Again Taiwan hypocrisy

Again Taiwan hypocrisy

I would like to comment on Taiwan's Derek Hsu's letter to The
Jakarta Post on Dec. 30. It appears that Derek Hsu has advanced
knowledge of terrorist attack as he argued that Chen Sui Bian's
intended visit was a response to call for international help
after the terrorist attack in Bali (on Oct. 12) but Bian's
intended visit in mid December, as in the media report here and
abroad, has been arranged two or three months in advance as a
follow up of Annette Lu's visit in August, 2002.

Indonesia and China not only compete with each other but also
complement each other and so far the two ways trade has been
almost $7 billion almost US$1 billion surplus on Indonesian side.
China also has made huge investments in 2002 with PetroChina's
purchase of the stake of Devon energy for $262 million and CNOOC
taking over Spanish Repsol stake for $585 millions and still
CNOOC is said to be in talk for 10-20 percent of Tangguh stake in
Papua province. And China could be the major LNG market for
Indonesia beside Japan in near future.

It is laughable to say that Taiwan's export items are high-
tech and machinery products that can enhance Indonesian
competitiveness. Just ask the local businessmen how usually the
Taiwanese machinery performs.

It is also a joke to say that Taiwan tourists`s purchasing
power is famous the world over.

But they are nowhere to be found in top hotels and Generally
Taiwan tourists tend to be rural and old and are noted for
frugality whereas Chinese tourists are young and urban and they
have been the big spenders in HongKong for designers items.
Taiwan tourists do not even belong to the top 10 tourist
countries in Singapore while Chinese tourists arrival in
Singapore in 2002 as per Lien He Zhaobao of Dec. 31 have been
611,386 persons as the third largest group with an increase of
36.1 percent over year 2001.

Chinese tourists are allowed to purchase foreign exchange of
$2000 per trip abroad and not $500 and many of them have also
possess credit cards.

Hsu's arguments are flawed and Taiwan is also not a good model
and acknowledgement of Taiwan separatism activity abroad can be
taken as encouragement of separatism inside Indonesia.

And I encourage Derek Hsu to read more newspaper and books
before he would write to the Post again.

SIA KA MOU, Jakarta