Based on the results of Taiwan's recent legislative elections, it is clear the DPP must make significant changes for the presidential election in March, as well as for 2012, if it wishes to rectify its defeat.
First, the most immediate and obvious change is to reduce the amount of infighting and finger-pointing within the party. Divisiveness and a lack of unity among DPP members have been principal reasons for its recent political failures.
Next, the recent legislative defeat, as well President Chen Shui-bian's (
While identity politics is a significant topic to resolve, quality of life and economic competitiveness issues have become much more important. Playing the "identity card" no longer resonates as powerfully as it used to among Taiwanese, and it is overplayed. Certain individuals still do not comprehend this fact.
Additionally, because of the nature of the global economy, Taiwan's leaders must realize that aggressive efforts to disrupt the status quo will not be well received by the international community, especially the US.
The US has repeatedly issued statements expressing its concern over any change to the status quo, and that any attempts to do so would harm Taiwan's relationship with Washington.
In order to compete in the future, the DPP must develop a cohesive core platform that emphasizes issues outside of identity politics.
Continuing to play the "identity card," such as the referendum in March concerning Taiwan's UN membership name, is a continuation of a misguided campaign strategy that will only lead to more defeat.
Alvin Lin
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Congratulations to China’s working class — they have officially entered the “Livestock Feed 2.0” era. While others are still researching how to achieve healthy and balanced diets, China has already evolved to the point where it does not matter whether you are actually eating food, as long as you can swallow it. There is no need for cooking, chewing or making decisions — just tear open a package, add some hot water and in a short three minutes you have something that can keep you alive for at least another six hours. This is not science fiction — it is reality.
A foreign colleague of mine asked me recently, “What is a safe distance from potential People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force’s (PLARF) Taiwan targets?” This article will answer this question and help people living in Taiwan have a deeper understanding of the threat. Why is it important to understand PLA/PLARF targeting strategy? According to RAND analysis, the PLA’s “systems destruction warfare” focuses on crippling an adversary’s operational system by targeting its networks, especially leadership, command and control (C2) nodes, sensors, and information hubs. Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, noted in his 15 May 2025 Sedona Forum keynote speech that, as
In a world increasingly defined by unpredictability, two actors stand out as islands of stability: Europe and Taiwan. One, a sprawling union of democracies, but under immense pressure, grappling with a geopolitical reality it was not originally designed for. The other, a vibrant, resilient democracy thriving as a technological global leader, but living under a growing existential threat. In response to rising uncertainties, they are both seeking resilience and learning to better position themselves. It is now time they recognize each other not just as partners of convenience, but as strategic and indispensable lifelines. The US, long seen as the anchor
Kinmen County’s political geography is provocative in and of itself. A pair of islets running up abreast the Chinese mainland, just 20 minutes by ferry from the Chinese city of Xiamen, Kinmen remains under the Taiwanese government’s control, after China’s failed invasion attempt in 1949. The provocative nature of Kinmen’s existence, along with the Matsu Islands off the coast of China’s Fuzhou City, has led to no shortage of outrageous takes and analyses in foreign media either fearmongering of a Chinese invasion or using these accidents of history to somehow understand Taiwan. Every few months a foreign reporter goes to
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