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