If King Ma never Returns… it may not be James Soong’s Fault

Wong Chong Xia (黃創夏) isn’t exactly one of DPP presidential nominee Tsai Ing-wen‘s biggest fans (at least, that isn’t what the following article , written by him and  published by the China Times on Tuesday, would suggest). The China Times (中國時報) itself is considered to be pan-blue-leaning, even if more moderately so than another pro-KMT paper, the United Daily News.

King Ma, the Confident Campaigner

Given the China Times’ (supposedly) moderately pan-blue background, the following article seems to express a lot of frustration with the way incumbent Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou‘s re-election campaign is conducted – frustration felt by Wong Chong Xia – the author – himself, and possibly the paper’s frustration, too.

The article was apparently first published as a blogpost, and the headline reads Without Soong Chu-yu, Ma Ying-jeou may still Lose (沒有宋楚瑜，馬英九也會輸).

My translation isn’t doing justice to the original, and input to improve it will be welcome.

[Update – December 10, 2011: the China Times link seems to be broken, but the article is still available here.]

[Main Link: http://news.chinatimes.com/realtime/110101/112011100401672.html]

Preface: Can they only act the  “stooge”, can they only go on and on blaming Song Chu-yu (or James Soong), can they only keep comparing themyourselves to Chen Shui-bian, Taiwan’s worst and most corrupt president, to find that they are “not that rotten after all”, and, proud just like “creditors”, arrogantly believe that the voters should “reciprocate for Ma Ying-jeou’s fairness”, and, like useless little boys, complain – the way  Ma Ying-jeou did to his elder sister Ma Yi-nan after the Morakot disaster -, that “good people weren’t rewarded!” ?? These are the essential reasons for Ma Ying-jeou’s self-destruction.

前言：只會當「跟屁蟲」、只會怪宋楚瑜、只會天天拿自己和台灣史上最糟糕與最腐敗的陳水扁「比不爛」、只會天天像「債主」一樣，驕傲地認為選民應該要「還馬英九公道」、只會像個沒用的小男孩，如同莫拉克風災後，馬英九向馬以南大姐抱怨的「哼，好人沒好報！」？？？這些，才是馬英九「自毀」的基本原因。

Surprise! Tsai Ing-wen’s shadow is already emerging in Japan, but this time round, King Pu-tsung’s inseparable shadow hasn’t yet been spotted there?

奇怪！蔡英文的身影已經在日本出現了，這一回，怎麼沒有看到金溥聰如影隨形的身影？

That’s the way to do things! Six feet tall and stalwart, full of dignity, well-fed and nothing else to do, rushing in the wake of a woman, she turns east, so does he; the woman turns west, so does he, just like another Deng Tuzi, only a prig demonstrating what a strawbag he is.

這樣才對嘛！六尺昂藏、氣宇軒昂的男人，吃飽沒事幹，緊緊追在一個女子的後面，她往東，男子也往東；女子往西，男子也轉向西，這樣的男人，只像一個「登徒子」，只是一個虛有其表的草包。

Facing the 2012 elections, the two Ying camps [Ma Ying-jeou and Tsai (Y)ing-wen]  are without rhyme or reason, the ruling party with all the advantages on its side, should be in a position to remain calm and composed while handling their affairs. As the opposition is in difficulties in all respects, they [the ruling party, KMT] should be firing on all cylinders. But in Taiwan, the winner chooses the loser’s strategy, in hot pursuit on all fronts, as the loser applies the winner’s strategy, handling things with cool heads.

面對二○一二大選，雙英陣營打的莫名其妙，執政的一方掌握一切優勢，本該好整以暇；在野的一方處處艱困，應該全面出擊。偏偏在台灣，贏家用輸家的打法，處處緊追；輸家用贏家的戰法，時時「冷處理」。

This strategy will become a “self-fulfilling prophecy”. When the rulers self-fulfilling prophecy is a “loser’s pattern”, they won’t gain at the others’ [the opposition’s] expense, but add to [the opposition’s] momentum instead.

這樣的打法，將會變成是一種「自我預言」，當執政一方自我預言是「輸家格局」時，終究討不到便宜，反而拉抬了對手的氣勢。

[…]

Just as it was today! Tsai Ing-wen was the one who looked like the KMT’s “leader” – Tsai gave her opinion, and Ma Ying-jeou “followed right at her bottom”, aping her at every step, like a political Deng Tuzi without convictions of his own. Apart from real hardcore Ma fans, who would still dare to vote for such this a “stooge” without values, who would still vote for Ma Ying-jeou?

