Toxic Milk From China, Wait Panda-Love!

A couple days late, but if you haven't heard, tainted milk powder containing melamine was exported to Taiwan from China, resulting in a few deaths and thousands sick. Furthermore, the tainted milk powder was apparently known way back in June, but was kept quiet due to the upcoming Olympics. "We don't want to mess up our coming-out party, so lets cover this up, and let it blow up in Taiwan." Although I'm not too familiar with the actual trade regulations currently in place and the actual details concerning this specific export of milk powder from the Chinese company, Sanlu, to Taiwan, I think it is safe to say that stricter oversight and regulations need to be in place regarding trade between China and Taiwan. The people of Taiwan should be calling for their government to do more than just set a temporary ban on dairy imports from China. This article states,

During the meeting, Liu also promised that the government will tighten safety inspections of all dairy products imported from China, with each shipment subject to careful scrutiny.

Is it just dairy products we need to be worried about? What about the previous toy products contaminated with lead? What's next after dairy products? The government of Taiwan needs to tighten safety inspections of all dairy products imported from China. This is even more imperative as Ma, Ying-jeou continues to relax trade with China. In a world where, God forbid, there exists a "Taiwan province, China", to me it would seem like trade regulations would completely cease to exist. No regulations and no oversight would mean any and all products made in China would easily be shipped around, including to a, "Taiwan province."

I'm almost prompted to even say, Taiwan deserves this, as the majority chose to pick the leader who will literally open up the island to China. With everything comes consequences. I've mentioned in the past, sure the opening up of trade to China may even boost Taiwan's economy for a bit (something that has yet to materialize), but at the same time, Taiwan will be more reliant on China. Thus, when China's economy busts, so will Taiwan. And in this case, when China's products bust, they'll just pass it on to Taiwan, because that's what Taiwan wanted. "We want to enjoy the economic growth that China has."

But then I take a step back and realize, no one deserves this (Except for maybe the CCP, and Hu, Jintao, and China's foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang, and the unscrupulous business owners who try and nickle-n-dime their way through life at the expense of other people's lives).

But hey! Look on the bright side, we're getting pandas, so all is good and well. This specific article is nice in that it touches upon the facade that China is putting up. A sort of hand-waving technique that China is so good at. If there was an Olympic sport for hand-waving, China would win, hands-down-- or is it hands up? China has a Staples Easy Button™ with the word "Taiwan Only" on it. But don't mind that button that will unleash 1000+ missiles at Taiwan, here's some pandas. The article also mentions the history of panda giving by China, citing a "Tradition of Giving,"

Tradition of giving

— Panda diplomacy existed centuries ago, when Empress Wu Zetian (690-705) gave two to the Emperor of Japan

— In 1972 President Nixon was given a pair of pandas by Chairman Mao while visiting Beijing. Two years later Sir Edward Heath received a pair from Chairman Mao

— China offered the reunion pair to Taiwan in 2005, but the gift was refused

— In 2006 Robert Zoellick, the US Deputy Secretary of State, cuddled a five-month-old panda cub during a visit to China, which was seen widely as a signal that he wanted to improve Sino-US relations

I'd say, the pandas are more like a symbolic gesture of China telling you that you are their bitch now.

Devastating Reversals

As many have probably heard, Chen, Shiu-bian has acknowledged his wrong-doing in money laundering. It is indeed a sad day for Taiwan, especially for the DPP. We all knew Taiwan politics was corrupt, but to have your president directly involved in a money-laundering scandal like this after "vehemently" denying it previously, is really heartbreaking for the morale of the DPP party. First and foremost it is A-bian's fault for doing so, but is there no accounting practices inside the administration? Anyways, while Chen, Shui-bian has declared that he and his wife will be leaving the party, the negative effects have already taken place and any distancing now is just a formality.

Nevertheless, you cannot deny what A-bian has done for Taiwan in these last 8 years, although the whole time he was "profting" greatly from his presidential position. It really is too bad that A-bian is going to go out like this, because for the most part, we all thought that the A-bian's presidency would be redeemed after a poor showing by Ma over these next 4 years. ("You never know what you have until you lose it"). But, in the end it looks like A-bian will be remembered for cheating the public and DPP supporters out of tens of millions of dollars.

In other news, Taiwan is getting "unification" pandas from China. A symbol of China's impending threat of destabilizing status quo and autonomy for Taiwan. Interestingly enough, these two stories mark the fall of A-bian, and the coming of pandas, of which A-bian refused to accept during his term.

Oh yeah, seemingly well timed, the Ma has decided to forgo full membership in the U.N. and settle for the sub-organizations of the U.N. Which would have caused a nice uproar from some people, but due to the timing, once again the bad news from their mouths have been swept under the carpet.

Better days ahead, we hope.