Gender competition
The televised presidential debate on Dec. 3 has sparked the national issue of the possibility of electing a female candidate to be Taiwan’s national leader.
This year is Taiwan’s presidential campaign year and it happens to be the 100th anniversary of the Republic of China (ROC). Looking back at history, there were 22 presidents or temporary leaders of the state before 1949 when the ROC was based in China.
Since the KMT government moved to Taiwan from China that year, the first president in Taiwan was Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石), a military leader. Chiang ruled Taiwan through the White Terror period and the Martial Law era.
One common feature of the ROC’s previous presidents is that they have all been male.
Going back to the presidential debate: “Is this the time to consider electing the first female president for Taiwan?”
According to recent surveys, the two main presidential candidates, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), are virtually tied in public opinion polling, including by the Apple Daily, the China Times, ERA News and so on. Generally speaking, female politicians tend to be detached from acts of embezzlement and ruling through terror because of their gentle feminine nature. Even though there have been a few female tyrants in history, those are exceptional cases.
Taiwan’s politics and economy are well known for “hard” power and this can be generalized through all the electronic hardware Taiwan manufactured during its heyday.
In recent years, Taiwan’s high-tech sectors have faced tremendous challenges from China because of its extremely low production costs. Manufacturing can no longer support Taiwan’s economy alone. Taiwan needs “soft” and innovative industries, including areas of culture, service, finance, software, etc. The most important infrastructure to move forward is our educational and cultural edges.
Education and cultural policies have been modified by the authorities after much public debate and they should be reviewed in the next presidential debate.
In traditional Chinese convention, the familial role of the female is to raise and educate children. This traditional aspect should be debated in the wake of our fragile education system today.
The whole world is facing an unprecedented economic downturn, as well as political and ethnic conflict that are causing widespread discontent and upheavals. The characteristics of a female leader would possibly be the cure for this rapidly changing era.
Lily Lee
Taipei
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
The past few months have seen tremendous strides in India’s journey to develop a vibrant semiconductor and electronics ecosystem. The nation’s established prowess in information technology (IT) has earned it much-needed revenue and prestige across the globe. Now, through the convergence of engineering talent, supportive government policies, an expanding market and technologically adaptive entrepreneurship, India is striving to become part of global electronics and semiconductor supply chains. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vision of “Make in India” and “Design in India” has been the guiding force behind the government’s incentive schemes that span skilling, design, fabrication, assembly, testing and packaging, and
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.