DPP's Tsai Ing Wen elected Taiwanese president.

[Anonymous]

China should forget about Taiwan and annex North Korea before that lunatic causes a nuclear war.

We will never forget about an integral part of our nation. China has always been weakest when we are divided.

Why not let them have some autonomy the way they did for Hong Kong? That worked out okay didn't it?

That is what China has floated, but with even greater autonomy than Hong Kong..



Something like one country, three systems where Taiwan would even keep it's army..



But, it does not have support in Taiwan and even the KMT were forced to call it unacceptable..



The dragging their feet on direct democracy in Hong Kong only added to the skepticism about any form of union with China..



I really believe the only thing that will ever have the assent of Taiwanese is de jure recognition of our de facto independence..



We already are a nation, the only thing that would change would be changing our official name from Republic of China or ROC to ROT.

That's the thing with freedom. Once people get a taste of it they never want to give it up. Beijing knows it too.

You are precisely right easter bunny and I see proof of this when I talk with younger relatives in Taiwan who never knew the martial law of the KMT one party rule era..



The problem is now that China's economy is failing is that they have nothing left to offer Taiwan..



Might the stick be next now that the carrot is rotting?

[easter bunny]

The problem is now that China's economy is failing is that they have nothing left to offer Taiwan..



Might the stick be next now that the carrot is rotting?

Hopefully not. That would be bad for everyone. =(

[Anonymous]

The problem is now that China's economy is failing is that they have nothing left to offer Taiwan..



Might the stick be next now that the carrot is rotting?

Hopefully not. That would be bad for everyone. =(

As is the case in every Taiwanese election, China has been making vague threats if Taiwanese make the wrong decision at the ballot box, which in their opinion means electing a pan green president which will almost certainly happen ..



We have always had to deal with a fast growing China, but now that the bubble has burst, will they get desperate?



If the economy really starts to sour I'm worried they might use Taiwan as a distraction from domestic turmoil and like you said easter bunny, that would be bad for everyone..



For now, I am excited to see Taiwanese elect their first woman president and a member of the Democratic Progressive Party.

:23tfup5:

[easter bunny]

Beijing has some huge problems to deal with, not the least of which is pollution. How is flexing their military muscle going to help? Maybe a few jobs, but that's about it. I think that would only make the domestic turmoil worse, wouldn't it?

[Anonymous]

Beijing has some huge problems to deal with, not the least of which is pollution. How is flexing their military muscle going to help? Maybe a few jobs, but that's about it. I think that would only make the domestic turmoil worse, wouldn't it?

Pollution will not be an issue unless the economy falters even further..



There is a tacit understanding between the people of China and the communist party that serious challenges to their rule will not happen in exchange for continued high growth rates..



If Beijing cannot deliver the kind of growth that people have grown accustomed to, they will resort to nationalism to stop any perceived hemorrhage of support..



They have done this in the past with both the USA and Japan when they have experienced an occasional weak quarter of growth..



They will have no problem using Taiwan's new president as a nationalist distraction..



If they don't then people will start speaking with louder voices about problems like corruption, pollution, and rising unemployment.

[easter bunny]

These growth rates are totally unsustainable. If the people expect that to continue they're in for a huge disappointment. A perfect storm of civil unrest could be on the horizon. I doubt Taiwan will be enough of a distraction.

[Anonymous]

Beijing has some huge problems to deal with, not the least of which is pollution. How is flexing their military muscle going to help? Maybe a few jobs, but that's about it. I think that would only make the domestic turmoil worse, wouldn't it?

Pollution will not be an issue unless the economy falters even further..



There is a tacit understanding between the people of China and the communist party that serious challenges to their rule will not happen in exchange for continued high growth rates..



If Beijing cannot deliver the kind of growth that people have grown accustomed to, they will resort to nationalism to stop any perceived hemorrhage of support..



They have done this in the past with both the USA and Japan when they have experienced an occasional weak quarter of growth..



They will have no problem using Taiwan's new president as a nationalist distraction..



If they don't then people will start speaking with louder voices about problems like corruption, pollution, and rising unemployment.

You got that right and that is why they have wasted so much money propping up the stock market.

[easter bunny]

Beijing has some huge problems to deal with, not the least of which is pollution. How is flexing their military muscle going to help? Maybe a few jobs, but that's about it. I think that would only make the domestic turmoil worse, wouldn't it?

Pollution will not be an issue unless the economy falters even further..



There is a tacit understanding between the people of China and the communist party that serious challenges to their rule will not happen in exchange for continued high growth rates..



If Beijing cannot deliver the kind of growth that people have grown accustomed to, they will resort to nationalism to stop any perceived hemorrhage of support..



They have done this in the past with both the USA and Japan when they have experienced an occasional weak quarter of growth..



They will have no problem using Taiwan's new president as a nationalist distraction..



If they don't then people will start speaking with louder voices about problems like corruption, pollution, and rising unemployment.

You got that right and that is why they have wasted so much money propping up the stock market.

Well that means they're in...   :7283gm_th:   mode. Something tells me this isn't going to end well.

[Anonymous]

These growth rates are totally unsustainable. If the people expect that to continue they're in for a huge disappointment. A perfect storm of civil unrest could be on the horizon. I doubt Taiwan will be enough of a distraction.

