Free Republic

Taiwan spends a small fortune lobbying Washington so the U.S. will ride to its rescue in case of a Chinese attack. Yet more than four years after the U.S. offered a package of advanced defense weapons, politicians in Taipei still haven't decided to buy them. This isn't helping Taiwan's cause in Washington. In April 2001, the Bush administration reversed the Clinton policy and offered Patriot anti-missile batteries, anti-submarine aircraft and diesel submarines. It did so at some diplomatic risk, since China has objected to the sale. But Taiwan clearly needs a stronger deterrent given China's military buildup, which includes more...

****Koo says Chen would have won by 100,000 without law change*** Senior officials and lawyers of the governing Democratic Progressive Party rebutted charges by pan-blue lawmakers and an Academia Sinica (’†‰›Œ¤‹†‰@) researcher that the result of the March 20 presidential election was determined by widespread "vote rigging" as "entirely without any foundation in fact." Incumbent President Chen Shui-bian (’…G) and Vice President Annette Lu (˜CG˜@) of the DPP won the poll by less than 30,000 votes by snaring 6.47 million votes or 50.12 percent of the ballots compared to 6.44 million for the pan-blue ticket of Kuomintang Chairman Lien Chan...

TAIPEI, Taiwan - Having struggled through weeks of political crises and angry street protests, Taiwan's vibrant democracy begins a recount of the presidential election vote today. But no evidence has surfaced that might undo incumbent Chen Shui-bian's narrow victory. The drama that some liken to the Florida recount in the 2000 U.S. presidential election has kept the island of 23 million on tenterhooks, but rival candidate Lien Chan's challenge appears to be sputtering, and people who were once in the streets yelling are now yawning. The opposition has yet to provide compelling evidence of irregularities in the March 20 election,...

TAIPEI, Taiwan - Hours after President Chen Shui-bian was wounded in an assassination attempt, Taiwanese stunned by the attack voted Saturday in an election focused on the military threat from mainland China. Besides picking a president, Taiwanese also voted on a referendum asking if Taiwan should beef up defenses if China refuses to withdraw missiles targeting the territory, and whether to seek peace talks with Beijing. Gunfire hit Chen in the abdomen and Vice President Annette Lu in the knee as they rode through the president's southern hometown of Tainan at midday Friday, waving to supporters from an open-top, red...