Election Eve

choi

(1) Andrew Higgins, Taiwan Elections Stir Hope for Chinese Democrats. Washington Post, Jan 13, 2012.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wo ... QALFw6vP_story.html

Quote:

"students visiting from China — who have never had a vote — crammed into classroom at National Tsing Hua University for a lecture on a subject not taught at home: why China, too, needs elections. The lecturer was Wang Dan * * * At the end of his three-hour lecture mainland students rushed to pose for a souvenir photograph with the now middle-age democracy activist")

"Bao Pu, a Hong Kong-based publisher whose father, a senior Party official, was purged and jailed for siding with students in 1989, said Taiwan’s biggest challenge to China is its stability, an order that has been reinforced not undermined by its retreat from authoritarianism. 'Sooner or later Beijing will get the message that it is their system that is unstable,' he said.

(2) Rita Cheng and Deborah Kuo, Shanghai Restaurant Brings Customers TV Coverage of Taiwan Polls. CNA, Jan 13, 2012.
http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/W ... amp;ID=201201130019

(3) Naomi Rovnick and Malcolm Moore, Taiwan elections: the 'Little Pigs' Take on the 'Big Bad Wolf.' Daily Telegraph, Jan 13, 2012.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ ... e-big-bad-wolf.html

Quote:

Ms Tsai Ying-wen "called upon her supporters to be 'little pigs' in the fight against 'the big bad wolf,' referring to Mr Ma, the wealthy elite that support him, and indeed his backers in Beijing.

"Ms Tsai was close enough at the last opinion poll, conducted on January 3 because of a ban immediately preceding the vote, to seize victory on Saturday if a third candidate, James Soong, diverts votes away from Mr Ma.

Note: The report says Ms Tsai's "quiet intellect and grassroots appeal has seen her run the current president, Ma Ying-jeou, to the wire,"

down to the wire
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/down_to_the_wire


(4) Alison Brown, Taiwan Election Battle Could Spell Changes for Economy. Taiwain's increasing links with China have brought many financial benefits, but this weekend's elections could result in a shift of economic direction. Daily Telegraph, Jan 13, 2012.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finan ... es-for-economy.html

Quote:

"Taiwan has stunning natural scenery with beautiful beaches, mountains, a cosmopolitan city, world-class museums and a subtropical climate. No surprise then that it has become top of the list of must-sees for rapidly expanding numbers of Chinese tourists.

"Travel guide publisher Lonely Planet has also listed Taiwan in its top 10 destinations to visit this year.

My comment: Well, I am surprised someone calls Taiwan scenic. We have neither China's relics nor America's grandeur. We used to pride ourselves on people, hospitality and food.

(5) Tania Branigan, Taiwan Election Too Close to Call as China and US Look on. The Guardian, Jan 13, 2012.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/ ... hina-us?INTCMP=SRCH

Quote:

"Clayton Dube, of the University of Southern California's US-China Institute who is in Taiwan to observe the election, [said] 'Polls show that two-thirds to three-quarters of Chinese people think if there's going to be a conflict with the US it will be over Taiwan.' In contrast, only a handful of American voters identify it as a major issue

"Should the DPP win, 'Tsai will not want to rock the boat and the US and China will not want to undo four years of improving ties,' suggested Jonathan Sullivan of the University of Nottingham, whose Ballots and Bullets blog has chronicled the campaign. But he noted: 'Chen Shui-bian was moderate from 2000-2001 and Beijing ignored and undermined him at all times, which, combined with the KMT's obstructionism, led him to a more radical position. A pessimist would say that neither the CCP nor KMT have changed, so why should Tsai fare different?'

(6) Taiwan Prepares for Election; Candidates race around Taiwan in a final push for votes in a Jan. 14 presidential election. Washington Post, Jan 13, 2012 (photo gallery).
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wo ... allery.html#photo=1

(7) Robin Kwong, Tsai Turns Focus from China to Economy in Taiwan Election; Presidential poll; The opposition leader is focusing on domestic issues rather than cross-strait tension. Financial Times, Jan 13, 2012.

Quote:

(a) "Standing on a stage in front of tens of thousands of ecstatic supporters, Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan's opposition leader, lists what she would do if elected president, when the island goes to the polls tomorrow.

"The list avoids the thorny questions of relations with China, the big issue for international observers. Instead Ms Tsai hammered away, as she has throught the eight-month campaign, about the economy, the alleged failing of incumbent Ma Ying-jeou

(b) "Some observers say Mr Ma is being unfairly criticised because both the beginning and end of his four-year term coincided with global financial and economic crises. But they also say Mr Ma over-promised and under-delivered, most notably with his pre-financial crisis campaign
promise in 2008 of helping achieve 6 per cent economic growth and 3 per cent unemployment.

My comment: There is no need to read the rest.

