Notes on Taiwanese etiquette & culture

Some DO’s and DON’Ts of eating in Taiwan

• While waiting for your food, don’t play with your chopsticks, and never stick them in the rice bowl. Vertical chopsticks indicates death.
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• It is okay to hold your bowl close to your mouth and shovel the food with your chopsticks.
• Always serve your companions tea before pouring your own.
• When someone pours tea for you, thank the pourer by gently tapping on the table with your middle finger.
• When you need a fresh pot of tea, simply remove the lid and set it on the table.
• Don’t poke around in the communal bowl for food.
• Never serve food from the communal bowl using your chopsticks.

Calendar of Festivals and Holidays

• Founding Day January 1
• Chinese New Year January or February
• 2-28 February 28
• Tomb Sweep Day April 5
• Birth of Matsu April or May
• Dragon Boat Festival June
• Teacher’s Day September 28
• Moon Festival September or October
• National Day October 10
• Retrocession Day October 25
• Constitution Day December 2

Fun FACTS!

• Tea drinking is a national pastime in Taiwan.
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• Popular sports include: Tai Chi, Baseball, and basketball
• in 2002, Ching-Feng Chen became 1st Taiwanese to play Major League Baseball in the U.S.

Some General DOs and DON’Ts

• Always take your shoes off when entering a Taiwanese home.
• Don’t give a handkerchief as a gift because it means you think the person will cry soon.
• Do not write in red ink, unless you are writing a letter of protest or correcting an exam.
• When entering a room, always greet the eldest person first as a sign of respect.

How would you show loyalty to your own country?

Taipei Times Article link

NOT SO GREEN: Francisco Ou said he plans to launch a comprehensive investigation to see how many of the current Ministry of Foreign Affairs personnel hold green cards
By Shih Hsiu-Chuan and Jenny W. Hsu
STAFF REPORTER
Friday, Jun 06, 2008, Page 3

The government would consider amending laws to prohibit officials from holding permanent resident status in other countries if the public considers this to amount to disloyalty to the country, Executive Yuan Spokeswoman Vanessa Shih (史亞平) said yesterday.

“Loyalty should not be a problem for officials holding green cards because a green card is a travel document,” said Shih when asked to comment on the apology offered by Minister of Foreign Affairs Francisco Ou (歐鴻鍊) yesterday for having applied for and received a US green card while he was the country’s representative to Guatemala in 2005.

“If there is a high degree of consensus that being a green card holder is disloyal, the ban should be written into law,” Shih said.

Dual nationality is not permissible under the Civil Servants Work Act (公務人員服務法) and Nationality Law (國籍法). The law, however, does not cover green card status or other permanent resident status.

Ou, previously insisting that he should not have to apologize over the issue as he did not violate any law, called a provisional press conference yesterday afternoon and offered his apology “for all the troubles I might have caused.”

Ou said that in a meeting with Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) yesterday morning, the premier asked him to “think over” what he had done wrong.

“After contemplating the issue, I realized I have made some errors in the process and I want to apologize to the public and to President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Premier Liu for the troubles that I might have caused,” Ou said at a press conference.

Although apologetic, Ou deflected criticism that his loyalty was questionable, saying his willful renunciation of his US permanent residency immediately after he agreed to serve as the foreign minister is enough to demonstrate his patriotism to Taiwan.

Ou, a career diplomat of 44 years, repeated that he had obtained a green card because he had planned to settle in the US after his retirement, which he had planned to do in 2005 when he reached 65. But he decided to extend his public service beyond 2005 to help cement Taiwan-Guatemala ties, which appeared to be shaky at the time, he said.

Ou said he plans to launch a comprehensive probe to check how many of the current Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) personnel hold green cards. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus, however, yesterday continued to condemn Ou over the green card issue, with DPP legislative caucus whip William Lai (賴清德) describing as “ridiculous” Ou’s possession of US permanent residency during his term as the nation’s ambassador to Guatemala in 2005.

In related news, Chuang Chin-kuo (莊進國) of the Central Personnel Administration said yesterday that the country’s representative to Switzerland, George Liu (劉寬平), is now in the process of renouncing his US nationality, as is the vice chairman of the Overseas Compatriots Affairs Commission (OCAC), Hsueh Sheng-hwa (薛盛華), who has Canadian citizenship.

Chuang said Liu and Hsueh are the only two officials in the administration that hold foreign citizenship.

Hsueh said in a press release yesterday that he had renounced his Canadian citizenship on May 15 at the Canadian representative office in Taipei before assuming office.

