Participants in a forum organized by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday supported the party’s efforts to promote democratization in China, but appeared to be divided on the possible outcome of those efforts and what impact they would have on Taiwan.
“While opinions toward the DPP’s support and assistance of the democratic movement in China varied, everyone agreed that Taiwan should strengthen and deepen its own democracy before trying to make a contribution to Chinese democracy,” Greater Tainan Mayor William Lai (賴清德), convener of the forum, said afterwards.
“We do have high hopes for Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平). Hopefully, he will democratize China and be the country’s Mr Democracy because a democratized China would dramatically reduce differences across the Taiwan Strait,” Lai said.
Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦), spokesperson of the DPP’s China Affairs Committee, said in a press briefing after the closed-door forum — which was attended by about 80 DPP members, academics, advocates and Chinese students — that participants had differing views on whether the DPP should engage with China’s democratic movement.
Some thought that the DPP should get engaged while others said it was better off sitting on the sidelines and acting as cheerleaders, Cheng said.
Participants were also divided on the implications of a democraticed China, with some saying that democracy does not guarantee that Beijing would try to resolve the cross-strait issue peacefully, given the strong nationalistic sentiment that is prevalent in China, he said.
Others said a democracy is less likely to resort to violence and war, he said.
However, most agreed that democratization in China would be an important factor for Taiwan’s security, as is Taiwan’s determination to deepen its democracy, which would always be an example for the Chinese who long for a free and democratic country, Cheng said.
DPP Legislator Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) advocated an “engagement and enlargement” approach, urging the party to engage in bilateral exchanges, be the voice of Taiwanese and increase its collaboration with China’s civil society, Cheng said.
The DPP should pay closer attention to human rights issues in China and to review its policy position toward Chinese students in Taiwan because easing restrictions on scholarships and working permits would be a positive way of expressing goodwill and promoting bilateral dialogues, Cheng quoted Hung Chih-kune (洪智坤), a member of the DPP’s Central Executive Committee, as saying during the forum.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS