— Hsu Jui-shan, chief administrator of the Criminal Investigation Bureau“We had a tacit understanding with [China] … we weren’t going to release this trip to the media because of the upcoming [November] elections ... The request [for this] came from China, and as the host, we accepted.”
Fast forward to November 2011 and the secret visit of Wen Jiabao to Taiwan to meet soon-to-be Regional Chief Executive Ma. China requests that all freedom of movement and protest (but no-one told why) are 'suspended' to 'protect social order' anywhere within 5km of Wen's location, citing an unknown security threat. As their host, the Government accepts.
Note too the link to the elections. The Government just admitted that lots of high ranking Chinese officials flooding into the country doesn't make for more votes, just more nervous voters. Another concern of theirs was to avoid another Chen Yunlin debacle in which the Government very much came off looking like it was more interested in pleasing Chen and saving his face than protecting the national flag or even citizen's free rights of expression.
Of course we are all now wondering what other request from Beijing the Government will accept. What we must assume now is that the true extent of Taipei's (KMT) ties to Beijing (CCP) is likely far greater than most people realise. Joint sea rescue services, joint Confucius celebrations, mutual support in causing tensions over the Senkaku islands, expanding ship and air links, secret visits by Hu Jintao's son to Taiwan and Taiwanese retired military brass to Beijing for 'golf', ECFA agreement rammed through the legislature, rejection of 'political' plebiscites. And now stuff the media, we'll do it in private and avoid the blowback. After all, there's an election coming.
Links:
- Emperor Ma again enters the Taipei Confucius Temple through the Lingxing Gate, the main entrance of the temple that is usually closed during the ceremony and the route traditionally taken by emperors, to watch the traditional bayi (八佾) dance and eat wisdom cakes in celebration of Confucius’ (孔子) 2,560th birthday. The temple usually performs the liuyi (六佾), a ritual performed to pay respects to feudal barons, to celebrate Confucius’ birthday.
- China warns Nobel Prize Committee not to award Liu Xiaobo the prize of peace. Not the first time they have tried to pressure the committee. This time warning that Oslo-Beijing relationship would be hurt.
- Chinese embargo on exports of rare-earth metals to Japan continues. Japanese businesspeople start to panic. Will Kan blink first?
- Decline in pollinating insects like bees now impacting India. World food supply under threat.
