The Future of Taiwan

Ma Ying-jeou won the March 22 Taiwanese election for a number of reasons. First, the people of Taiwan were mad as hell at Chen Shui-bian's and his family's corruption. Second, they were fed up with his total incompetence. Third, the Taiwanese wanted to integrate their economy with that of the Mainland.

Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea all have successfully transformed their economies in the last few years. Today, Taiwan is the only one of the former so-called four Asian tigers that has failed to find its position in the rise of China. Taiwan is being marginalized without a good relation with the Mainland. To say it bluntly, it is gradually losing its many competitive advantages.

The Taiwanese finally woke up.
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Ma Ying-Jeou Wond Election

Kuomingtang's Ma Ying-jeou won Taiwan's election and became its next leader on May 20. More here.
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Heart of Beijing

Beijing has become a mixture of the traditional and the modern. The Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, and the Great Wall are architectures from history. The Big Egg theater, the Bird's Nest national stadium, the Water Cube aquatics center and CCTV Tower are symbols of modern additions.

As China rushes forward, it is important to keep culture in mind. Especially, the heart of Beijing around the Forbidden City needs to restore its historical scene.

China Reforms Ministries

There has been much talk about China's recent restructure of government ministries. Five super ministries have been created but disappointed some who expected more radical changes. Here is a proposal of the state council ministries:

1. Ministry of Foreign Affairs

2. Ministry of National Defense

3. Ministry of Finance
· National Development and Reform Commission
· State Administration of Taxation

4. Ministry of Justice
· Ministry of Supervision
· National Corruption Prevention Bureau

5. Ministry of Commerce
· State Administration for Industry and Commerce
· General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine
· State Administration of Work Safety

6. Ministry of Industry
· Ministry of Industry and Information
· Ministry of Science and Technology
· State Intellectual Property Office

7. Ministry of Transport
· Ministry of Railways
· State Administration of Civil Aviation
· State Postal Bureau
· State Tobacco Monopoly Industry Bureau

8. Ministry of Public Security

9. Ministry of State Security
· General Administration of Customs

10. Ministry of Health
· State Food and Drug Administration
· State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine

11. Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security
· State Bureau of Public Servants

12. Ministry of Civil Affairs
· State Ethnic Affairs Commission
· National Population and Family Planning Commission
· State Administration for Religious Affairs
· State Bureau for Letters and Calls

13. Ministry of Housing and Construction

14. Ministry of Agriculture
· State Grain Bureau

15. Ministry of Land and Resources
· Ministry of Water Resources
· State Forestry Administration
· State Oceanography Bureau
· State Bureau of Surveying & Mapping

16. Ministry of Energy

17. Ministry of Environmental Protection
· China Meteorological Administration
· State Seismological Bureau

18. Ministry of Education

19. Ministry of Culture
· State Administration of Radio, Film and Television
· General Administration of Press and Publication
· State Bureau of Cultural Relics
· National Tourism Administration
· State Sports General Administration

20. People's Bank of China
· State Administration of Foreign Exchange

21. National Audit Office

Nylonkong

A Time Magazine article - A tale of three cities:

... the extent to which New York City, London, and Hong Kong, three cities linked by a shared economic culture, have come to be both examples and explanations of globalization. Connected by long-haul jets and fiber-optic cable, and spaced neatly around the globe, the three cities have (by accident — nobody planned this) created a financial network that has been able to lubricate the global economy, and, critically, ease the entry into the modern world of China, the giant child of our century. Understand this network of cities — Nylonkong, we call it — and you understand our time.

Peking Duck University

Beijing University should be called as that, not as Peking University. I don't mind Peking Duck continues to be called by its old name because it is only a duck dish. For a university named after the national capital, it should have the same pinyin spelling of the city.

The Magnificant Forbidden City

Bai Ling Pays Up

But for "disturbing the peace".

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Premier Wen Jiabao Opens Annual National Congress

Concern number one:

The accelerating inflation rate has become the principal concern of Chinese people and the problem could persist for the rest of the year, the Premier, Wen Jiabao, said yesterday.

CICC and Its CEO Levin Zhu

Bloomberg has an article looking at the China International Capital Corp., the role of its chief executive Levin Zhu, and the company's recent problems:

China International Capital Corp., the firm he wrestled from Morgan Stanley in 2000 when his father Zhu Rongji was in office, earned 90 percent less than Beijing-based rival Citic Securities Co. last year. CICC lost market share in stock underwriting, its biggest source of fees, and fell behind in trading as the local equity market tripled in size to $4 trillion, matching Japan's.

CICC is a state-owned company and its transparency as well as performance is clearly lacking. The parent company China Investment Corp. is not doing its job of managing its investment.