Nobody ever said it was easy being president, let alone the president of a country that has as uncertain a status as Taiwan. President Chen Shui-bian (
Now, with the latest spate of allegations involving associates close to the first family, life is not any easier for Chen. After fending off allegations by pan-blue legislators about his wife, Wu Shu-jen (
The parents of Chen's son-in-law, Chao Chien-ming (
Chang Hwa sold all 24 million TDC shares it owned to three people, including Chien. Chien bought the shares last year at relatively low prices when the company was experiencing financial troubles. TDC was later bailed out, and its share price rose rapidly, enabling her to net a big fortune, Chiu said. Thus, Chen was given no time to bask in the 33 percent approval rating he enjoyed in the wake of his just-concluded diplomatic trip to South America -- a rating which was rather encouraging, given his previous one of 18 percent in March.
Although it is not his own wrongdoing, the allegation nonetheless has dealt another blow to the Democratic Progressive Party administration, which is already suffering from low morale due to its stagnant approval rating, as evidenced by the latest poll conducted by the party's political ally, the Taiwan Solidarity Union.
According to a poll released on Tuesday, Chen's approval rating has dropped to a new low of just 5.8 percent. Obviously these allegations are hurting Chen and his government, and subsequently, the legitimacy of the pro-localization movement.
One could call Chao and his family naive, unaware of the effect their personal doings have on Chen. Others might call them idiots for not applying common sense.
Either way, knowing that outsiders are scrutinizing every move made by the members of the first family, not to mention that Chen's political rivals are eager for a chance to attack him, the Chao family should have known better. This incident has given Chen's political opponents more ammunition to attack him.
Since Chien was the one suspected of wrongdoing, she should come forward to tell her story.
The government should also implement damage-control measures. For a start, the Presidential Office should stop simply issuing press statements, and take the time to answer the media's questions concerning the incident on behalf of Chien and her family. Given the recent spate of events concerning the first family and its associates, perhaps it is time for the Presidential Office to consider hiring a public relations firm to help revamp its much-damaged public image. As Chen himself put it, the conduct of his close associates, despite not being public figures, matters greatly, given their close association with the head of state.
Any doubts or suspicions that call into question the president's integrity have a tremendous impact on the government, as well as the future of the pro-localization movement.
Therefore, all members and associates of the first family must exercise discretion.
When US budget carrier Southwest Airlines last week announced a new partnership with China Airlines, Southwest’s social media were filled with comments from travelers excited by the new opportunity to visit China. Of course, China Airlines is not based in China, but in Taiwan, and the new partnership connects Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport with 30 cities across the US. At a time when China is increasing efforts on all fronts to falsely label Taiwan as “China” in all arenas, Taiwan does itself no favors by having its flagship carrier named China Airlines. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is eager to jump at
The muting of the line “I’m from Taiwan” (我台灣來欸), sung in Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese), during a performance at the closing ceremony of the World Masters Games in New Taipei City on May 31 has sparked a public outcry. The lyric from the well-known song All Eyes on Me (世界都看見) — originally written and performed by Taiwanese hip-hop group Nine One One (玖壹壹) — was muted twice, while the subtitles on the screen showed an alternate line, “we come here together” (阮作伙來欸), which was not sung. The song, performed at the ceremony by a cheerleading group, was the theme
Secretary of State Marco Rubio raised eyebrows recently when he declared the era of American unipolarity over. He described America’s unrivaled dominance of the international system as an anomaly that was created by the collapse of the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War. Now, he observed, the United States was returning to a more multipolar world where there are great powers in different parts of the planet. He pointed to China and Russia, as well as “rogue states like Iran and North Korea” as examples of countries the United States must contend with. This all begs the question:
In China, competition is fierce, and in many cases suppliers do not get paid on time. Rather than improving, the situation appears to be deteriorating. BYD Co, the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer by production volume, has gained notoriety for its harsh treatment of suppliers, raising concerns about the long-term sustainability. The case also highlights the decline of China’s business environment, and the growing risk of a cascading wave of corporate failures. BYD generally does not follow China’s Negotiable Instruments Law when settling payments with suppliers. Instead the company has created its own proprietary supply chain finance system called the “D-chain,” through which
RSS