Director of Personnel Department of Ministry of Foreign Affairs Wu Chi-an (吳基安) said Liu surrendered his US citizenship last November before he took up office in Switzerland and Liu will go back to the American Institute in Taiwan to complete the process this month.

According to MOFA Spokeswoman Phoebe Yeh (葉非比), public servants have one year to relinquish a second citizenship.

However, Liu, a former overseas legislator for the Taiwan Solidarity Union, might have broken related laws governing legislators because now it is apparent that he possessed US nationality while serving as an overseas lawmaker in February 2005.

Overseas legislators are required to renounce citizenship in other countries after being elected and submit certificates of loss of nationality to the legislature when they are sworn in as legislators.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY JIMMY CHUANG

So by processing and obtaining a green card from another country, patriotically speaking, a display of loyalty, ESPECIALLY, when you hold public office for your native country?

NUH UHHHHHHHHHHH…

Who else wants Taiwan?

Taiwanese anthem goes a little like this..

“San min chu I,”..our aim shall be,

To found a free land, world peace be our stand.

Lead on comrades, vanguards ye are,

Hold fast your aim, by sun and star,

Be earnest and brave, your country to save,

One heart, one soul, one mind, one goal!

-Created by Dr. Sun Yat-sen in 1925, music by Cheng Mao-yun.

From 1894 to 1945, the Japanese seized control of Taiwan as China was defeated in the Sino-Japanese War. This brought years of resistance from the Taiwanese natives. While the Japanese were in control, they built highways, hospitals, and schools leading to a forced adoption of Japanese names and customs. Who wants that! So WWII ended and when the Japanese surrendered, they also returned Taiwan to China – “Retrocession Day”. But did Taiwan really belong to China in the very beginning?

On February 27, 1947, a woman was arrested and beaten until laid unconscious and bleeding. The following day, an enormous riot ensued turning into an unforgetful Anti-KMT day. KMT crushed the rebellious act thereby killing up to 30,000 Taiwanese. In 1997, February 28 was a declared a national holiday. In remembrance, a new park in Taipei was named 2-28 Peace Park.

After Chiang Kai-shek died in 1975 (age 87), his son, Chiang Ching-kuo was elected president in ‘78 and remained there until ‘88. He softened KMT rule by disengaging martial law. Chiang’s VP, Lee Teng-hui became the first native-born Taiwanese to become the president. As he pushed for democratic reform, Taiwan’s relationship with China grew sour like Sour Patch Kids but in some instances became distasteful.

In 2000, a dramatic leap forward occurred in Taiwanese history when Chen Shui-bian was elected president marking the end of KMT rule of 54 straight years. Can you estimate how many people were killed within that time period? Whatever the # is, all were unnecessary deaths.

Current government structure has been instilled since KMT’s constitution in 1947. However, the only significant change is that there is no longer a National Assembly. Now, the president is elected by the people. FOR THE PEOPLE BLA BLA… President appoints the premier and VP.

Premier’s duties include administering governmental affairs, appoints heads of Taiwan’s ministries (or depts) incl. Defense, Economic Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Justice and Transportation and Communication.

Gov’t. divided into 5 branches (or yuan) including Executive Yuan. The Legislative Yuan consist of 225 members who vote on new laws & programs. LY also entitled to manage the budget and has the power to impeach the president or VP. Judicial Yuan has 15 members overseeing the court system. Examination Yuan (21 members) has control of hiring and managing government workers. The Control Yuan is known as the watchdog branch required to search for and remove any dishonest gov’t. officials, which is appointed by the president.

Notes on Taiwan Flag:

technically Flag of Republic of China, created in 1928. Red flag stands for LIBERTY and SACRIFICE. White sun symbolizes BROTHERHOOD & HONESTY. Blue bkgd on upper left corner stands for PURITY, FREEDOM, and GOV’T OF THE PPL.

…

Chiang Kai-shek wanted Taiwan and China to unify before he passed away but I believe these 2 countries will be unified under certain circumstances such as…the natives of both countries understand each other’s history and have a plan to move forward and unite as one soul. Politically speaking, a unification will not occur for at least another 40 years as long as China has a socialist model with high-energy Monster drinks of capitalism.

Whats your insight on this political warfare? UNIFICATION??? NAWWW

HLS Grad Sworn in as Taiwan’s Leader

Ying-jeou Ma joins a string of Law School alums

Published On Thursday, May 22, 2008  12:08 AM

By HEE KWON SEO
Crimson Staff Writer

Ying-jeou Ma—a 1981 Law School graduate known as the “Teflon-man” because of his shrewd politics and his suave way with journalists—was inaugurated Tuesday as Taiwan’s new president.

