Monday was the 15th anniversary of the late president Chiang Ching-kuo's (蔣經國) death. Apart from members of Chiang's family, many politicians who claim to follow in his path also went to his mausoleum and paid homage to him. Some even knelt on the floor and kowtowed.
Relatively famous politicians -- such as Lien Chan (
Both the pro-unification and pro-independence camps claim to love Taiwan. Some people even try to use "loving Taiwan" to manipulate public opinion, thereby confusing the public and generating a national identity problem -- a source of endless political wrangling today. We therefore must ask the various opposition parties: exactly where do you want to take Taiwan? One country, two systems? Or independent sovereignty?
Soong once defined Taiwan-China relations as "quasi-international" relations. We hope the PFP can tell us what that means exactly. Otherwise, such "creative ambiguity" can be interpreted as a political conspiracy aimed at deceiving the people of Taiwan.
Similarly, can Lien's advocacy of peaceful unification with China lead to peaceful coexistence with China in the future, without the ROC losing its independent sovereignty and without China rejecting it? The KMT continues to fudge its explanations of such key policy points. It has yet to explain them to the people of Taiwan. Without clear explanations, anyone can pay lip service to "loving Taiwan" while selling out the interests of the Taiwanese people.
Many people in Taiwan remember Chiang for his efforts in trying to develop the country, which caused the economy to soar, thereby creating an enviable economic miracle. However, Taiwan under Chiang Ching-kuo was still overshadowed by the White Terror. Many people fighting for democracy and human rights suffered great harm. Chiang assumed the presidency in 1978. The Kaohsiung Incident and the murder of former DPP chairman Lin I-hsiung's (
Fortunately, Chiang tacitly allowed the establishment of a local political party two years before his death in 1988, thereby allowing Taiwan to move toward democracy. At the same time, he said he was "also a Taiwanese" and vowed not to let anyone from the Chiang family succeed him. He tried to alleviate alienation between mainlanders and local Taiwanese by appointing Taiwanese to official positions. Chiang's political moves in his later years show that he had come to understand the will of the Taiwanese people to become their own masters. He set an example himself to encourage mainlanders to identify with Taiwan and join hands to create a future for Taiwan.
What's worth remembering about Chiang is his grand political awakening in the last two years of his life. We cannot overlook historical reality and blindly worship him. Otherwise, this absurdity would be comparable to the Chinese people worshipping Mao Zedong (
The gutting of Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) by US President Donald Trump’s administration poses a serious threat to the global voice of freedom, particularly for those living under authoritarian regimes such as China. The US — hailed as the model of liberal democracy — has the moral responsibility to uphold the values it champions. In undermining these institutions, the US risks diminishing its “soft power,” a pivotal pillar of its global influence. VOA Tibetan and RFA Tibetan played an enormous role in promoting the strong image of the US in and outside Tibet. On VOA Tibetan,
On a quiet lane in Taipei’s central Daan District (大安), an otherwise unremarkable high-rise is marked by a police guard and a tawdry A4 printout from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicating an “embassy area.” Keen observers would see the emblem of the Holy See, one of Taiwan’s 12 so-called “diplomatic allies.” Unlike Taipei’s other embassies and quasi-consulates, no national flag flies there, nor is there a plaque indicating what country’s embassy this is. Visitors hoping to sign a condolence book for the late Pope Francis would instead have to visit the Italian Trade Office, adjacent to Taipei 101. The death of
By now, most of Taiwan has heard Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) threats to initiate a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet. His rationale is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government’s investigation into alleged signature forgery in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) recall campaign constitutes “political persecution.” I sincerely hope he goes through with it. The opposition currently holds a majority in the Legislative Yuan, so the initiation of a no-confidence motion and its passage should be entirely within reach. If Chiang truly believes that the government is overreaching, abusing its power and targeting political opponents — then
As the highest elected official in the nation’s capital, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) is the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) candidate-in-waiting for a presidential bid. With the exception of Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕), Chiang is the most likely KMT figure to take over the mantle of the party leadership. All the other usual suspects, from Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) to New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) to KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) have already been rejected at the ballot box. Given such high expectations, Chiang should be demonstrating resolve, calm-headedness and political wisdom in how he faces tough
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