Ma, or Taiwan, Between China and Deep-Blue Sea

choi

John Zubrzycki, Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou Between China and Deep-Blue Sea. Weekend Australian, May 25, 2013 (available now).
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/ ... rg6ux-1226650180975

Quote:

(a) "'Taiwan feels like it's been kicked around politically, diplomatically and militarily for long enough,' a Western official in Taipei told The Weekend Australian.

(b) "The only country to express support for Taipei's hardline response so far has been China. [said a Western representative:] 'They have shown how isolated they are in the world. The only help they can get is from the (Chinese) navy and that's the last thing they want.'

(c) "Like most countries, Manila adheres to the 'one-China policy' and does not recognise the government in Taipei. If Manila sticks to the letter of international law, it can deliver only a formal apology to the communist rulers on the mainland - something that Ma, and most Taiwanese, would find unpalatable.


My comment:
(a) The title is a word play on "between the devil and the deep blue sea."
(i) Between Scylla and Charybdis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Between_Scylla_and_Charybdis
(Several other idioms, such as "on the horns of a dilemma," "between the devil and the deep blue sea," and "between a rock and a hard place" express the same meaning of "having to choose between two evils")

Both Scylla and Charybdis come from Greek language, being in Greek mythology.
(ii) dilemma
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dilemma
(section 2 Related terms)
(b) "Weekend Australian"--because the newspaper is published daily, except on Sundays (much like Wall Street Journal, since News Corp purchased the latter).

The Australian
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Australian
(a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 1964; Owner  News Limited)

(c) Do not askme about my op[inions. I have none, for lack of information. I know little about it.