President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has touted the Maokong Gondola and the Mass Rapid Transit system’s Neihu Line as two major achievements of his eight-year stint as the mayor of Taipei. To highlight his role as a key figure in making these projects possible, Ma was invited by Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) to take part in the inauguration of the gondola in July last year and the Neihu Line earlier this month.
But neither project has covered itself with glory, with the former struggling to justify the massive amount invested to provide the public with a sound and safe mode of transportation.
The Maokong Gondola, which cost more than NT$1 billion (US$30 million) to build, has been suspended since October because of safety concerns. The NT$60 billion Neihu Line, which opened less than two weeks ago, is on probation because of frequent malfunctions. A major system fault last Friday forced the evacuation of about 700 passengers who had to walk the tracks back to the stations.
At the height of the controversy and criticism surrounding the gondola late last year, Hau said his predecessor — Ma — should not be held responsible for a compromised supporting pillar.
The Control Yuan supported Hau by saying it would not investigate Ma’s involvement during its probe of the gondola’s construction. Ma was also quick to distance himself from the problem, saying the gondola’s “engineering” was a “professional [issue] and not for me to decide.”
This time was no different.
Ma was mayor when some key decisions on the construction of the Neihu Line were made. However, the Taipei City Government has pinned the blame solely on Bombardier — the Neihu Line contractor — for problems with the system’s integration with the Muzha Line, while overlooking the administrative responsibility of those who signed the papers for the project’s construction.
Control Yuan member Ger Yeong-kuang (葛永光), who is in charge of the investigation into the Neihu Line, said yesterday that the government watchdog might “consult” Ma on what happened during his stint as Taipei mayor.
“Consulting” — as opposed to “questioning” — is an indicator that the public should not expect much from the Control Yuan’s investigation.
This recurring pattern is disturbing: When things go right, Ma flashes a big smile in front of news cameras and touts projects as his accomplishments. But when problems start to surface, he disappears from view while his supporters rush to disassociate the president from potential debacles.
When Control Yuan President Wang Chien-shien (王建煊) was sworn in last September, he vowed that the government watchdog would not be an agency that “only catches flies but does not dare to catch the tiger.”
The public is waiting to see if the Control Yuan can live up to Wang’s pledge.
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
RSS