THRAC participates in China Rights Network Press Conference on Chinese Communist Party leadership changes

On November 8 THRAC President Michael Stainton took part in a press conference in front of Queens Park by members of the China Rights Network, under the leadership of Sheng Xue, President of the Federation for a Democratic China.  In his remarks Michael Stainton commented on possible implications for Taiwan of leadership changes in China. He opined that there would be no change in current policies of managing the status quo, because these polices had been successful in  pushing Taiwan even closer to China, creating a growing economic and political dependency that continues to move the 'status quo" in China's direction. For the present China has bigger fish to catch in staking its territorial claims in the sea areas and islets in the South China Sea and around the Senkaku Islands. Keeping Taiwan drifting into China's arms while effectively "Finlandizing" Taiwan  in relation to other disputes in the area will well serve China's strategic interests, so its current policies towards Taiwan will continue.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Responds to THRAC/TCA Appeal on Taiwan Membership in WHO

In May 2012 THRAC and the TCA wrote a joint letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Health asking their support for Taiwan's participation in the WHO under the name Taiwan and to speak out against the attempt by the WHO secretariat to impose the name "Taiwan province of China" on Taiwan in all WHO usage. In October we finally received a reply from Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird: Baird Letter on Taiwan in WHO