In the eyes of most people, especially residents in southern Taiwan, the changes in President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) attitude after he was elected president is the source of most criticism.
Before the presidential election, Ma’s visits to the south gave residents new hope, which helped him win by a landslide. However, since he was elected, he has not shown any concern for southerners.
Many media outlets are surprised at the south’s seemingly blind support for former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁). But when we look at how Chen treated residents in the south compared with the way Ma treats them, it is easy to understand why.
With so many southern voters losing their trust in Ma, it is natural for them to compare him to his predecessor. Since Ma cannot replace Chen in their eyes, how can we criticize this attitude?
Ma seems to be drifting further away from southern voters. He has not only failed to show concern for residents in the south, but also ignored issues raised by local politicians. All of this has disappointed many of his supporters.
We can see this change in the way many Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) or independent candidates tried their best to associate themselves with Ma during the legislative elections, but have now started distancing themselves from him. If Ma continues on this path, the political landscape that has been so difficult to put together may gradually fall apart.
Moreover, while Ma took the initiative to get closer to people in the south prior to the presidential election, he doesn’t give them any chance to voice their concerns now.
To address these discrepancies and changes in Ma’s attitude, southerners have taken to the streets and plan many more street protests in Taipei — all of which are meant to pressure Ma into listening to them.
We feel sad about this state of affairs. After all, this is not only a matter of political interest, but also a reflection of overall public disapproval. The problem of ineffective politicians can be solved, but we have yet to see any sincere effort on the government’s part to change.
It is true that Ma’s approval ratings have slipped and that he has tried to regain public support by proposing many measures, including a government plan to issue consumer vouchers to every citizen and a policy to reduce unemployment. However, if he had visited the south in person more frequently, he might not have had such a hard time.
Even if Chen is accused of corruption, many people continue to support him. On the other hand, even though Ma works hard to govern the country, his approval ratings are falling. Does Ma understand the reason for this?
Li Kuan-long is a lecturer at Shih Chien University in Kaohsiung.
TRANSLATED BY TED YANG
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