I arranged a few-day stop over in Taiwan on my way to Seoul since it is impossible for me to fly over the island without eating Xiaolongbao in Taipei. I asked Rumi, my best friend I had made in Taiwan, to join me. This is literally my re-charging time for another coming year, and we are fully enjoying our eating, chatting and guang-jie-ing here in Taipei.
It was when we were comparing prices of Converse sneakers in Xi-men Ding (they are cheap here for some reason). We saw Adidas looking white sneakers on the shelf. The label says “China Strong (中國強）.” Unlike what people might assume at an immediate glance, China Strong is not a pirated version of Western brands, but an authentic “Taiwanese” brand which has 40 years of history.
I knew the brand since a few years ago but the irony of the naming did not really strike me before. Apparently the legacy and mentality of Chiang-kai Shek KMT rule, as a “legitimate” China, remains in the brand. However, at the same time, the brand now emphasizes that it is a “Taiwanese” brand. The box says: 台灣品牌 來自台灣, 中國強 (Taiwanese Brand From Taiwan, China Strong). The marketing strategy must be hard for this brand since it is very interesting for foreigners but could be politically incorrect for Taiwanese nationalists. The store manager said there were only two places in Xi-men Ding selling China Strong shoes now.
They are cheap but decent quality shoes, and of course I bought two pairs.
Very interesting…there must be hundreds of similar brands that are contemplating their marketing strategies in Taiwan…
Sorry to barge in, but reading your piece about the 中國強 sneakers reminded me of this.
Taiwanese general who fought against Japan in 1930s dies at 103 – International Herald Tribune
This is a AP report originating from their Taipei bureau yesterday. I picked up the link in IHT, but a search on YAHOO gives six or seven different newspapers carrying the same AP report.
I scratched my head wondering how a TAIWANESE general could have turned up in the KMT army fighting the Japanese in the 1930’s. But the content of the article corrected the falsity contained in the title line.
I think that title line should have read.: “KMT general……” and for the sake of geographical precision, “….dies at 103 in exile on Taiwan.”
This title line is misleading and I wonder whether it was intended for mischief or the result of sloppy news writing. Funniest of all is that, even the “China Post” carried that same title line without even blinking.
And I who thought that at the “China Post” they were staunch defenders of the KMT-ROC on Taiwan. Go figure.
Wow, ‘Taiwanese’ general…. It’s interesting..