The pan-blue lawmakers have stalled a number of President Chen Shui-bian's (
The investigations on gang boss Lo Fu-chu (
Former legislator Lo claims to be the spiritual leader of the Tiandaomeng (Heavenly Path Alliance). During his term as a legislator he was the "big brother" of independent lawmakers. He was the epitome of "rule by gangsters."
Lo was so audacious in the legislature that he even beat up PFP Legislator Diane Lee (
In Chinese politics, there is a tradition of secret collusion with gangsters. This tradition, perfected in Taiwan by the KMT, still threatens the foundations of democracy and the rule of law. Chen's crackdown on Lo, one of Taiwan's most powerful politician-thugs, has been very gratifying.
Chu is a representative of "black gold" in Kaohsiung. His Anfeng group (安峰) has long been a "black gold" stronghold. The group has run into one problem after another since 1998. To Chu's detriment, Chen, not Chu's "black gold" comrades Lien Chan (連戰) or James Soong (
In 2001, prosecutors sought a seven-year prison term for Chu on charges of embezzlement and tax evasion. Chu apparently believed Chen was only paying lip service in the fight against "black gold," for he continued to engage in vote-buying at a rate of NT$500 per vote. After collecting evidence, prosecutors sought another 22-month sentence for him.
During the election for Kaohsiung City Council speaker, Chu bribed councilors at NT$5 million per vote. His election as speaker angered his constituents.
Justice minister Chen immediately asked prosecutors to launch an investigation, which ended in April with the prosecutors asking for another 30-month sentence.
President Chen's bravery is apparent in the fact that he is even cracking down on Liu, who served as the KMT's treasurer when former president Lee Teng-hui (
President Chen has also cracked down hard on one of his own party members, DPP Legislator Chou Po-lun (
Apart from Chou, however, the other three mentioned above are still at the stage of indictment. Given the sluggish pace of the courts, their cases may also drag on for a long time. No wonder justice minister Chen has demanded speedier trials, saying "Justice dispensed late is no justice at all." Whether the president can safeguard his reputation as an anti-black gold crusader will depend on the judges' performance.
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.
As Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu’s party won by a landslide in Sunday’s parliamentary election, it is a good time to take another look at recent developments in the Maldivian foreign policy. While Muizzu has been promoting his “Maldives First” policy, the agenda seems to have lost sight of a number of factors. Contemporary Maldivian policy serves as a stark illustration of how a blend of missteps in public posturing, populist agendas and inattentive leadership can lead to diplomatic setbacks and damage a country’s long-term foreign policy priorities. Over the past few months, Maldivian foreign policy has entangled itself in playing
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