China’s oppression of its own citizens and dissidents not only harms human rights domestically, but also casts a shadow on its neighbors. Taiwan’s frontline fight against the rollback of human rights requires global attention and support from other democratic countries.
The UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday conducted a new universal periodic review on China. It is clear and without doubt that Beijing’s continued repression of human rights has triggered waves of criticisms and protests domestically, and also cast a shadow on its neighbors.
Over the past few years, protests in Tibet, Xinjiang and Hong Kong have demonstrated the people’s desire for democracy and greater human rights protections. The introduction of a social credit system and the forced disappearance of pro-democracy activists have raised concerns. China’s violent suppression and refusal to acknowledge the appeals of the public is disheartening.
The international media have extensively covered the Chinese government’s forced rehabilitation of Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region “re-education camps.” The Chinese government’s labeling of innocent individuals as “extremists” and its systematic efforts to eradicate the unique culture and Islamic faith of the Uighurs are clear indicators of ongoing minority oppression in China.
China is also tightening its grip on the ability of individuals in Hong Kong to participate in politics. The disqualifications of Lau Siu-lai (劉小麗) and others in an effort to silence the public are in gross violation of the “one country, two systems” declaration and threaten Hong Kong’s civic society. China’s continued repression will only further alienate Hong Kong’s citizens and expose “one country under two systems” as a myth.
The New Power Party (NPP), as a party native to Taiwan, an advocate for the establishment of national normalcy and supporter of democracy in the region, urges the international community to take its responsibility in view of China’s human rights violations.
China’s use of economic coercion and the Belt and Road Initiative to export its own imperialistic ambitions threatens to undo half a century of democracy, human rights and rule of law in the region. Only through collective efforts can we reverse the humanitarian crisis of the century.
With local elections on Nov. 24, Taiwan is all the more vulnerable to China’s meddling and encroachment. The NPP appeals to the international community to join forces in condemning China, to call for an end to its internal repression and external economic coercion, and to declare their support for democracy in Taiwan — allowing Taiwan to continue to be a champion of human rights and peace in the global community.
Chen Nah-chia is an NPP press officer. She holds a master’s of international politics from the School of African and Oriental Studies at the University of London and was previously a legislative assistant for the NPP caucus. Shieh Yi-hsiang is a postgraduate student at George Washington University in Washington. He was previously also an NPP legislative assistant.
Donald Trump’s return to the White House has offered Taiwan a paradoxical mix of reassurance and risk. Trump’s visceral hostility toward China could reinforce deterrence in the Taiwan Strait. Yet his disdain for alliances and penchant for transactional bargaining threaten to erode what Taiwan needs most: a reliable US commitment. Taiwan’s security depends less on US power than on US reliability, but Trump is undermining the latter. Deterrence without credibility is a hollow shield. Trump’s China policy in his second term has oscillated wildly between confrontation and conciliation. One day, he threatens Beijing with “massive” tariffs and calls China America’s “greatest geopolitical
On Sunday, 13 new urgent care centers (UCC) officially began operations across the six special municipalities. The purpose of the centers — which are open from 8am to midnight on Sundays and national holidays — is to reduce congestion in hospital emergency rooms, especially during the nine-day Lunar New Year holiday next year. It remains to be seen how effective these centers would be. For one, it is difficult for people to judge for themselves whether their condition warrants visiting a major hospital or a UCC — long-term public education and health promotions are necessary. Second, many emergency departments acknowledge
US President Donald Trump’s seemingly throwaway “Taiwan is Taiwan” statement has been appearing in headlines all over the media. Although it appears to have been made in passing, the comment nevertheless reveals something about Trump’s views and his understanding of Taiwan’s situation. In line with the Taiwan Relations Act, the US and Taiwan enjoy unofficial, but close economic, cultural and national defense ties. They lack official diplomatic relations, but maintain a partnership based on shared democratic values and strategic alignment. Excluding China, Taiwan maintains a level of diplomatic relations, official or otherwise, with many nations worldwide. It can be said that
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) made the astonishing assertion during an interview with Germany’s Deutsche Welle, published on Friday last week, that Russian President Vladimir Putin is not a dictator. She also essentially absolved Putin of blame for initiating the war in Ukraine. Commentators have since listed the reasons that Cheng’s assertion was not only absurd, but bordered on dangerous. Her claim is certainly absurd to the extent that there is no need to discuss the substance of it: It would be far more useful to assess what drove her to make the point and stick so
RSS