Taiwan is facing a political situation that is not without its ironies. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has joined hands with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to isolate President Chen Shui-bian (
Worst of all, a beleaguered Chen, the pillar of "Taiwan consciousness," has begun lashing out at his allies and comrades. People are looking for comfort and many have turned to former president Lee Teng-hui (
The situation could get even more thrilling. People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (
The recent wave of "China fever" has revealed an amazing amount of spinelessness among the nation's politicians. Lien has proven his willingness to lick Beijing's boots while Chen's inability to strategize and his constant flipflopping and waffling have proven to be his Achilles' heel. Both men have proven they care more for power than this nation and that neither has what it takes to be a statesman.
It's hard to believe that Soong has any admirable qualities, but at least he has dared to talk in China about the Republic of China (ROC) that he believes in, something Lien was too lily-livered to do. Of course, Soong could end up prostrating himself before Hu today.
The only person who has remained consistent is Lee. Now that Chen has revealed his feet of clay, Lee is the only champion of "Taiwan consciousness." His basic position on the cross-strait issue has remained unchanged -- in office and out -- even if some of the details have changed.
But this is no consolation when with the National Assembly elections just two days away. If the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) loses votes to the TSU, then reform of the legislature, of which the DPP has been such a strong proponent, will come to nothing. The TSU is unlikely to support changes detrimental to the survival of small political parties like itself. The final result of Taiwan's "China fever" will then not only be the collapse of the DPP hopes for legislative reform, but continued paralysis for the administration.
And what will happen when Chen's position becomes untenable? If the opposition gains an even greater advantage in Saturday's elections this can only delight China. The real casualty of Chen's political demise will be the nation's democracy.
As strategic tensions escalate across the vast Indo-Pacific region, Taiwan has emerged as more than a potential flashpoint. It is the fulcrum upon which the credibility of the evolving American-led strategy of integrated deterrence now rests. How the US and regional powers like Japan respond to Taiwan’s defense, and how credible the deterrent against Chinese aggression proves to be, will profoundly shape the Indo-Pacific security architecture for years to come. A successful defense of Taiwan through strengthened deterrence in the Indo-Pacific would enhance the credibility of the US-led alliance system and underpin America’s global preeminence, while a failure of integrated deterrence would
The Executive Yuan recently revised a page of its Web site on ethnic groups in Taiwan, replacing the term “Han” (漢族) with “the rest of the population.” The page, which was updated on March 24, describes the composition of Taiwan’s registered households as indigenous (2.5 percent), foreign origin (1.2 percent) and the rest of the population (96.2 percent). The change was picked up by a social media user and amplified by local media, sparking heated discussion over the weekend. The pan-blue and pro-China camp called it a politically motivated desinicization attempt to obscure the Han Chinese ethnicity of most Taiwanese.
On Wednesday last week, the Rossiyskaya Gazeta published an article by Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) asserting the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) territorial claim over Taiwan effective 1945, predicated upon instruments such as the 1943 Cairo Declaration and the 1945 Potsdam Proclamation. The article further contended that this de jure and de facto status was subsequently reaffirmed by UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 of 1971. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs promptly issued a statement categorically repudiating these assertions. In addition to the reasons put forward by the ministry, I believe that China’s assertions are open to questions in international
The Legislative Yuan passed an amendment on Friday last week to add four national holidays and make Workers’ Day a national holiday for all sectors — a move referred to as “four plus one.” The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), who used their combined legislative majority to push the bill through its third reading, claim the holidays were chosen based on their inherent significance and social relevance. However, in passing the amendment, they have stuck to the traditional mindset of taking a holiday just for the sake of it, failing to make good use of
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