On Wednesday, Zhang Mingqing (
Missile exercises during the 1996 campaign; saber-rattling comments by then-premier Zhu Rongji (
This year, enraged by President Chen Shui-bian's (
Then there is the fact that Beijing has turned a blind eye to the recent grand opening of a pan-blue campaign headquarters in Shanghai -- which, coincidentally, is right next to the Taiwan Affairs Office building. It is hard to believe that Beijing didn't know what was going on -- after all, Chinese authorities keep a tight leash on all political activities. How could Beijing not have realized that a group of Taiwanese businesspeople -- many of whom are not only wanted fugitives in Taiwan but are well connected with high-ranking Chinese officials -- were establishing a campaign office?
On Wednesday, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Wen-chung (
Even more interesting is the way the Taiwan Affairs Office was so quick to deny any attempt to meddle in the election, and the Shanghai authorities' ban on campaigning after the KMT came under attack in Taiwan for its election-related activities in China. Since when has Beijing ever cared about criticism from Taiwan? The only possible explanation is that it does not want to be seen to be doing anything that might negatively impact Lien's campaign. Under the circumstances, despite the pan-blue's denials, it is obvious that Beijing favors Lien.
A gap appears to be emerging between Washington’s foreign policy elites and the broader American public on how the United States should respond to China’s rise. From my vantage working at a think tank in Washington, DC, and through regular travel around the United States, I increasingly experience two distinct discussions. This divergence — between America’s elite hawkishness and public caution — may become one of the least appreciated and most consequential external factors influencing Taiwan’s security environment in the years ahead. Within the American policy community, the dominant view of China has grown unmistakably tough. Many members of Congress, as
After declaring Iran’s military “gone,” US President Donald Trump appealed to the UK, France, Japan and South Korea — as well as China, Iran’s strategic partner — to send minesweepers and naval forces to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. When allies balked, the request turned into a warning: NATO would face “a very bad” future if it refused. The prevailing wisdom is that Trump faces a credibility problem: having spent years insulting allies, he finds they would not rally when he needs them. That is true, but superficial, as though a structural collapse could be caused by wounded feelings. Something
Former Taipei mayor and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) founding chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) was sentenced to 17 years in prison on Thursday, making headlines across major media. However, another case linked to the TPP — the indictment of Chinese immigrant Xu Chunying (徐春鶯) for alleged violations of the Anti-Infiltration Act (反滲透法) on Tuesday — has also stirred up heated discussions. Born in Shanghai, Xu became a resident of Taiwan through marriage in 1993. Currently the director of the Taiwan New Immigrant Development Association, she was elected to serve as legislator-at-large for the TPP in 2023, but was later charged with involvement
Out of 64 participating universities in this year’s Stars Program — through which schools directly recommend their top students to universities for admission — only 19 filled their admissions quotas. There were 922 vacancies, down more than 200 from last year; top universities had 37 unfilled places, 40 fewer than last year. The original purpose of the Stars Program was to expand admissions to a wider range of students. However, certain departments at elite universities that failed to meet their admissions quotas are not improving. Vacancies at top universities are linked to students’ program preferences on their applications, but inappropriate admission
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