(8) Ralph Jennings, Taiwan Voters Face Tight Election, But Keep Typical Rowdiness in Check. Christian Science Monitor, Jan 13, 2012.
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/G ... -rowdiness-in-check

(9) Paul Mozur, Former US Diplomat Stirs Pot Ahead of Taiwan Vote. China Real Time, Jan 13, 2012
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealti ... ead-of-taiwan-vote/
(Douglas Paal, director of the American Institute of Taiwan (AIT), 2002-2006)

Quote: "The AIT was quick to distance itself from Mr Paal’s comments, restating its position that it does not take sides in the election.

Note: stir the pot: "to cause unrest or dissent"
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/stir_the_pot

(10) Josh Chin and Paul Mozur, In China, Fascination with Taiwan Election. China Real Time, Jan 13, 2012
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealti ... th-taiwan-election/
("'I came here because it’s a place I haven’t been,' Wang Shan, a resident of Urumqi who is traveling through Taiwan on a tour group, told China Real Time. “I also came for the food, but I don’t really like it –it’s not spicy enough.' Indeed, when it comes to spice, Taiwan’s restaurants can’t hold a candle to its politicians.”)

Note: pull for (vt): "wish for somebody's or something's success <The whole town was pulling for him in the state spelling bee.>"
Encarta World English Dictionary [North American Edition]. Microsoft Corp, 2009.
http://www.bing.com/Dictionary/Search?q=define+pull+for

(11) Paul Mozur, Video: Taiwan Voters Voice Concerns Ahead of Big Election. China Real Time, Jan 13, 2012.
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealti ... ad-of-big-election/

(12) Raju Gopalakrishnan and James Pomfret, Chinese Visitors Flock to Taiwan to Experience Elections. Reuters, Jan 13, 2012.
http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCATRE80C0OF20120113

Quote:

(a) "For most [Chinese], it was the first ringside view of an open election. 'It seems so extreme here, this campaigning is something that would never be allowed in China,' said Wang Liping, a 42-year-old from Chongqing in central China, at the cloud-shrouded observatory deck of Taipei 101. 'China's way is better in that the new leaders are those selected for their experience, in a systematic manner ... I don't think it's a good idea to elect someone who has no experience just because they have more votes.'

(b) "'It's pretty good to have democracy, but it wastes a lot of time and resources,' said another tourist from Jiangsu province in eastern China who wore a leather jacket with a camera around his neck.

"He gave only his family name, Wu, reflecting a nervousness among many mainland Chinese in discussing democracy and politics. Many mainlanders refused to comment on the elections. One who started to do so was pulled away by his wife.

"But Wu, who was holding a shopping bag as he walked around the Taipei 101 shopping mall with two friends, said: 'China's democracy is different from Taiwan's.'

"'Taiwan's democracy is loud and explicit, but China's is more subtle and low key. The style is different, you wear a suit, we wear jeans.'

(c) "'I want Ma to win tomorrow,' said Li Jinhui, from Liaoning province in northeast China, watching the changing of the guard in front of a giant statue of Sun Yat-sen along with scores of other mainland tourists.

"He shrugged off the historical enmity between the two sides with a laugh. 'The Nationalist government and the Communist Party are both the same now, they're both Chinese. The past doesn't matter.'


(13) Calum MacLeod, Taiwanese Vote for President Also Referendum on Ties to China; At the polls, mainland's threat to invade may take back seat to recent economic growth. USA Today, Jan 13, 2012.
http://www.usatoday.com/NEWS/usa ... -13-Taiwan_ST_U.htm

In the window of print: "A future President Tsai would be quite friendly and open towards China, but she's not going to surrender. It all depends how Beijing responds." --Bruce Jacobs, a Taiwan expert at Australia's Monash University

My comment: The report does not say much. In print, there are several huge photos.

(14) Michael Sainsbury, Taiwan Ready to Vote in Flat Election. The Australian, Jan 14, 2012 (available now).
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/ ... rg6so-1226243934563  

Quote:

"'What I have noticed this time, and others have too, is that the election hasn't really sparked off,' Monash University Asian studies professor Bruce Jacobs, in Taiwan as an official international election observer, tells The Weekend Australian. 'There are two possible reasons: one is that neither of the candidates are really charismatic; the second might be that elections are becoming more routinised, as this is the fifth presidential election. Either or both of these reasons may account for the relative lack of fire this time.'

"Professor Jacobs says: 'I think the Ma presidency has been a disappointment and he has been criticised by a lot of people for being incompetent. There was criticism of the DPP government (2000-08) but there have been equal problems with the Ma government. A lot of things haven't worked well.'

(15) Philip Wen, Taiwan's Links With China Now in the Hands of Voters. Sydney Morning Herald, Jan 14, 2012 (available now)
http://www.smh.com.au/world/taiw ... 20120113-1pzdz.html
("A research fellow at Chengchi University in Taipei, Titus Chen, said the Kuomintang, fuelled by Chinese investment, wanted to acquire farm and suburban land for industrial use in central Taiwan, angering voters in the historically crucial constituencies in the area. 'That's one more thing to tell you that improved cross-strait relations do not automatically mean higher support for the incumbent,' Professor Chen said.")

My comment: I do not know if a DPP government will do the same. There is no need to read the rest, for lack of something new.