Tsai in Washington

It's still too early to tell whether Tsai is a good leader, but I think she is definitely a pretty good diplomat.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2009/05/08/2003443067

I think what she said reflects truly a lot of Taiwanese concerns. It shows that she is in line and aware of people's worries, knows the problems of Ma's policy, and is able to voice these worries to Washington. But whether Washington gets it or not we cannot tell. But at the very least it was a good try.

I specifically like this quote:

We genuinely hope that confidence can be restored with Washington and that a strategic convergence of interests will emerge, while we continue to communicate our differences and concerns. It is not enough to say that we do not want to be troublemakers, for once we stop defending our interests when a world power finds us ‘troublesome,’ we will put ourselves in a position ever more vulnerable to the whims of Chinese pleasure or displeasure.

It's a nice one. It takes a very reasonable and firm stance but not confrontational...I think.