On Monday, the TAIEX fell 244 points. It's not difficult to fathom that recent political instability has led to poor stock performance, but the decline in shares has also spawned conspiracy theories. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) believes the opposition parties' mobilization to recall the president and topple Premier Su Tseng-chang's (
Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) held cross-party talks on whether to hold an extraordinary legislative session to review some urgently needed bills. Legislators from ruling and opposition parties have agreed to the session, but are split over which bills should be given priority. DPP legislators hope to prioritize budget bills related to people's livelihoods and the economy, while opposition legislators want to prioritize legislation related to the presidential recall campaign and direct links. Given this deep political chasm, the session could simply provide another occasion for pointless political bickering.
The insider-trading case involving Chen's son-in-law Chao Chien-ming (趙建銘) has attracted huge political and media interest. Every development stirs more controversy. Whether Chao is implicated in the scandal or not, the case will have serious implications for the nation's political scene. Nevertheless, the seemingly endless coverage of it is surely abnormal.
The investigation into Chao's case is about to come to a close. The prosecutor will decide whether to present an indictment against Chao. But we cannot start discussing what legal and political responsibility Chen must bear until Chao is found guilty of the charges presented, or Chen and his family members are implicated. Prior to this, any attempt to force the resignation of the premier or recall the president is unwise and will likely plunge the nation into further turmoil.
While the People First Party (PFP) is planning to unseat Chen, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is taking aim at the Cabinet. Since recalling the president requires the approval of two-thirds of legislators, the KMT thinks it doesn't have the numbers. However, the pan-blues do possess enough legislative seats to force the resignation of the Cabinet. If Chen decided to dissolve the legislature in response, this would force an election, which under the Constitution, would be under the new "single-district, two-vote" system. That means half the legislators would be out of a job. While neither KMT nor PFP legislators desire this, the result would be worse for the PFP, which would likely dissolve completely, allowing the KMT to dislodge both of its political rivals in one go. But, unable to put its ideal plan into action, the KMT has settled on launching a petition to recall the president, so that it does not lose support to the PFP.
The scandals surrounding Chen's entourage and his family are extremely regrettable. It is imperative that law enforcement officials conduct a thorough investigation into all the allegations and find out who is responsible. The public should remain cool and not give politicians an opportunity to engage in further strife. While the recall proposal can be discussed at the special legislative session, issues involving people's livelihoods should top the agenda. Otherwise, contention over the recall is likely to overwhelm all other bills, rendering a special session pointless.
President William Lai (賴清德) attended a dinner held by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) when representatives from the group visited Taiwan in October. In a speech at the event, Lai highlighted similarities in the geopolitical challenges faced by Israel and Taiwan, saying that the two countries “stand on the front line against authoritarianism.” Lai noted how Taiwan had “immediately condemned” the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas and had provided humanitarian aid. Lai was heavily criticized from some quarters for standing with AIPAC and Israel. On Nov. 4, the Taipei Times published an opinion article (“Speak out on the
Eighty-seven percent of Taiwan’s energy supply this year came from burning fossil fuels, with more than 47 percent of that from gas-fired power generation. The figures attracted international attention since they were in October published in a Reuters report, which highlighted the fragility and structural challenges of Taiwan’s energy sector, accumulated through long-standing policy choices. The nation’s overreliance on natural gas is proving unstable and inadequate. The rising use of natural gas does not project an image of a Taiwan committed to a green energy transition; rather, it seems that Taiwan is attempting to patch up structural gaps in lieu of
News about expanding security cooperation between Israel and Taiwan, including the visits of Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) in September and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) this month, as well as growing ties in areas such as missile defense and cybersecurity, should not be viewed as isolated events. The emphasis on missile defense, including Taiwan’s newly introduced T-Dome project, is simply the most visible sign of a deeper trend that has been taking shape quietly over the past two to three years. Taipei is seeking to expand security and defense cooperation with Israel, something officials
“Can you tell me where the time and motivation will come from to get students to improve their English proficiency in four years of university?” The teacher’s question — not accusatory, just slightly exasperated — was directed at the panelists at the end of a recent conference on English language learning at Taiwanese universities. Perhaps thankfully for the professors on stage, her question was too big for the five minutes remaining. However, it hung over the venue like an ominous cloud on an otherwise sunny-skies day of research into English as a medium of instruction and the government’s Bilingual Nation 2030
RSS