The recent race for the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) chairmanship has finally come to a close. With former president Lee Teng-hui (
It is obvious that Su's success was orchestrated by Lee, who founded the TSU and is both its "spiritual leader" and chief strategist. In 2001 -- just one year after the TSU was established -- it won 12 seats in the legislative elections. It now retains 11 seats.
The party's status is largely a product of Lee's charisma. This was made apparent when many TSU legislators-elect won despite a lack of political experience or strong local support.
Campaigning under the TSU banner, David Huang (
A few days ago, Su told reporters that the party will in the future work to "develop culture and consolidate grassroots support." This slogan sounds good, but how will he go about doing this?
Su's mission is not only to keep the TSU relevant after Lee stops pulling the strings, he also must position the party within the convoluted blue-green political environment. Because Su's political influence cannot compare to Lee's, the TSU can no longer rely on having their candidates elected simply by having the party leader support them in election campaigns.
In local elections, such as for county commissioner, city mayor, or even the legislative elections where grassroots play an important role, local support of candidates is crucial to victory.
Two TSU candidates are good examples. Yin Lin-in (
Ling, a professional soldier, looked as though he was on a mission during legislative election campaigning. Although Lee considered him a rare talent, he failed to win a seat because he lacked local support.
Whatever the case may be, second generation Mainlanders are now appearing in the ranks of the TSU, which is conventionally perceived as the radical wing of the pan green camp. This clearly shows that a "Taiwan consciousness" has spread into the Mainlander population. It also indicates that the TSU is only concerned with their members' stance on national identity, and not which ethnic community they hail from.
Since its founding, the TSU has attracted disenchanted members of the pan-green camp. They harbor a deep hatred for the "Greater China" ideology, but are also dissatisfied with Chen Shui-bian's (
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
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
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