US academics who know Andrew Yang (楊念祖), who recently resigned as minister of national defense in the wake of plagiarism allegations after only six days in the job, all say that he is a good man. Richard Fisher, the China expert who wrote the article that Yang allegedly plagiarized, said Yang’s resignation was rash. However, even more reckless is the man who put him in the post: President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).
Ma’s recklessness was foolish. To appoint an expert on China, specializing in People’s Liberation Army (PLA) strategy, and with insufficient political experience or professional training to a ministerial position responsible for a huge military machine — with its particular culture and function, and its pointed emphasis on being “fully qualified” to do the job — is the height of folly.
Taiwanese experts on China who speak English often have a reputation that exceeds their achievements. They can get information written in Chinese not easily found by Westerners, therefore, these experts are of value to US think tanks. Yang, who Ma has used before, is a prime example.
Who would imagine that a person with Yang’s language skills and knowledge of China would need to plagiarize pieces of a Chinese language magazine’s translation of an article?
Fisher’s research covered Chinese military affairs. His articles are well-known among pro-Taiwan academics. That Yang would copy Fisher’s articles shows that he lacks integrity and honesty.
The US secretary of defense is, by law, a civilian. They are selected from major political figures. The current US secretary of state is John Kerry, a Democrat appointed by US President Barack Obama.
There have been defense secretaries from the academic world, such as William Perry, who was in the position when the 1996 Taiwan Strait crisis started. He had a science background as well as extensive business experience and had previously served as served as US deputy secretary of defense and US under secretary of defense for Research and Engineering.
The only US secretary of defense considered an expert of a US adversary was Robert Gates, appointed by former US president George W. Bush. He was CIA-trained and specialized in the Soviet Union. He was known for his professionalism and management skills and, having been appointed director of the CIA by former US president George H.W. Bush, had experience running a government institution.
Yang relied on his connections with the Military Intelligence Bureau (軍情局). He had written papers on the Chinese communists. When he was confoundingly appointed minister of national defense by Ma, the administration did not perform a miracle, instead they treated Taiwan’s national security as a game.
James Wang is a media commentator.
Translated by Paul Cooper
When it became clear that the world was entering a new era with a radical change in the US’ global stance in US President Donald Trump’s second term, many in Taiwan were concerned about what this meant for the nation’s defense against China. Instability and disruption are dangerous. Chaos introduces unknowns. There was a sense that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) might have a point with its tendency not to trust the US. The world order is certainly changing, but concerns about the implications for Taiwan of this disruption left many blind to how the same forces might also weaken
As the new year dawns, Taiwan faces a range of external uncertainties that could impact the safety and prosperity of its people and reverberate in its politics. Here are a few key questions that could spill over into Taiwan in the year ahead. WILL THE AI BUBBLE POP? The global AI boom supported Taiwan’s significant economic expansion in 2025. Taiwan’s economy grew over 7 percent and set records for exports, imports, and trade surplus. There is a brewing debate among investors about whether the AI boom will carry forward into 2026. Skeptics warn that AI-led global equity markets are overvalued and overleveraged
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Monday announced that she would dissolve parliament on Friday. Although the snap election on Feb. 8 might appear to be a domestic affair, it would have real implications for Taiwan and regional security. Whether the Takaichi-led coalition can advance a stronger security policy lies in not just gaining enough seats in parliament to pass legislation, but also in a public mandate to push forward reforms to upgrade the Japanese military. As one of Taiwan’s closest neighbors, a boost in Japan’s defense capabilities would serve as a strong deterrent to China in acting unilaterally in the
Taiwan last week finally reached a trade agreement with the US, reducing tariffs on Taiwanese goods to 15 percent, without stacking them on existing levies, from the 20 percent rate announced by US President Donald Trump’s administration in August last year. Taiwan also became the first country to secure most-favored-nation treatment for semiconductor and related suppliers under Section 232 of the US Trade Expansion Act. In return, Taiwanese chipmakers, electronics manufacturing service providers and other technology companies would invest US$250 billion in the US, while the government would provide credit guarantees of up to US$250 billion to support Taiwanese firms
RSS