Of course those high rates of growth are unsustainable and China knows that too..



But China will still likely grow perhaps six percent this year which would be amazing in Japan, or the West, but to Beijing that is practically a recession..



Under those economic circumstances Taiwan could be enough of a nationalistic distraction like it was when Lee Teng Hui was president and called for special state to state relations with Beijing..



But if growth were to tumble to 2 percent then even Japan capturing one hundred Chinese fishing boats will not be enough of a distraction to internal economic decline..



I should add, that as much as I dislike China's government, I don't want China's economy to fail..



That would have dire consequences for Taiwan in particular, but the world as well.

[Anonymous]

Well that means they're in...   :7283gm_th:   mode. Something tells me this isn't going to end well.

China is is the midst of a transition. They front loaded 15-20 years of infrastructure spending along with cheap manufacturing and while the first is all but gone, the second is also in decline. They are trying to become a consumer society just like the West, but the people prefer to save. Beijing encouraged people to invest in the stock market, but the problem is that it is not a true market like the Hang Seng. It's full of state owned enterprises(SOE's) that are not real transparent companies or even close to it. Hence, they were bad buys and the average Chinese got stung. That was the biggest mistake the government made and it has stunted growth even more.

[easter bunny]

These growth rates are totally unsustainable. If the people expect that to continue they're in for a huge disappointment. A perfect storm of civil unrest could be on the horizon. I doubt Taiwan will be enough of a distraction.

Of course those high rates of growth are unsustainable and China knows that too..



But China will still likely grow perhaps six percent this year which would be amazing in Japan, or the West, but to Beijing that is practically a recession..



Under those economic circumstances Taiwan could be enough of a nationalistic distraction like it was when Lee Teng Hui was president and called for special state to state relations with Beijing..



But if growth were to tumble to 2 percent then even Japan capturing one hundred Chinese fishing boats will not be enough of a distraction to internal economic decline..



I should add, that as much as I dislike China's government, I don't want China's economy to fail..



That would have dire consequences for Taiwan in particular, but the world as well.

China's economy won't fail, but there's not much room left for growth in exports now. Most of the growth is going to have to come from an increase in domestic demand. It's uncharted territory. It'll be interesting to see how they manage it. Will it be neat and organized or will it be messy?  

[Anonymous]

These growth rates are totally unsustainable. If the people expect that to continue they're in for a huge disappointment. A perfect storm of civil unrest could be on the horizon. I doubt Taiwan will be enough of a distraction.

Of course those high rates of growth are unsustainable and China knows that too..



But China will still likely grow perhaps six percent this year which would be amazing in Japan, or the West, but to Beijing that is practically a recession..



Under those economic circumstances Taiwan could be enough of a nationalistic distraction like it was when Lee Teng Hui was president and called for special state to state relations with Beijing..



But if growth were to tumble to 2 percent then even Japan capturing one hundred Chinese fishing boats will not be enough of a distraction to internal economic decline..



I should add, that as much as I dislike China's government, I don't want China's economy to fail..



That would have dire consequences for Taiwan in particular, but the world as well.

China's economy won't fail, but there's not much room left for growth in exports now. Most of the growth is going to have to come from an increase in domestic demand. It's uncharted territory. It'll be interesting to see how they manage it. Will it be neat and organized or will it be messy?  

Actually, the bigger shock to the economy is from the slowdown in infrastructure spending..



Manufacturing has slowed a little, but infrastructure spending has nearly ground to a halt..



Domestic demand is the future for China, but Chinese are notorious savers and Beijing is having a hard time changing deeply ingrained social behaviour..



I believe the transition will be bumpy, but it will happen..



No country in the world wants a destabilized China.

[easter bunny]

They are trying to become a consumer society just like the West, but the people prefer to save.

I wonder if that has something to do with the younger generation in the west being used to having everything so they don't feel the need to save like the older generation did.

[Anonymous]

They are trying to become a consumer society just like the West, but the people prefer to save.

I wonder if that has something to do with the younger generation in the west being used to having everything so they don't feel the need to save like the older generation did.

The way I understand it is even young Chinese are good savers compared to say Koreans who pile up debt for cosmetics.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm so happy my country elected a lady to be president and returned the Democratic Progressive Party to the nation's top elected position.






"With our votes, we proved that we are a sovereign and independent nation," DPP legislator-at-large-elect Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇), who was one of the hosts of last night's rally, told the crowd. "This is our nation."



At an international news conference at 8:30pm yesterday, Tsai spoke of her respect for Taiwanese, thanked her rivals and promised cross-party collaboration.



"Today, Taiwanese wrote history with their ballots and signaled the third transition of power since direct presidential suffrage was put in place, as well as the first transition of power in the legislature," Tsai said. "I would like to show my deepest respect to those who went to the polls."



As for her rivals, Chu and Soong, Tsai expressed her gratitude that they upheld democratic values so that the election could be completed.



She said that she would take their criticism as a reference for policymaking and would work with other parties to make the nation a better place.



Tsai said that in the four months leading up to her inauguration on May 20, she would work with the current government to complete the transition of power, with the goal of maintaining political stability.



Chu conceded defeat in the presidential election at about 7pm, apologizing to supporters for failing to live up to their expectations and fulfilling the KMT's obligation to safeguard the ROC.

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