As part of the New Year celebrations, all of Taiwan's presidential candidates, and much of the rest of the political class as a whole, made a point of visiting temples of various sorts. Religious observance, even for non-believers, has become a political imperative in Taiwan's democracy.
There is nothing unusual about this, we see the same in most other countries. When a large segment of the population believes something, anyone who wishes to win their support and trust ought, at least, to show respect for religious observances, not to mention the ready-made opportunity for politicians to meet and greet where crowds gather for important celebrations.
In a religiously pluralistic society, the politicians need to give each of the main sects "equal time" as well -- in a competitive political environment, one can hardly risk alienating any group of voters. Thus we see our candidates dutifully trooping off to all manner of Buddhist, Taoist, and Christian houses of worship.
By contrast, one of the hallmarks of an unfree society is a lack of tolerance for religious faith. Until the modern era, it was commonplace in many societies to restrict or discriminate against minority religions; however, the restriction of religion in general is a peculiar aberration of the twentieth century, particularly with the rise of communism, which attempted to replace all religion -- famously dubbed "the opiate of the masses" -- with scientific materialism. The effort has, of course, proved to be a failure. Religion instead became a locus of resistance to communist regimes, and as a source of solace for those who suffered at their hands.
Today, we see how the Chinese communists, despite their relatively enthusiastic embrace of the so-called "modern" virtues of capitalism and technology, continue to face the fact that they are unable to provide for the spiritual needs of their society. Perhaps Marx' use of the word "opium" carries special resonance in China. But it is clear that this failure is posing the greatest challenge to the social stability on which the rule of the Communist Party depends.
To celebrate the New Year holiday, the state provided fireworks and bright lights to the masses -- a modern version of the bread and circuses offered by ancient Roman emperors. However, genuine religious practice continues to be a dangerous activity, something to be done in secret, in the privacy of one's one home. Certainly no political figure would dare to be seen participating in organized religion. To maintain a faith is to be made perforce into a conspirator against authority.
The New Year in China has brought a renewed crackdown on the Falun Gong (
Yesterday marked the celebration of the Tibetan New Year, this year falling only one day after the Chinese festival. The most noteworthy marker of this year's celebrations have been the public appearances given by the Karmapa Lama, the first since he fled the clutches of the Chinese security forces. By leaving Tibet, he has foiled Beijing's plan to use him as the instrument of the final destruction of the Tibetan Buddhist faith.
The persecution of Christians is increasing; the recent tensions over the freedom of operation of the Catholic Church are only the latest manifestation. And Islam, widely practiced in western China by both ethnic Chinese and Turkic peoples, has also suffered.
In short, the entire spectrum of religions in the vast territory and population of China continue to suffer severe state persecution. The passing of another New Year holiday in China serves only to point up the backwardness, as well as the weakness, of the communist regime.
As the new year dawns, Taiwan faces a range of external uncertainties that could impact the safety and prosperity of its people and reverberate in its politics. Here are a few key questions that could spill over into Taiwan in the year ahead. WILL THE AI BUBBLE POP? The global AI boom supported Taiwan’s significant economic expansion in 2025. Taiwan’s economy grew over 7 percent and set records for exports, imports, and trade surplus. There is a brewing debate among investors about whether the AI boom will carry forward into 2026. Skeptics warn that AI-led global equity markets are overvalued and overleveraged
An elderly mother and her daughter were found dead in Kaohsiung after having not been seen for several days, discovered only when a foul odor began to spread and drew neighbors’ attention. There have been many similar cases, but it is particularly troubling that some of the victims were excluded from the social welfare safety net because they did not meet eligibility criteria. According to media reports, the middle-aged daughter had sought help from the local borough warden. Although the warden did step in, many services were unavailable without out-of-pocket payments due to issues with eligibility, leaving the warden’s hands
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Monday announced that she would dissolve parliament on Friday. Although the snap election on Feb. 8 might appear to be a domestic affair, it would have real implications for Taiwan and regional security. Whether the Takaichi-led coalition can advance a stronger security policy lies in not just gaining enough seats in parliament to pass legislation, but also in a public mandate to push forward reforms to upgrade the Japanese military. As one of Taiwan’s closest neighbors, a boost in Japan’s defense capabilities would serve as a strong deterrent to China in acting unilaterally in the
Taiwan last week finally reached a trade agreement with the US, reducing tariffs on Taiwanese goods to 15 percent, without stacking them on existing levies, from the 20 percent rate announced by US President Donald Trump’s administration in August last year. Taiwan also became the first country to secure most-favored-nation treatment for semiconductor and related suppliers under Section 232 of the US Trade Expansion Act. In return, Taiwanese chipmakers, electronics manufacturing service providers and other technology companies would invest US$250 billion in the US, while the government would provide credit guarantees of up to US$250 billion to support Taiwanese firms
RSS