Opposition parties see President Chen Shui-bian (
Conflict, compromise and progress have been the consistent hallmarks of Chen's career and he has shown that he will do whatever it takes to accomplish his goals. As an attorney for dissidents under the KMT's authoritarian regime, Chen stood up to the government. He embodies the characteristics that make a good lawyer -- someone who treats a client's interests as their own and responds to demands with a flexible attitude and strategy. But Chen is nothing like his predecessor Lee Teng-hui (
Chen had hoped to serve as a president who could transcend party lines. But from the very beginning of his administration, the opposition has been determined to boycott his government's every move. His first attempt to heal political divisions -- a meeting with KMT Chairman Lien Chan (
PFP Chairman James Soong (
Chen's revival of the idea of holding a summit of party leaders is unrealistic. Since Chen, Lien and Soong may be rivals in the next presidential election -- even though the idea of Lien running is ludicrous to everyone but a small minority in the KMT -- any idea of inter-party cooperation is highly unlikely. Since neither the KMT or the PFP have anything to gain by attending such a summit, Chen's idea is dead in the water. But why is a summit even needed?
The DPP proposed establishing a national stability alliance last year, before the legislative elections. But since the "pan blue" camp held a legislative majority, they ignored the proposal. Now Chen has resurrected the idea, given that the "pan green" camp is very close to forming a stable legislative majority. This was proven during recent votes on several presidential appointments, when the "pan green" camp mustered a block of 113 votes. With a little bit of work, the idea of a national stability alliance could become a reality.
Taiwan's political arena has been chaotic for the past two years and this uncertainty has damaged efforts to revitalize the economy. The KMT had 50 years and still failed to endear itself to the people of Taiwan. The "pan blue" camp has hurt the country with its two years of childish behavior. So if the ruling party can organize a national stability alliance to facilitate smooth policy implementation with the aid of TSU members and some independents, it should do so. Some political stability would be a most welcome development.
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
A group of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers led by the party’s legislative caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (?) are to visit Beijing for four days this week, but some have questioned the timing and purpose of the visit, which demonstrates the KMT caucus’ increasing arrogance. Fu on Wednesday last week confirmed that following an invitation by Beijing, he would lead a group of lawmakers to China from Thursday to Sunday to discuss tourism and agricultural exports, but he refused to say whether they would meet with Chinese officials. That the visit is taking place during the legislative session and in the aftermath