While President Chen Shui-bian (
The latest example is the allegation by one newspaper that Chen tried to blackmail Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (
If the allegation is true, then Chen committed a criminal offense. It is therefore hardly surprising that the Presidential Office took this matter seriously, demanding a retraction and an apology from the newspaper.
The report said Chen attempted to intimidate Wang into refusing to serve as campaign manager for the Lien Chan (
Premier Su Tseng-chang (
If Chen had hatched the blackmail scheme, why was Wang not subsequently probed by the judiciary? Most pan-blue politicians who have been under judicial investigation end up stating that they are victims of "political persecution" by the Chen administration. Pan-blue dustbuster Chiu Yi (
If Wang had committed some illegal act, what motive would Chen have to cover up the deed on his behalf? After all, Wang did not do as he was allegedly instructed. And if Chen can't stop prosecutors from detaining and investigating his own son-in-law, how could he possibly have stopped a prosecution if Wang were guilty?
It is foolish for the pan-blue camp to be peddling these allegations. If, according to the report, Chen really does have a pile of documents that would verify Wang's involvement in the Zanadau case, then it would harm the interests of a great number of its own people. And if the story is true, neither the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) nor Wang has any reason to gloat.
It was impossible to make sense of KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou's (
Whoever is behind the spread of this conspiracy yarn, there are people who obviously do not want Wang to be too friendly with the Chen government.
For all of these reasons, the newspaper report is more likely the product of tensions within the KMT, and should be treated with considerable skepticism.
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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