TRAVEL TO TAIWAN
IN AUGUST 2006
WHILE
ATTENDING AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN TAIWAN,
DR. HICKEY AND MRS. HICKEY
WERE ABLE TO HAVE DINNER WITH CHENG-MAY's FATHER,
AND OUR NEPHEW, BEN WHITE, WHO WAS COMPLETING AN
INTERNSHIP WITH THE "UNOFFICIAL" BRITISH TRADE OFFICE IN TAIPEI.
BEN HAD JUST COMPLETED SEVERAL MONTHS OF
STUDY IN BEIJING AT PEKING UNIVERSITY
A TOAST TO THE "SPECIAL
RELATIONSHIP" BETWEEN
AMERICA AND ITS OLD FRIEND, THE UK!
ON AUGUST 29, 2006, DR. HICKEY MET
WITH PRESIDENT CHEN SHUI-BIAN.
WHEN DR. HICKEY ASKED THE PRESIDENT
TO EXPLAIN THE "EXTREME PARTISANSHIP"
THAT NOW CHARACTERIZES TAIWAN'S POLITICS,
PRESIDENT CHEN REPLIED THAT THE KUOMINTANG
IDENTIFIES WITH "GREATER CHINA" WHILE HIS
PARTY IDENTIFIES WITH THE ISLAND OF TAIWAN.
HENCE, THE CONTROVERSIAL PRESIDENT
TRACES THE CONFLICT TO A DIFFERENCE
OVER NATIONAL IDENTITY.