I keep hoping that the DPP will stop self-destructing, but nothing seems to be able to stop its suicidal plunge.
One sign of its disconnection with reality is its recent discussion on constitutional reform.
I cannot imagine who really believes constitutional reform is feasible under the current political conditions.
The DPP may believe it represents the heart and soul of Taiwan but more and more people are coming to the realization that there is a yawning gap between its rhetoric and reality.
Though I would have liked to see the DPP succeed, it was apparent from the early days of the administration that the party could not make its vision for Taiwan a reality.
Over time, the party abandoned its left-wing ideals and gradually turned into a nationalist party. Positioning itself as the native party against the foreign KMT, the DPP filled its campaigns with gestures to appeal to nationalist central and southern Taiwanese voters. These were the easiest votes for the DPP to capture.
The new Taiwan was a place where past imbalances would be redressed. Resources would be reallocated to make the country just and fair. Instead of trying to make the pie bigger, the DPP would carve it up differently. Just as the KMT had its civil servants, teachers and soldiers, the DPP would build up its own support base.
But over time, it became clear that the DPP was not really trying to become better than the old KMT. Its politics were designed not to compete with and beat the opposition parties but to delegitimize them.
As the correctly aligned native party, the DPP believed it could control political discourse and eventually become the nation's dominant party. It worked for a while, but then something happened.
The majority of people stopped believing DPP rhetoric. The party lost credibility because it was in charge but not delivering the goods.
My advice to the DPP is that it should continue to devote most of its time discussing issues of nationalism. In a couple of years, it will then have even more time to discuss them -- as a minor opposition party.
Name withheld
Taichung
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