AIT says it will not take sides in electionsBy Jake Chung / Staff writer, with CNAThe American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) yesterday said that the US would not take sides in Taiwan’s elections in January after Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) claimed to have received a call from the AIT asking whether the party had noticed any Chinese interference. At an event on Wednesday, Ko said that he had received a telephone call from the AIT inquiring whether there was “Chinese influence” in the political alliance between the TPP and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). The AIT said in a statement that the US has complete confidence in Taiwan’s democracy and believes that Taiwanese should decide who would be their next head of state. Ko yesterday said that it was “normal” for the AIT to be concerned about talk over a TPP-KMT alliance. The TPP has kept in contact with the AIT at all levels since February, Ko said, adding that he had also promised AIT Director Sandra Oudkirk that there would be “no surprise” regarding Taiwan-US ties.

Type of polls used might cause blue-white discordStaff writer, with CNAThe Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) would likely clash over poll selection as they attempt to negotiate a joint presidential ticket in the coming days, an expert said on Wednesday. However, if the difference falls within the margin of error, Hou would receive the point, the parties said. Which polls should be included in the analysis appears unclear in the joint statement, Hsiao said. Hsiao said that fairness, objectivity and representativeness, as well as sampling and questionnaire design were more significant than sampling errors. Meanwhile, Gallup analyst Wu Li-yen (吳立嫣) also highlighted the importance of questionnaire design to ensure consistency across polls.

Investors see risks ebbing with opposition allianceBloombergInvestors might take heart from the latest twist in the presidential race, as a tie-up of opposition candidates raises the odds of a more China-friendly government taking post next year. Geopolitical risks have been an overhang over Taiwanese equities for years, with investors fretting over the possibility of a military conflict between Taipei and Beijing. A man stands in front of a screen at the Taiwan Stock Exchange in Taipei on Dec. 30 last year. The outcome would define Taipei’s relations with Beijing in the years to come, while also setting the tone for US-China tensions. Sectors most exposed to cross-strait trade, including semiconductor companies, agriculture producers and tourism-related firms stand to benefit, he added.

This is an obvious ploy to help the “divide and conquer” strategy that the “blue-white alliance” is working on to incite “down with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)” sentiment. According to Internet searches since July, the idea was first thrown into the public arena by the KMT and the TPP. On Sept. 12, CNEWS published an online survey that asked: As the DPP has been in power for eight years, do you think there should be a change in next year’s election? Of the respondents, 65.1 percent supported a change, with 39.7 percent “strongly agreeing” and 25.4 percent “somewhat agreeing.”However, the survey’s accuracy is questionable. They should prevent the TPP and the KMT, which are singing to China’s tune, from furthering their ill-intentioned agenda.

EDITORIAL: KMT and TPP finally agreeA photograph taken yesterday shows former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) and Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) clasping hands outside the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation in Taipei. His hand is not touching Chu’s or Hou’s, and it appears as if Ma is cajoling Ko to join the handshake. Hou’s compromise on a poll to decide the ticket, which he and Chu had vehemently held out against, has Ma’s hand all over it. In pushing KMT-TPP unity, Ma has taken Ko’s side over Hou’s, and by so doing — whether intentionally or not — has created new cracks in the KMT. While the People First Party might be a spent force, the same might apply to the KMT if the election in January goes poorly for it.

A person holds a sign at a rally to stop AAPI (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders) hate at the Logan Square Monument in Chicago on March 20, 2021. “We know that Asian Americans are among the most likely to not report the crime that they’ve experienced,” Chan said. US Vice President Kamala Harris, who is of Asian American and African American descent, is also seen favorably by less than half (47 percent) of Asian Americans. Overall, the poll shows about half of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders identify as Democrats and about a quarter lean Republican. Many Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are not optimistic about anti-Asian racism easing in the future.

TPP-KMT union raises China issuesBy Linus Chiou 邱士哲With campaigns for next year’s presidential and legislative elections ramping up, the pan-green camp is waging a war on two fronts against the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). On one side is the pan-green camp, which calls for a cautious approach to China, while maintaining national sovereignty. On the other side is the blue-white alliance, which sees dialogue with China as the prime means for reducing the chances of a war. Keep in mind that Xu attending pro-unification events has long been promoted by Chinese state media for propaganda purposes. The unfortunate reality is that China often uses cross-strait cultural exchanges to promote its pro-unification ideology.

Taiwan, India to ink migrant worker MOU this year: ministerStaff writer, with CNAMinister of Labor Hsu Ming-chun (許銘春) yesterday said that Taipei and New Delhi are to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) before the end of this year allowing for Indian migrant workers to come to Taiwan. The Ministry of Labor is still in talks with India on when the agreement would be signed, Hsu said on the sidelines of an event in Taipei for participants of the upcoming WorldSkills Asia Competition. Minister of Labor Hsu Ming-chun speaks to reporters in Taipei yesterday. Some reports have said that Taiwan could open its doors to as many as 100,000 migrant workers from India, but Hsu said the number was still being considered as it depended on the needs of industries and the qualifications of the workers. At a news conference on Thursday, Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Arindam Bagchi said that he hoped the migrant worker MOU would be signed as soon as possible, as the pact is expected to benefit both parties.

