Calendars were mostly created according to astrology by observing the changes in solar and/or lunar system (the Moon orbiting around the Earth and the Earth orbiting around the Sun) and making correlations with the seasonal changes on Earth. The Western calendar is based on the solar system, that is the Earth is orbiting around the Sun for approximately 365 days in a year whereas the Eastern calendar is based on the lunar system with twelve cycles of the full moon in about 354 days. The lunar calendar used by the Chinese and followed by many other Asian countries is one of the oldest calendars based on a sixty-year cycle（matching 天干10), 甲乙丙丁戊己庚辛壬葵，with 地支 （12），子、丑、寅、卯、辰、巳、午、未、申、酉、戌、亥，also represented by the twelve animals, 鼠、牛、虎、兔、龙、蛇、马、羊、猴、鸡,狗、猪 or rat, ox, Tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig, making a 60-year cycle, 一甲子)
In this Lunar New Year, 癸卯（癸兔）年, new year day occurs on Sunday, January 22nd, 2023. the year of rabbit is expected to be a good year since the rabbit represents wisdom and power, diligence and endurance. Chinese folks believe that the year of rabbit is a blessed year since the rabbit is a lucky animal. In Asia, many countries (Korea, Singapore, Mongolia and Vietnam for example) use the Chinese lunar calendar. The Japanese used the Chinese lunar calendar also. The lunar calendar was introduced from China, via the Korean Peninsula, in 604. But Japan switched to the Solar calendar in 1872 as a part of the effort to copy and learn from the West. In Vietnam, its calendar is essentially the same as the Chinese lunar calendar, except it does not use rabbit, instead it uses the cat symbol. There are a few explanations for this change, one is that the Chinese used to call the rabbit year, 卯兔年, 卯sounds like 貓（mao) which means cat. Some also said, in ancient days, Vietnam did not have rabbits, thus the calendar adopted the cat instead. So today, in Vietnam, its lunar calendar has a cat in place of a rabbit. The infamous Vietnam war started in 1955 was finally ended in 1975, a year of rabbit or cat in Vietnam calendar.
As we reflected on the past year, we could not help but worry about the future. First, the Russian-Ukraine war started nearly one year ago, had caused devastating consequences, not only to the two countries engaged in the war but also impacted Europe and the entire world through its effect on energy shortage and supply chain breakage worldwide. We certainly hope that the war will end in the year of the rabbit. In addition, we hope that the U.S. and China will resolve their conflict in the year of the rabbit. The trade war between the two countries is hurting each other and the technology sanctions and competition leading to separate supply chains are dragging the world into a recession. We hope that world leaders will realize that a hostile competitive world will never bring prosperity to the world as a collaborative world will bring mutual benefits. We hope that the trip Mr. Blinken will make to Chin in the New Year of Rabbit will start the new year with a productive agenda leading the rabbit year to a prosperous year for the world.
Before the arrival of rabbit year, one unusual international news grabbed the author’s attention. Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand prime minister announced that she would step down on Feb 7th and would not seek Re-election in the country’s election later this year.
As reported by Natasha Frost, “In a tearful announcement in the New Zealand city of Napier, where Ms. Ardern’s Labour Party was hosting its summer caucus retreat, she said she did not feel emotionally equipped to complete another term.” This news is sharp contrast to the political news about the Executive Yuan Premier Su Zhen Chang of Taiwan who is still shamelessly trying to hang on to his position despite the overwhelming voice from the people, media and his own party calling for his resignation. Premier Su had a miserable performance in his six years of tenure, most notably his poor management of the COVID pandemic, combative manners at inquiries in the legislative Yuan, and devastating failure in his party’s local election last year resulting in an extremely low approval rating. Instead of voluntarily resigning (taking responsibility for the above failures), Su is still wiggling to hang on to his job.
In contrast, Jacinda Ardern has a high job approval rating and excellent performance in her economic and foreign policies. Notably, in her dealings with China, she acted entirely independently for the best interest of New Zealand, a sharp contrast to the former Prime Minister of Australia, Morrison. Chris Hipkins was elected as labor party leader replacing Ardern. New Zealand is one of the Five-eye Alliance with the U.S., U.K,, Canada and Australia, but she has not followed the U.S, and U.K. in their anti-China ideology. We hope that Ardern’s resignation is entirely due to her personal decision not influenced or pressured by the U.S. The track record of the U.S. in interfering with other countries domestic politics cannot help people being suspicious when good leaders resign. We hope that Hipkins will maintain New Zealand’s current policies which obviously have received New Zealanders’ approvals.
In Ardern’s resignation speech, she said, “I believe that leading a country is the most
privileged job anyone could ever have, but also one of the more challenging,” “You cannot and should not do it unless you have a full tank plus a bit in reserve for those unexpected challenges.”“This has been the most fulfilling five and a half years of my life. I am leaving because with such a privileged job comes a big responsibility.” I am quoting the above speech here for the politicians in Taiwan, so they may understand what real democracy is and what noble political objectives are. We hope that the Democratic Progressive Party in Taiwan will take the above words to heart and act like a real public servant.
RSS Feed