The merits of an international perspective

True to its inward-looking fast-food culture, the mass media often set the buzz term of international perspective in a surprisingly simplistic and nationalistic framework. A global perspective is often equated to the betterment of foreign language skills and a tool to elevate Taiwan’s competitive edge (another buzz term). The promotion for the lucrative business of language schools as well as the fear-mongering of a competitive craze in the name of international perspective have recently set off a backlash in the form of a widely discussed article.

The article – entitled “Too Many Distorted International Prospective, Or, **** Your International Prospective” – highlights Taiwanese society’s distortion of the meaning of international perspective. One example is the “hierarchy of global” in which Western powers such as the US and Europe are seen as more “international” and therefore more worth knowing than some emerging nations. It also makes the valid point that international perspective hinges not solely on English proficiency but rather on the desire to know more about the world and human nature.

In its tirade against the institutionalised idea of global perspective, however, the article argues too strongly against “the foreign” that it fails to reflect the fact that global and local are mutually complimentary. While rightly pointing out the multitude of translated books in Taiwan (and therefore the ability to learn about the world without knowing English), the article fails to recognise the fact that total reliance on translated material limits one’s global view to the taste and business considerations of local publishers and mass media. In short, the article is essentially advocating for reliance on the very parties that perpetuate the distorted view of global perspective it argues against.

The article also falls into the false dualism of “global versus local”. It argues that international exposure is not essential for Taiwanese people’s global perspective because Taiwan is already home to a large number of foreign workers. While calling rightly for the respect and care of all foreigners, the article leans too heavily toward a passive approach of global perspective. Again it reneges to others the task of discerning what global knowledge one attains: this time to the foreigners who choose to come to Taiwan.

The article serves as a healthy encouragement, especially to people with fewer chances to master foreign languages or to travel abroad, that international perspective is not an intimidating idea and can be acquired locally. It, however, cannot be seen as an alternative argument for international perspective due to its shortsighted arguments.

The shooting incident provides the answers to the central questions raised by the article – what is international perspective if not a slogan for English school adverts or travel agencies and why is it important?

In the 2010 Manila hostage crisis, eight Hong Kong tourists were killed by a former police officer in a debacle poorly handled by the Filipino government (a conclusion reached by inquiries from both the Filipino and Hong Kong governments). The fallout between Hong Kong and the Philippines followed a similar path as that seen with the shooting incident – lengthy negotiations, confusing progress, and the Philippines government refusing to offer formal compensation, among other facets.

The Taiwanese government is under heavy criticism from its own people and media for what they regard as weakness at the negotiation table, with many pointing out its inferior influence compared to China. Since the incident, however, the brother of one of the victims in the Manila hostage crisis observed that “the Taiwanese government has achieved in three days what the Hong Kong or mainland government failed to in three years”. The brother praised the tough negotiation stance and swift response of the Taiwanese government. “Taiwan has a government that fights for its people, while people here have to do it themselves,” he said. He was not commenting as a spectator but as someone who has gone through the painful process of fighting for his family.

International perspective can be many things but it is essentially an alternate point of view to the often entrenched, self-centered narrative most nations naturally fall to. While the opinion of the Manila hostage victim’s family does not necessarily clear the Taiwanese government of its handling of the fishing vessel shooting negotiation, it can provide a fresh reference point for people to judge the government’s contribution to the negotiations.