Cup win riches aplenty: Rohit’s coachAFP, MUMBAI, IndiaRohit Sharma’s boyhood cricket coach on Sunday said he would be the “richest person in the world” if the India captain lifts the World Cup — despite never charging for a training session. Rohit, 36, is set to lead India in a World Cup semi-final against New Zealand at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium tomorrow. “I’m the happiest person in the world,” Lad said. “And if I saw the [World Cup] trophy in his [Rohit’s] hands, then I must be the richest person in the world.”Rohit, averaging nearly 56 at the World Cup, is the only man to have scored three double-centuries in one-day internationals. “I told him: ‘Your nephew is very good at cricket,’” Lad said.

US and India and the 2+2 dialogueBy Gurjit SinghThe India-US 2+2 dialogue is a salient part of the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership framework as the relationship develops. The dialogue among the foreign and defense ministers of India and the US is useful because India in the past has suffered due to the incongruity of the US system between the approaches of the State and Defence Departments. India has invited Biden to be the chief guest at next year’s Republic Day and hopes to hold the Quad summit around that. Even if that does not happen, the Quad summit in January is a probability. South Korea is a longstanding ally of the US but the affinity that India has developed needs more US nurturing.

Hon Hai’s prototype satellites launchedINTERNET ALTERNATIVE: The components manufacturer is investing in low-orbit satellites in a move to break away from an overreliance on undersea Internet cablesBloombergThe world’s biggest producer of iPhones is going to outer space. Two prototype low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites made by Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密), better known as Foxconn Technology Group (富士康科技集團), took off aboard a Space Exploration Technologies Corp (SpaceX) rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in southern California on Saturday. Hon Hai is aiming to demonstrate that it has satellite technology to tap growing demand for communications from space. Photo: EPA-EFEWhile Elon Musk’s SpaceX has made and launched more than 5,000 LEO satellites for its Starlink constellation, Hon Hai is betting it would be able to make satellites primarily for corporate and government clients. Hon Hai makes about two out of every three iPhones in the world.

Fuel prices to drop this week by NT$0.1 per literBy Chen Cheng-hui / Staff reporterCPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油) and Formosa Petrochemical Corp (台塑石化) are to lower domestic fuel prices following a decline in global crude oil prices last week. In separate statements yesterday, state-run CPC and privately owned Formosa said that they would lower gasoline and diesel prices by NT$0.1 per liter, effective today. Based on its floating oil price formula, CPC said that the cost of crude oil last week had declined by 4.3 percent from a week earlier. Formosa said that the fall in prices of crude oil came as China posted weak export data for last month and the US reported a surge in crude oil inventories last week. Premium diesel is to cost NT$27.1 per liter at CPC stations and NT$26.9 at Formosa pumps, they said.

Contrasting ideologies of the DPP and TPPBy Lin Han 林志翰Ukraine-born Taiwanese entertainer Larisa Bakurova obtained her national ID card and became a “new Taiwanese resident” in 2019. TWO IDEOLOGIESForfeiting her Ukrainian citizenship to become a new Taiwanese resident, Bakurova has worked hard to develop Taiwan’s rhythmic gymnastics. Xu, in her haughtiness and unruliness, is a new Taiwanese resident who does not identify with Taiwan and has only been acting as a Chinese mouthpiece. The DPP and TPP’s respective consideration of Bakurova and Xu as legislator-at-large candidates reveal the two parties’ contrasting ideologies and attitudes towards China. It is the perfect opportunity to see which party is the one truly defending Taiwan’s interests, and in this case, it is the DPP, without question.

EDITORIAL: Estonia bravery and balanceMinister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) on Wednesday spoke at a seminar hosted by the International Center for Defense and Security in Tallinn, Estonia. Wang’s use of the phrase “solemn commitment” is interesting. Beijing wants Tallinn to see it as a solemn commitment, as opposed to an agreement between two governments that it is, to underline the implied threat. According to the Estonian embassy in Beijing, Estonia supports its “one China” policy, and in return, Beijing promises to respect the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Estonia. Beijing can talk of a “solemn commitment” from others, yet neglect its duty as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

Defining the US-China ‘cold war’By Antonio GraceffoOver the past 10 years, as relations between the US and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) have steadily deteriorated, analysts, policymakers and academics have debated whether they are embroiled in a cold war. However, this debate is unnecessary, as the US-China enmity matches the textbook definition of a cold war, which is being played out in Taiwan, Ukraine and the Middle East. When people ask whether the US and China are in a cold war, what they truly mean to ask is whether they are locked in a cold war similar to the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union. A cold war is a condition of political and ideological tension, rivalry and non-violent conflict between major powers or blocs. The US-China cold war is here, but it is not identical to the competition with the Soviet Union.