The chaos that resulted from last year’s local elections still has not subsided. It has affected a couple of legislative by-elections, and its influence will extend to next year’s presidential and legislative elections.
The consolidation of Taiwan’s democracy and freedom is restricted by the incomplete formation of a national identity, which is a crisis.
The People’s Republic of China seems to think that its deceptive policies are working, as it knocks on the nation’s gate dressed in sheep’s clothing. Some Taiwanese do not see the danger and are hypnotized by the incessant knocking, while it wakes the inner wolf in others and encourages them to open the door.
From anti-communism to defeatism, this is where the evil of the colonial forces lies.
The biggest problem facing the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which controls the presidency and the legislature, is Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲). Since his election in 2016, he has not worked with the DPP, despite its backing.
It is as if Ko has identified the power struggle within the party, and — seeing former members of the now-defunct New Tide faction as his enemies — is working to undermine the DPP administration.
The trouble starts within the party itself. It is often said that people are unhappy because of their perception that, once in power, the DPP did not treat them the way they thought they should be treated.
When Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) politicians saw they would not have a share in the spoils, they also began to thwart the party.
Just look at the number of politicians who have become political commentators, making empty pronouncements. How many of them betray their previous political views? It would be a surprise if it is not every single one of them.
If it turned out that Ko was taking a more engaged approach to reform, and focused more on democracy and progress, there would be no reason that the DPP could not be replaced, but this is not the case.
The crack created by Ko has also resulted in Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜). No one knows yet if a crack will also appear in the KMT, but with Ko in the north and Han in the south, the balance is shifting toward Han.
Foreigners are not the only ones confused by the nonsensical politics in Taiwan, even Taiwanese find them embarrassing.
Ko might think of himself as clever, but he might be too clever for his own good — and end up with all the blame.
An opinion poll comparing the chances of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Ko and Han in a hypothetical 2020 race put Han first, with Ko second.
The Taipei mayor thinks that he is in charge, but reality says otherwise. He thinks that he can replace Tsai, when he might instead be replaced by Han, thus helping representatives of the old KMT regime, who he disdains, achieve their goals.
The KMT would prevent Taiwan from improving, but where would it take Taiwan?
Astonishingly, with their eyes wide open, people who enjoy democracy and freedom are applauding as their country collapses.
Ko and Han are two variables in Taiwan’s political development and they have upset things. One is not a KMT member, the other is, and they both consider the DPP to be a political enemy.
What will happen to Ko if he focuses on short-term political achievements, while ignoring the greater danger — Han? Folk wisdom has it that Taiwanese are selfish and unable to unite. What does Ko, who holds himself in such high esteem, think?
Lee Min-yung is a poet.
Translated by Perry Svensson
A series of strong earthquakes in Hualien County not only caused severe damage in Taiwan, but also revealed that China’s power has permeated everywhere. A Taiwanese woman posted on the Internet that she found clips of the earthquake — which were recorded by the security camera in her home — on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu. It is spine-chilling that the problem might be because the security camera was manufactured in China. China has widely collected information, infringed upon public privacy and raised information security threats through various social media platforms, as well as telecommunication and security equipment. Several former TikTok employees revealed
Two sets of economic data released last week by the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) have drawn mixed reactions from the public: One on the nation’s economic performance in the first quarter of the year and the other on Taiwan’s household wealth distribution in 2021. GDP growth for the first quarter was faster than expected, at 6.51 percent year-on-year, an acceleration from the previous quarter’s 4.93 percent and higher than the agency’s February estimate of 5.92 percent. It was also the highest growth since the second quarter of 2021, when the economy expanded 8.07 percent, DGBAS data showed. The growth
At the same time as more than 30 military aircraft were detected near Taiwan — one of the highest daily incursions this year — with some flying as close as 37 nautical miles (69kms) from the northern city of Keelung, China announced a limited and selected relaxation of restrictions on Taiwanese agricultural exports and tourism, upon receiving a Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) delegation led by KMT legislative caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅崑萁). This demonstrates the two-faced gimmick of China’s “united front” strategy. Despite the strongest earthquake to hit the nation in 25 years striking Hualien on April 3, which caused
In the intricate ballet of geopolitics, names signify more than mere identification: They embody history, culture and sovereignty. The recent decision by China to refer to Arunachal Pradesh as “Tsang Nan” or South Tibet, and to rename Tibet as “Xizang,” is a strategic move that extends beyond cartography into the realm of diplomatic signaling. This op-ed explores the implications of these actions and India’s potential response. Names are potent symbols in international relations, encapsulating the essence of a nation’s stance on territorial disputes. China’s choice to rename regions within Indian territory is not merely a linguistic exercise, but a symbolic assertion