Ministry of National Defense prosecutors announced Monday that they had issued an arrest warrant for Lieutenant Wang Yi-hung (
This is the first time the military has been so public about a defection -- an enormous improvement from the KMT era when the military never dared speak the truth about treason cases. Given that the armed forces have faced ideological disputes over "who and what to fight for" since the transition of power -- if not since former president Lee Teng-hui (
In June, there was a brouhaha over Justin Lin (
If Tang had not spoken out, Lin could very well have returned to Taiwan and become a darling of the pro-independence camp, which had painted him as an "anti-KMT hero." This reaction points out the confusion of values in both the pro-independence and pro-unification camps. His return also could have eroded morale in the armed forces as well as society at large. For Taiwan, the impact of the Lin case was no less damaging than that of China's missile tests in 1996.
How to solidify their psychological defenses and counter the discord sown by Beijing is a major test for the people of Taiwan in the face of an opponent highly skilled in power struggles.
President Chen Shui-bian (
The unificationist media have recently been jumping on the Chinese Communist Party's 16th National Congress bandwagon -- arguing that there is an opportunity for change. They also have used the congress as an opportunity to let Lin launch another offensive against Taiwan by justifying Wang's defection as an "anti-DPP" act. Sounds like he wants to persuade the people here that betraying the DPP is the proper thing to do.
This explains why, after Chen's remarks on Saturday, front-page headlines in the pro-unificationist media asked "Who was Chen talking about?" The reason why they were asking this is simple: They have a guilty conscience.
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
The past few months have seen tremendous strides in India’s journey to develop a vibrant semiconductor and electronics ecosystem. The nation’s established prowess in information technology (IT) has earned it much-needed revenue and prestige across the globe. Now, through the convergence of engineering talent, supportive government policies, an expanding market and technologically adaptive entrepreneurship, India is striving to become part of global electronics and semiconductor supply chains. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vision of “Make in India” and “Design in India” has been the guiding force behind the government’s incentive schemes that span skilling, design, fabrication, assembly, testing and packaging, and
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
As former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) wrapped up his visit to the People’s Republic of China, he received his share of attention. Certainly, the trip must be seen within the full context of Ma’s life, that is, his eight-year presidency, the Sunflower movement and his failed Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, as well as his eight years as Taipei mayor with its posturing, accusations of money laundering, and ups and downs. Through all that, basic questions stand out: “What drives Ma? What is his end game?” Having observed and commented on Ma for decades, it is all ironically reminiscent of former US president Harry