Taiwan: Lies, Lies, Who is Telling the Lies? China News Agency? Joe Hung?

Sunday April 17, by Jerome F. Keating Ph.D.

A recent development in Taiwan is the report and/or accusation that Wang Dan the Chinese dissident received some US$400,000 in subsidies from former DPP president, Chen Shui-bian. The report was published without evidence by the China News Agency (CNA), an agency in Taiwan that has steadily been losing its credibility since pan-blue shill, Joe Hung was appointed as its head. Hung has been a long time proponent of the glories of Chiang Kai-shek and a pro-unificationist of Taiwan with China. Many view Hung's appointment as a reward for his years in being as is seen by many one of the most steadfast pan-blue shills.

For now, however, let us stick to the Wang Dan controversy. The CNA says that in a hearing on Friday conducted behind closed doors that Wang admitted that he received USD$400,000 from Chen between 2000 and 2008. All well and good, but if the hearing was behind closed doors, then how CNA get ahold of it? Something seems rotten in Denmark.

Now Wang denies it; and says that since it was behind closed doors, he cannot elaborate on what he said in court. So why does CNA blab it out? Is Joe Hung getting desperate for Brownie points? Must Joe Hung deliver something for his appointment?

Joe Hung has the reputation of often writing unsigned editorials for the English paper "China Post" known for its pan-blue bias. (In the ex-pat community, the only foreigners that will ever admit that they worked for it are those fresh off the boat with no experience of its past.) Hung of course was also a regular contributor of that paper, the same that has recently been in the news for publishing adverts from China--an issue we had recently commented on about the China Post turning from pan-blue to pan-red.

So who is telling the lies? The CNA has not yet given any verification or justification for its claims. It will really be a scandal and shame for Taiwan if the China News Agency and its so-called leader Joe Hung is now doing China's dirty work for it. Stay tuned this like the Ma government sending out its shills and jackals to try to discredit the letter questioning its double standard in applying the law is not yet over.