如今！蔡英文才比較像是國民黨的「領導者」，蔡英文的意見，馬英九「緊跟蔡英文的屁股後面」，亦步亦趨，只像個沒有信念的「政治登徒子」。除了鐵桿馬迷之外，誰還敢投給這樣一個沒有理念，只是「跟屁蟲」的馬英九？

[…]

More importantly, the pan-blue camp keeps believing that the Soong Chu-yu factor was causing them trouble. Look at the surveys more closely. Ma Ying-jeou’s support rate never exceeds a ten-percent lead over Tsai Ing-wen, and the pan-green camp’s voting rate has always been stronger than the pan-blue camp’s, and past experience shows that when it is a one-on-one race, and the pan-blue camp’s lead isn’t better than ten per cent, it is the loser when the ballots are counted on election night.

更重要的是，泛藍還一直以為是「宋楚瑜因素」在作祟。請詳看諸家民調，馬英九的支持度領先蔡英文都不超過十％，泛綠投票強度一向遠高於泛藍，過去的經驗值，如果一對一競選，泛藍的領先不超過十％，開票那一夜，九成以上是輸家。

Soong Chu-yu isn’t the problem, stupid! Soong is playing a “political werewolf’s” game of schemes and political tricks, acting as the defender of Taiwan’s fruits of democracy – everyone can beat the drum to go on the attack. But even without the Soong factor, Ma Ying-jeou may lose to Tsai Ing-wen, and this is what the “King-Ma command center” should seriously reflect upon.

笨蛋，問題根本不是宋楚瑜！宋楚瑜玩弄選舉，要當一個操弄政治搞權謀與權術的「政治狼人」，為捍衛台灣的民主果實，人人可鳴鼓而攻之。但是，就算沒有宋楚瑜因素，馬英九也可能會輸給蔡英文，才該是「金馬指揮部」該虛心反省之處。

Can the King-Ma command center only act the  “stooge”, can they only go on and on blaming Song Chu-yu (or James Soong), can they only keep comparing themselves to Chen Shui-bian, Taiwan’s worst and most corrupt president, to find that they are “not that rotten after all”, and, proud just like “creditors”, arrogantly believe that the voters should “reciprocate for Ma Ying-jeou’s fairness”, and, like useless little boys, complain – the way  Ma Ying-jeou did to his elder sister Ma Yi-nan after the Morakot disaster -, that “good people weren’t rewarded!” ?? These are the essential reasons for Ma Ying-jeou’s self-destruction.

金馬指揮部只會當「跟屁蟲」、只會怪宋楚瑜、只會天天拿自己和台灣史上最糟糕與最腐敗的陳水扁「比不爛」、只會天天像「債主」一樣，驕傲地認為選民應該要「還馬英九公道」、只會像個沒用的小男孩，如同莫拉克風災後，馬英九向馬以南大姐抱怨的「哼，好人沒好報！」？？？這些，才是馬英九「自毀」的基本原因。

You people there, smart folks like King Pu-tsung and Ma Ying-jeou, wake up! Let Taiwan see a future with a sense of direction and a sense of responsibility, and you won’t need to remain “Deng Tuzis” behind a woman’s rear, and above all, you won’t need to hide behind Bei-bei Soong’s back where you will only be pitied!

聰明如金溥聰與馬英九，醒醒吧！請讓台灣看到一個「有方向感」與「責任感」的未來，而不要仍是一個跟在婦女背後的「登徒子」，更不要以為躲在「宋杯杯」背後就會被同情！

____________

Related

» Tsai seeks Ally in Japan, VoA, Oct 4, 2011
» Ma no Persian Cat, August 23, 2011
» Wong Chong Xia’s blog, info

____________

Did Imported Components lead to Wenzhou Train Crash?

Chinese media speculated early on – before all unauthorized coverage  was banned by the propaganda department – that the  7.23 Wenzhou bullet train collision was possibly caused by the signal system. A Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article on Monday seems to point into the same direction, and says that China used foreign technology in its bullet-train signal systems which local engineers couldn’t fully understand, according to a review of corporate documents and interviews with more than a dozen rail executives inside and outside China.

However, the authors add that the precise cause of the crash remained uncertain, and that the signaling assembly hadn’t necessarily played a role.

"Ask that Black Box behind me" (click photo)

The WSJ authors mention both the Chinese supplier, and the inclusion of Hitachi technology which had been supplied as a “black box” by the Japanese company, for fear that it could be reverse-engineered in China otherwise. The Chinese manufacturer and the railway ministry reportedly didn’t respond to requests for comment.

“Golden Week”: as Peoples’ Living Standards rise, let them Die Abroad

The following is a partial translation of an article written by Huanqiu Shibao‘s (or Huanqiu Net) reporter Tan Liya (谭利娅), republished by People’s Daily on Monday, 21:16 GMT. Links within the blockquotes inserted during translation.

