The dust has settled on the first phase of Taiwan’s unprecedented mass recall movement. While 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers survived what many considered to be a political death sentence, the real significance lies not in who won or lost, but in what the democratic experiment revealed
National defense is not just about weapons and alliances. It begins in daily life — around the dinner table, at the pharmacy, when you turn on the tap or switch on the light.If Taiwan is serious about defending itself — not only from invasion, but from paralysis — it must broaden its definition of d
An internship system that charges tuition without offering wages is not merely unjust — it is corrosive. When students perform tasks indistinguishable from full-time staff, working long hours and shouldering near-professional responsibilities under the guise of “education,” the problem goes far beyo
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Stealth submarines fitted with space-shooting lasers, supply chain sabotage and custom-built attack satellites armed with ion thrusters. Those are just some of the strategies Chinese scientists have been developing to counter what Beijing sees as a potent threat: businessman Elon Musk’ s armada of S
The UK and France, the two countries most responsible for Israel’s creation, are set to punish Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government for their abuses in Gaza by recognizing a Palestinian State. Would it make a blind bit of difference to suffering in the Strip, or bring the cre
US President Trump last week announced that he had reached an agreement with Japan to reduce its tariff rate to 15 percent from the 25 percent he announced on July 8. Trump early this week said he had also cut a trade deal with the EU and had agreed to lower the tariff on EU imports to 15 percent, t
A popular Taiwanese adage claims that with every grain of rice comes a hundred drops of sweat (“一粒米、百粒汗”). In a crisis scenario in which tensions in the Taiwan Strait disrupt imports and global supply chains, that grain would carry an even heavier weight. Boosting food security must become a core el
Former CIA director and retired US Army general David Petraeus on Monday participated in a forum hosted by the Hudson Institute think tank, at which he discussed lessons Taiwan can learn from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As a close observer of the Ukraine war, Petraeus pointed out the deep influ
Last week’s mass recall votes were unsuccessful for several reasons. First, a universal NT$10,000 cash handout is quite appealing to the general public. Very few people would stop to consider whether the Legislative Yuan has the authority to pass such a measure, and even fewer would think about whet
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The world’s highest court has finally spoken on climate change. Delivering the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) advisory opinion from The Hague, Netherlands, last week, the president of the ICJ, Judge Yuji Iwasawa from Japan, confirmed that there is an “urgent and existential threat posed by c
As China’s fiscal conditions worsen, a scandal at the Shaolin Temple has ignited a debate over who owns the monastic institution’s cultural heritage and how to commercialize the world-famous brand.Authorities are investigating Shi Yongxin (釋永信), the long-time abbot of the monastery at the foot of a
When US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen shook hands at Trump’s Scottish golf resort on Sunday, they were not just announcing a new trade deal — they were formalizing Europe’s economic and ideological surrender. By agreeing to 15 percent tariffs on most e
British Secretary of State for Defence John Healey on Sunday said that the UK is ready to fight in the Pacific if necessary, making a clear signal of British alignment with allies in the region over a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan. Healey made the remarks on board the Royal Navy’s HMS Prince
A cropped image of Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) pointing to a blackboard that says: “Year-end bonus... Every resident gets NT$40,000 [US$1,337]... Taichung has a NT$12 billion surplus... Academics urge the government to return the money to the people,” has been circulating online for several da
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party on July 11 leveraged their legislative majority to pass the third reading of the Special Act for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience in Response to International Circumstances (因應國際情勢強化經濟社會及國土安全韌性特別條例). It
In the aftermath of the recall votes on Saturday last week, international media headlines declared: “Voters in Taiwan reject bid to oust China-friendly lawmakers” (The Associated Press, July 26) and: “Attempt to unseat 24 ‘pro-China’ opposition politicians in Taiwan fails” (Guardian, July 26).The do
The “Great Recall” movement — targeting 31 legislators, more than one-fourth of the Legislative Yuan — marked a milestone in Taiwan’s constitutional history. While the results might not have shifted parliamentary power, the campaign’s institutional, social and geopolitical effects highlight a crucia
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