If the DPP can rise from dangwai (
In the near term, the TSU should concentrate on securing third place among the parties. This is not hard to do, because of the People First Party's (PFP) incoherence in direction and purpose, its total retrograde in Taiwan's cause and democracy. The KMT bubble will burst once its illegal assets are spent or taken away.
The TSU can address issues such as constitutional reform. The DPP will not touch upon issues of national name, sovereignty, territory or symbols. Yet, the "Republic of China" will lead nowhere. Eventually, Taiwan's international space and commercial interests will be squeezed by China without these changes. Taiwan will be backed into a corner, and will have to fight like a trapped beast. This is where the TSU can distinguish itself. There may be no "consensus" now, but the truth will become more and more clear. Taiwan has no alternative but to face up to it.
The DPP cannot have it both ways, promoting Taiwan's independence come election time, only to drift toward the "middle of the road" after an election. "Green" voters may not have an alternative now. It is up to the TSU to provide that alternative as Taiwan's faithful opposition party.
I am looking forward to the day when the TSU becomes "the" faithful Taiwanese opposition party, and beyond.
Chen Ming-chung
Chicago, Illinois
There is much evidence that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is sending soldiers from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — and is learning lessons for a future war against Taiwan. Until now, the CCP has claimed that they have not sent PLA personnel to support Russian aggression. On 18 April, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelinskiy announced that the CCP is supplying war supplies such as gunpowder, artillery, and weapons subcomponents to Russia. When Zelinskiy announced on 9 April that the Ukrainian Army had captured two Chinese nationals fighting with Russians on the front line with details
On a quiet lane in Taipei’s central Daan District (大安), an otherwise unremarkable high-rise is marked by a police guard and a tawdry A4 printout from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicating an “embassy area.” Keen observers would see the emblem of the Holy See, one of Taiwan’s 12 so-called “diplomatic allies.” Unlike Taipei’s other embassies and quasi-consulates, no national flag flies there, nor is there a plaque indicating what country’s embassy this is. Visitors hoping to sign a condolence book for the late Pope Francis would instead have to visit the Italian Trade Office, adjacent to Taipei 101. The death of
By now, most of Taiwan has heard Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) threats to initiate a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet. His rationale is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government’s investigation into alleged signature forgery in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) recall campaign constitutes “political persecution.” I sincerely hope he goes through with it. The opposition currently holds a majority in the Legislative Yuan, so the initiation of a no-confidence motion and its passage should be entirely within reach. If Chiang truly believes that the government is overreaching, abusing its power and targeting political opponents — then
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), joined by the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), held a protest on Saturday on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei. They were essentially standing for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which is anxious about the mass recall campaign against KMT legislators. President William Lai (賴清德) said that if the opposition parties truly wanted to fight dictatorship, they should do so in Tiananmen Square — and at the very least, refrain from groveling to Chinese officials during their visits to China, alluding to meetings between KMT members and Chinese authorities. Now that China has been defined as a foreign hostile force,
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