Law School professor William P. Alford praised Ma’s election in March in a press release on the Law School’s Web site.

“It not only affirmed democracy but elevated to the presidency Dr. Ma Ying-jeou—a person of real intelligence, probity, and ingenuity,” Alford said. “Even 30 years ago, when we were students at Harvard Law School, it was clear that he would be making his mark on the world.”

Ma is part of a distinguished line of Law School graduates who have left a prominent mark on the development of legal systems in Taiwan.

Along with Ma, former Vice President Annette Hsiu-lien Lu, Grand Justice Lai In-jaw, and the civic leader Eric Tung-sheng Wu are all Law School graduates.

Ma was born in Hong Kong to a family with political connections to the island’s then-ruling party the Kuomingtang. He moved to Taiwan when he was a year old.

After attending the National Taiwan University, he attended the New York University School of Law and then Harvard Law School. At Harvard Law School, he wrote his dissertation on the problem of extracting oil from the East China Sea and was involved with the Environmental Law Review.

“I thought it was very good, very solid and very sensible both legally and politically,” Law School Professor Emeritus Detlev F. Vagts ’49, one of Ma’s former supervisors, said of his dissertation. Recalling that Ma was “always friendly and respectful,” Vagts recounted a story in which a journalist in Taiwan had obtained Ma’s paper and asked Vagts if he could justify his praise of the paper in light of “all the typos.” He responded, “Typos really don’t matter that much when you’re picking a president.”

After stints as an associate on Wall Street and a professor in Taiwan, Ma worked first as an English translator to then-president Chiang Ching-kuo. Later, at age 38, he became the youngest member of the cabinet when he was appointed as the chair of the Research, Development, and Evaluation Commission. He then served as the Justice Minister from 1993 to 1996, as the Mayor of Taipei from 1998 to 2006, and Chairman of Kuomintang from 2005 to 2007, before being elected Taiwan’s president.

Throughout his political career, Ma has been famous for his anti-corruption reforms and promotion of clean government, which earned him the nickname “Mr. Clean.” Ma is also known for his “One China, different interpretations” policy that has balanced the stances of the People’s Republic of China and the pro-independence faction at home.

—Staff writer H.K. Seo can be reached at hkseo@fas.harvard.edu.

China’s leaders since 1900s

For us to understand Chinese government background and its past leaders, will give us a better perspective on the influence and relationships with Taiwan, US and other countries.

From the downfall of Qing Dynasty, a man named SUN YAT-SEN, became the 1st President of the Republic of China.

• son of a Canton farmer
• 1890s, formed Anti-Manchu society
• 1905, formed Revolutionary League consisting of 3 People’s Principle: Nationalism, Democracy, and the People’s Livelihood
  • Nationalism: China would be able to freely run its own affairs without interference from foreigners.
  • Democracy: rule by Parliament and a constitution (not by dynasty inheriting power)
  • The People’s Livelihood: land & resources managed to benefit MASSES OF PEOPLE (not only for Ruling class)
• Educational Background: studied in Hawaii, Hong Kong and traveled to London and America
• 1st President of the Republic of China (1912-1925)

A new tide emerged as the Kuomingtang admitted Communists thus with Nationalism, a revolutionary gov’t. and robust military academy brought CHIANG KAI-SHEK.

• Leader of KMT after SUN’s death in 1925
• NOT a Communist
• son of a wealthy landowner
• strong anti-Manchu beliefs
• 1920, became SUN YAT-SEN’s military adviser
• 1927, set up a gov’t. in Nanking
  • Any membership in Chinese Communist Party = crime punishable by death

Despite Chiang Kai-Shek’s successful turn against the Communists, 1933 brought MAO TSE-TUNG

• 1933, Chairman of Chinese Soviet Republic
• opium smoking/gambling/slavery/arranged marriages/begging ALL OUTLAWED
• WOMEN = MEN
• Mao’s “Poor People’s Army” won support of millions of peasants

Thus, leading to more reasons why Chiang lost out to Mao despite a 4 to 1 edge in troops and weaponry.

• Chiang lacked support from majority of China….
• Widespread corruption in his gov’t and generals
• Failure to beat the Japanese
• Thus, Chiang and Republic of China fled to island of Taiwan

THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

• Oct. 1949, Mao Tse-Tung announced official formation of P.R.C.

Do not confuse People’s Republic of China (P.R.C.) and Republic of China (R.O.C.)

Source: CHINA: A History to 1949, Valjean McLenighan, Children’s Press, Chicago, 1983