A host of social problems arose before and after last month's presidential election. The greatest disappointment was the behavior of politicians and the media. With their usual sloppiness and irresponsible behavior, they kept repeating statements that have since been proven to be completely wrong. This destroyed the public's fundamental trust, and as a result people now show less friendship for each other. This further reinforces public distrust of politicians' statements and media reports. This damage to social relationships is a far more serious problem than the ethnic issue that everyone is talking about.
Taiwan enjoys freedom of expression, but that does not mean that legislators, party officials and media organizations have a legal right to cheat the public. In recent months, however, we have seen politicians and some media organizations collude to support one side in the election. Party officials and even wanted criminals have issued completely groundless information, which in turn has been given coverage by media organizations. The most frightening developments in this vicious election were probably the open letters published by Chen Yu-hao (
If all of these accusations were true, why did the attacks against the green camp end with the campaign? Looking back, the incident seems to have been planned by certain political forces as a political tool with which to attack President Chen Shui-bian (
These reporters didn't verify the allegations or question their credibility as professionalism demands. These media cannot say today that they also were victims of the Chen Yu-hao incident. They were blinded by their political opinions and decided to dance to his magic flute, and abandoned professionalism to help this scoundrel achieve his goal.
During the conflicts following the election, although a recount has yet to carried out, opposition leaders have flippantly lashed out at the president, accusing him of vote-rigging and cheating the nation. If the recount results verify the blue camp's defeat, how are these critics going to face the public they divided with their misleading propaganda?
The inquiries into the shooting of the president and Vice President Annette Lu (
Without evidence, politicians and media must not repeatedly spread suspicion. Moreover, media organizations should not only disseminate information; they also should enable their audiences to evaluate the accuracy of the information they provide. Taiwan's lawmakers, party leaders and media are all responsible for doing their duties in a moral, legal and professional manner. If they weren't, they would destroy democracy.
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
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
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.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, people have been asking if Taiwan is the next Ukraine. At a G7 meeting of national leaders in January, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida warned that Taiwan “could be the next Ukraine” if Chinese aggression is not checked. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said that if Russia is not defeated, then “today, it’s Ukraine, tomorrow it can be Taiwan.” China does not like this rhetoric. Its diplomats ask people to stop saying “Ukraine today, Taiwan tomorrow.” However, the rhetoric and stated ambition of Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on Taiwan shows strong parallels with