At the threshold of another major advance in democracy, Taiwanese should use their hard-earned votes to unequivocally express their desire for self-determination.
By doing so, starting with the legislative elections on Jan. 12, Taiwanese will finally be able to thwart the sabotage of the Taiwanese government by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) dominated Legislative Yuan, judiciary and media. This will also defeat China's attempts to annex Taiwan.
This should be a year to celebrate the advancement of Taiwan consciousness; millions of newly awakened Taiwanese now identify themselves with Taiwan.
Taiwanese democracy is also supported by many Chinese dissidents who see Taiwan as a model to be emulated by China.
On March 22, Taiwanese must resolve to vote for the presidential candidate who will work for the nation. Any candidate who advocates unification with China is ignoring the well documented and egregious violations of human rights perpetrated by China. Voters must reject the illegitimate Cairo Declaration -- US president Franklin Roosevelt and British prime minister Winston Churchill had never seen Taiwan in person and they had no right to give the island to Chiang Kai-shek (
On the same day, Taiwanese should vote in support of the Democratic Progressive Party's UN referendum. This will prevent Taiwan being used as a bargaining chip by China, the unconscionable KMT and foreign nations.
Samuel Yang
Bloomfield Hill, Michigan
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
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