It seems that the recent spurt of anti-corruption fervor has taken hold on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan has its Million Voices Against Corruption campaign, while China dismissed Chen Liangyu (
Although Taiwan's campaign was initiated by former Democratic Progressive Party chairman Shih Ming-teh (
Although Taiwan's anti-corruption campaign is a spontaneous civil movement, its goal is confined to achieving a change of power at the highest level of government. Given that the president's involvement in illegal activities is unproven, disregarding legal procedures and forcing Chen out of office prematurely points to the sharp rise in anti-Chen sentiment being a carryover from the March 19, 2004, shooting incident.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) also appears to be fighting corruption. Accused of misappropriating the city's social security fund, Chen Liangyu was fired and his movements restricted. On the surface it seems that the Chinese government is acting firmly and quickly. However, many see the move as part of Chinese President Hu Jintao's (
The anti-Chen campaign has dragged on for weeks, resulting in a number of street confrontations between supporters and opponents of the president. Amid a judicial investigation into Chen Shui-bian's alleged wrongdoing, certain legislators and the media have been happy to stoke the fire by disclosing unverified information relating to the president's case and urging the public to oppose him.
In China, it is the CCP's Central Committee that has the final say on who is charged and what punishments apply. The Chinese public does not have a say in the handling of corrupt officials. Unlike Taiwan, this is an authoritarian, top-down decision-making process.
The anti-corruption effort on both sides of the Strait is the same, but the process through which it is carried out is not. Despite the large number of people participating in the campaigns for or against the president, the government and the protesters have largely exercised self-restraint and refrained from escalating the conflict. This is a far cry from the way Beijing forcefully clamps down on rights activists. In Taiwan, at least, there is a silver lining to the cloud of corruption that hangs over the government.
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, people have been asking if Taiwan is the next Ukraine. At a G7 meeting of national leaders in January, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida warned that Taiwan “could be the next Ukraine” if Chinese aggression is not checked. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said that if Russia is not defeated, then “today, it’s Ukraine, tomorrow it can be Taiwan.” China does not like this rhetoric. Its diplomats ask people to stop saying “Ukraine today, Taiwan tomorrow.” However, the rhetoric and stated ambition of Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on Taiwan shows strong parallels with