Ma Ying-jeou's KMT Government is Lost and Fishing for Help

Thursday August 16, by Jerome F. Keating Ph.D.

The most recent flap over the Diaoyutai Islands exposed the lack of policy direction in the Ma government. Ma of course had held that the Diaoyutai Islands belong to the Republic of China (ROC because of a 1952 treaty signed between Japan and the ROC. Ma of course ignored two key elements of history; the fact that in the 1952 San Francisco Peace Treaty Japan never stipulated to whom it would give Taiwan, while the Diaoyutai were omitted. Further Japan signed a treaty in the 1970s with the People's Republic of China (PRC) making all previous treaties with "China" null and void. So much for Ma's knowledge of history.

Nonetheless, now Ma's government in true, little-boy-lost fashion has proposed that the nation hold an essay contest to see who can come up with the best ideas as to what should be done about the Diaoyutai Islands. Say what?? Ma's government needs policy direction so it is fishing for answers from the public? (Side note here, Diaoyu means fishing--ironic isn't it)

This one is only going to get worse as the Ma government is looking for answers in an essay contest. Stay tuned.