Vote 1, for everybody's sake
It is regrettable that the pan-blue camp could not set aside political ideologies to join hands with the 1.5 million-plus Taiwanese in peaceful solidarity to demonstrate against China's aggression on Feb. 28.
However, to the peace-loving, passionate Taiwanese who turned up hand-in-hand on Saturday, I salute you all and reserve for you my overwhelming respect and heartfelt gratitude. Your loyalty and love is awe-inspiring and has brought us much hope, goodwill and happy tears for an anniversary that was, until now, only a regrettable and bloody reminder of the despicable Chinese invasion of our homeland.
As the March 20 presidential election draws near, Taiwan is clearly at a crossroads. Without a doubt, the re-election of Chen Shui-bian (
The historic referendum must also be taken seriously. Voters must vote with the future in mind -- Taiwan can
ill afford to procrastinate and leave a political Chernobyl to future generations.
On March 20, voters must confront reality and bear its heavy cross as long as necessary to protect the right to self-determination of Taiwan's children.
They deserve nothing less.
Fifty-seven years ago, many thousands of unsung heroes lost their lives in the fight for freedom for all Taiwanese. Many more perished since that woeful time and millions who lived through the White Terror years under oppression and fear can attest to the dangers and uncertainty of reverting to Chinese rule. We can forgive but we must never forget
the suffering and oppression inflicted upon our nation by the invaders.
Above all, we must not ever forget the sacrifice and altruism of our predecessors who were murdered, jailed, oppressed, ridiculed and marginalized by those who invaded our country -- only because they dared to hope for justice.
On March 20, cast your hard-won vote in the spirit of all those who have fought and died for your freedom and the right to choose your destiny. Cast your vote in the memory of 228. Cast your vote with all the passion and love you have for our Ilha Formosa. Your vote is important, because justice must prevail in Taiwan.
Say yes to Taiwan: Vote 1 for Chen, for the sake of our beloved homeland, in the name of the past and in the name of the future.
Jennifer Chen
Melbourne, Australia
Taiwan’s higher education system is facing an existential crisis. As the demographic drop-off continues to empty classrooms, universities across the island are locked in a desperate battle for survival, international student recruitment and crucial Ministry of Education funding. To win this battle, institutions have turned to what seems like an objective measure of quality: global university rankings. Unfortunately, this chase is a costly illusion, and taxpayers are footing the bill. In the past few years, the goalposts have shifted from pure research output to “sustainability” and “societal impact,” largely driven by commercial metrics such as the UK-based Times Higher Education (THE) Impact
History might remember 2026, not 2022, as the year artificial intelligence (AI) truly changed everything. ChatGPT’s launch was a product moment. What is happening now is an anthropological moment: AI is no longer merely answering questions. It is now taking initiative and learning from others to get things done, behaving less like software and more like a colleague. The economic consequence is the rise of the one-person company — a structure anticipated in the 2024 book The Choices Amid Great Changes, which I coauthored. The real target of AI is not labor. It is hierarchy. When AI sharply reduces the cost
I wrote this before US President Donald Trump embarked on his uneventful state visit to China on Thursday. So, I shall confine my observations to the joint US-Philippine military exercise of April 20 through May 8, known collectively as “Balikatan 2026.” This year’s Balikatan was notable for its “firsts.” First, it was conducted primarily with Taiwan in mind, not the Philippines or even the South China Sea. It also showed that in the Pacific, America’s alliance network is still robust. Allies are enthusiastic about America’s renewed leadership in the region. Nine decades ago, in 1936, America had neither military strength
The Presidential Office on Saturday reiterated that Taiwan is a sovereign, independent nation after US President Donald Trump said that Taiwan should not “go independent.” “We’re not looking to have somebody say: ‘Let’s go independence because the United States is backing us,’” Trump said in an interview with Fox News aired on Friday. President William Lai (賴清德) on Monday said that the Republic of China (ROC) — Taiwan’s official name — and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) are not subordinate to each other. Speaking at an event marking the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Lai said
RSS