Letter to the editor, The Globe and Mail, published January 4, 2006

Re: Taiwan's Scary New Year's Resolution, January 3, 2006

Frank Ching implies that Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian's plan to provide Taiwan with a new constitution is a "scary" proposition that threatens to destabilize relations in Asia. He neglects to mention that the true source of instability are China's continued military threats and the 800 missiles it has pointing at Taiwan. Mr. Chen's proposal to rework Taiwan's outdated constitution is reasonable. The current constitution was framed in 1947 by the Kuomintang regime and was never approved by the people of Taiwan. These constitutional reforms are long overdue, and President Chen should be applauded for giving the Taiwanese people a voice in their own future.

Stan Lai,
Vice-President,
Formosan Association for Public Affairs Canada