The presidential election marked the start of another stage in the development of a Taiwanese identity, former president Lee Teng-hui (
Thousands of people from southern Taiwan flocked to the Tainan Municipal Cultural Center for the event, and thousands more sat outside in 32?C heat. The meeting was the second of three seminars examining the impact of the presidential election on the development of the nation's democracy and rule of law.
Lee said that, although the March 20 presidential election was seen as a victory for mainstream Taiwanese identity, "it is only the beginning of the rise of Taiwanese awareness."
He said the country still faces many tests such as the year-end legislative elections, reforming the electoral system, generating a consensus on the need to create a new constitution and the challenges coming from China.
"All these changes need the backing of the mainstream Taiwanese identity," he said.
Lee lambasted the pan-blue camp's efforts to trample the democracy and rule of law that Taiwanese have worked so hard to build.
"Not only did pan-blue resistance cause social instability, it hurt Taiwan's international reputation. It is hard to approve of putting personal power and party benefits ahead of social concerns and national image."
Lee said the blue camp has failed to examine itself critically, risking the future of its parties' development and any role they might play in balancing the nation's democracy.
Lee said that rather than nurturing a new generation or staging a revolution within the blue camp, establishing a mainstream identity should be the alliance's priority.
He added that loving Taiwan is a path that must be followed.
"It is not an election slogan," he said, but a national consensus needed for the country's development.
Loving Taiwan reflects where people stand on sovereignty, the languages and cultures of the country and where the nation's development is prioritized, Lee said, adding that these considerations are independent of ethnicity.
Narrowing Taiwanese identity to the issue of ethnicity shows either a lack of understanding of the issue or an intentional change of focus, he said.
Lee said Taiwan has yet to become a normal democratic country.
"Taiwan's democracy and rule of law still require care and consolidation," he said. "Both the mainstream Taiwanese identity and the spirit of loving Taiwan need to be enhanced."
Former judge Su Chun-hsiung (
"Only if the spirit of democracy develops can Taiwan become a democratic and peaceful society," Su said.
According to Su, the blue camp keeps saying it wants justice, but can't look at things rationally, doesn't want to accept recommendations by experts and doesn't understand the sprit of democracy.
Su referred to the contentious 2000 US presidential election between Al Gore and George W. Bush and called on the coalition to follow Gore's lead by respecting the rule of law and valuing social peace.
"Even though everyone has a right to his or her opinions, we should exercise rationality," Su said.
Political commentator Paul Lin (
"China has ceased interaction with Taiwan, but isn't that a good thing?" he said.
Lin said China's interaction has one purpose: to further its sovereignty claims over Taiwan. By next year Beijing will find excuses to ease the tension, he added.
Lin said Taiwan shouldn't let down its guard over China's military threat, but added that the likelihood of China invading is low.
Lin said the US would be mistaken if it were to believe China is a normal country.
"But China is not a normal country. It is abnormal and a bully," he said.
Lin urged Chen to act with wisdom in countering China and to avoid acting hastily.
He added that people should beware of slanted media coverage.
"Even the most anti-China media in Hong Kong are pro-blue. I hope people in Taiwan can work toward boycotting such biased media propaganda," he said.
NO-LIMITS PARTNERSHIP: ‘The bottom line’ is that if the US were to have a conflict with China or Russia it would likely open up a second front with the other, a US senator said Beijing and Moscow could cooperate in a conflict over Taiwan, the top US intelligence chief told the US Senate this week. “We see China and Russia, for the first time, exercising together in relation to Taiwan and recognizing that this is a place where China definitely wants Russia to be working with them, and we see no reason why they wouldn’t,” US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told a US Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing on Thursday. US Senator Mike Rounds asked Haines about such a potential scenario. He also asked US Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse
INSPIRING: Taiwan has been a model in the Asia-Pacific region with its democratic transition, free and fair elections and open society, the vice president-elect said Taiwan can play a leadership role in the Asia-Pacific region, vice president-elect Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) told a forum in Taipei yesterday, highlighting the nation’s resilience in the face of geopolitical challenges. “Not only can Taiwan help, but Taiwan can lead ... not only can Taiwan play a leadership role, but Taiwan’s leadership is important to the world,” Hsiao told the annual forum hosted by the Center for Asia-Pacific Resilience and Innovation think tank. Hsiao thanked Taiwan’s international friends for their long-term support, citing the example of US President Joe Biden last month signing into law a bill to provide aid to Taiwan,
China’s intrusive and territorial claims in the Indo-Pacific region are “illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive,” new US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo said on Friday, adding that he would continue working with allies and partners to keep the area free and open. Paparo made the remarks at a change-of-command ceremony at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii, where he took over the command from Admiral John Aquilino. “Our world faces a complex problem set in the troubling actions of the People’s Republic of China [PRC] and its rapid buildup of forces. We must be ready to answer the PRC’s increasingly intrusive and
STATE OF THE NATION: The legislature should invite the president to deliver an address every year, the TPP said, adding that Lai should also have to answer legislators’ questions The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday proposed inviting president-elect William Lai (賴清德) to make a historic first state of the nation address at the legislature following his inauguration on May 20. Lai is expected to face many domestic and international challenges, and should clarify his intended policies with the public’s representatives, KMT caucus secretary-general Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷) said when making the proposal at a meeting of the legislature’s Procedure Committee. The committee voted to add the item to the agenda for Friday, along with another similar proposal put forward by the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP). The invitation is in line with Article 15-2