It seems odd that a strong performance for a pro-Beijing party at the expense of Hong Kong democrats could be a positive sign. Yet this is the case.
Sunday's elections saw the opposition Democratic Party brought down to earth after losing more than 25 percent of their district councilors, with the pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) almost doubling its share from the previous election and overwhelming the Democratic Party's haul.
There must be tremendous disappointment in the democratic camp that pro-Beijing parties such as the DAB can prosper in an environment of occasional threats of violence against pro-democracy figures and a ramping up of aggression against democrats in Beijing's mouthpiece media outlets.
But this was a free and fair election -- even if turnout was below 40 percent. The rejection of democratic candidates thus reflected real uninterest or dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party and its activities and will prompt party strategists to rebuild their agenda and methods in line with the needs of local communities.
Democratic Party Chairman Albert Ho (
That is to say, the democrats could learn a thing or two about democratic practice from Beijing's friends in Hong Kong.
Some analysts are now predicting a poor showing for the democrats at the Legislative Council elections next year. But, as with Taiwan, local elections are not always the best place to gauge sentiment on executive performance.
The Democratic Party, like Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party, needs to work harder not only at mobilizing its base but also at making gradual inroads in electorates where it does not enjoy majority support. This is all the more important in polities such as Hong Kong in which economic considerations top the agenda at all times.
The people of Hong Kong have proven themselves pragmatic and uninterested in flights of ideological fancy. Even so, when a critical mass of Hong Kongers get angry and get out on the streets, Beijing notices.
Beijing's equally pragmatic response, in balance, has not been bloody crackdowns but, ironically, investment in the democratic process on the ground, particularly in the DAB's skilled party workers, who delivered handsomely in working class areas this time around.
Hard work, closer communication with voters, innovation and practical policies are the answer. And in time, the cycle will swing back in the Democrats' favor -- no doubt more quickly if the pro-Beijing side treats voters with less than the respect they deserve.
And in one more regard, HK's democrats should find some solace. Taiwan's 2004 presidential election showed that local and national politics can have very different outcomes at the hands of voters who back different parties in different polls.
The cause for gloom in Hong Kong is overstated. If the Democratic Party suffers a tremendous hit over this setback, it will be in large part because of their losing faith in themselves and Hong Kong's voters, and not because of dwindling opportunities.
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
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,
On April 19, former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) gave a public speech, his first in about 17 years. During the address at the Ketagalan Institute in Taipei, Chen’s words were vague and his tone was sour. He said that democracy should not be used as an echo chamber for a single politician, that people must be tolerant of other views, that the president should not act as a dictator and that the judiciary should not get involved in politics. He then went on to say that others with different opinions should not be criticized as “XX fellow travelers,” in reference to
RSS