comes and go and nothing happens, the greenies will probably just come up with a new date, kind of like those people who are predicting apocalypse.

[finley]

dogs can vote these days?

Hey, how else do you think they arrange the "correct" election result, then? Cartoon characters and dead people are too easy to spot.

This is just fear mongering from the green camp, pure and simple. Fact is China is fine with the status quo and using economic and soft power to bring Taiwan in and will remain so at the end of Ma's second term. There's nothing special about the end of Ma's second term that'll make China want to say "ok, reunify now or else."

I'm surprised that the average DPP supporter hasn't understood that the DPP doesn't have any actual plan for averting reunification (forced, soft, or otherwise). China will do what they're gonna do. Merely "not being in favour of" unification isn't going to stop it happening if China decide to get nasty.

[urodacus]

people who are predicting apocalypse.

But China taking over Taiwan IS the Apocalypse.