Main Link: http://world.people.com.cn/GB/15808248.html

As peoples’ living standards rise, more and more Chinese people travel abroad during the “golden week” which starts with October 1. China’s neighboring countries and regions have also gradually ascertained this business opportunity, and before the October-1 golden week, they try all kinds of channels to attract Chinese tourists. Chinese tourists spend big amounts abroad, especially on high-price goods, which makes the local businesses click on their tongues.

According to Beijing media, China Tourism Resarch Institute data forecast that during the October-1 “golden week”, 2.2 million people want to travel abroad, which would add a double-digit percentage to last year’s numbers. It is estimated that on average, each person will spend 950 US dollars, a total of up to 2.1 billion dollars.

South Korea, for its proximity to China, has always been one of the hot travel destinations, and this year is no exception. According to a report by South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo on October 2 estimated that during this years golden week, the number of Chinese tourists has already reached more than 7,000. On September 30 alone, 70 passenger planes on 25 routes flew from China into Incheon International Airport. Those waiting for seats and reservations included, the rate of reservations made for flights to South Korea reached 120 per cent during the national holidays. To solve this problem, South Korea will add 24 passenger planes on 12 routes. South Korea’s Tourism Development Board said: “During China’s national holidays, the number of Chinese tourists visiting South Korea will reach 70,000, that’s an increase of 20 per cent compared with last year. The tourism revenue they will bring will reach 100 billion US dollars.

Chinese tourists also fire up South Korea’s retail trade to an unusual degree. According to Chosun Ilbo, the huge influence of these customers on the retail trade even brings fashion brands back to life. Reports say that on September 30, there were many Chinese women busy buying at the EnC womens’ clothing store, at Hyundai Department Store Center. A few years ago, EnC was still in crisis, because of management problems which were about to lead to a withdrawal from the Hyundai Department Store Center, but when E.Land Fashion (衣恋, 衣恋时装) bought the brand in 2006, for the Chinese market , events turned again [in its favor]. E.Land Fashion opened EnC stores in top-grade Chinese department stores, and sales in South Korea skyrocketed, too. It is reported that this is because many Chinese tourists who travel to South Korea believe that EnC is “South Korea’s top-grade brand”, and buy five or six pieces of clothing a time. Enc’s sales volume reached 48 billion Korean Won last year, an increase by 30 per cent compared with the previous year. This year’s sales target is 90 billion Won, almost twice last year’s.

China’s neighboring countries and regions, including Taiwan and Hong Kong, have ascertained the “October-1 golden week” business opportunities, and pulled all the stops to attract these “trees of money”. According to Hong Kong’s Wen Wei Po, the Hong Kong Touriswm Board and Tourism Council have predicted that during the peak period of the golden week, the daily average of hinterland travel delegations will be 400, and that during the seven holidays, some 700,000 entries to Hong Kong will be recorded. In just 7 days, mainland visitors will spend up to 4.2 billion Yuan. According to Taiwan’s “Central News Agency”, the tourism offices of the Taiwan area have required travel agencies to strengthen quality control during the golden week. […]

[Japan]

Australia isn’t far behind in attracting Chinese tourists. According to a report by America’s “Time” magazine on September 26, the fast-rising number of Chinese tourists is paid close attention to in Australia. During the past year, the number of visitors from China surged by 23 per cent, contributing 3.26 billion US dollars to Australia’s economy. Australian tourism authorities announced a “China 2020 strategic plan” in June. During the next eight years, Australia plans to double the number of Chinese tourists visiting Australia, to a number of 860,000 entries. Reportedly, different from other countries’ approach, Australia values China’s “super-rich” most highly, and wants to attract those people, who are able to stay in five-star hotels, buy luxury articles including top-grade clothes, and to frequent top-grade restaurants. Australian hotels and business people are also trying all kinds of changes to cater to the likes of Chinese tourists. For example, some hotel chains, as they arrange the hotel rooms’ furniture in accordance with the traditional elements and theory of life’s “Fengshui”, hoping that this will add to the Chinese tourists’ convenience.

[Anecdotal retail stories from Hong Kong, apparently based on Wen Wei Po coverage, and from South Korea.]

No comments to be found on People’s Daily’s commenting section, but there is quite a number of them on Huanqiu’s original article:

Poor devils haven’t seen the world (穷鬼们没有见过世面, 2011-10-04 17:28),

Stupid people, lots of money
(人傻钱多, 2011-10-04 16:44), and

Let them die abroad
(死在外面好了, 2011-10-04 16:32).

____________

Related

» How Tourists spend their Money, Chosun Ilbo, Oct 1, 2011
» Quality Control, CNA, September 29, 2011
» Carrots and Sticks, July 18, 2010
» Chinese Tourists, Taiwanese Traitors, M. Turton, May 30, 2009

____________