Speculation over who will be invited to join the new Cabinet is the center of public attention. An unexpected recent turn of events, however, caught everyone off guard: Vice President-elect Annette Lu (
In a democracy, the head of state of course should reject a one-man leadership, and, instead, lead the country through teamwork. Therefore, internal dialogue and negotiations must continue between all members of President-elect Chen Shui-bian's (
Since the vice-presidential office has remained a powerless, back-up position under our constitutional system, many have stressed this point to condemn Lu for overstepping her role. However, the beauty of democracy is in its potential for infinite possibilities; therefore, this constraint should not be totally inflexible and uncompromising.
Furthermore, the election of Chen and Lu has not only started a new era for the rotation of ruling parties in Taiwan, it has also set up a new model of joint administration by both sexes. We should not treat their election as merely symbolic, but make good use of this opportunity. Chen should first demonstrate his sincerity by providing Lu a meaningful opportunity to participate in politics and apply her talents. Whether Chen is capable of accomplishing this may be used as a basis to judge Chen's sincerity about respecting women.
During their campaign for the presidency, Chen and Lu had formally signed a petition from women's organizations requesting that women make up 1/4 of the Cabinet; now they must honor this pledge. Plus, a law passed in the Legislative Yuan just last March states that 1/4 of the elected legislative representatives at all levels of local government shall be women. In other words, the percentage of political participation by women at both the central and local government levels is set to significantly increase.
At this juncture, if the new president could, with even more magnanimity and creativity, help Lu and other female political participants to meaningfully work for our country and allow them to thrive from substantive political participation, it would truly be female politicians' blessing.
This is a new era in which each and every citizen must abandon sexual differences, and learn a new approach to interacting with the opposite sex. In the past, Chen's relationship with his wife has received much praise. It would truly be educational, and exemplary, if his partnership with a female vice president could also be based on positive interaction between the two.
Su Chien-ling is president of the Awakening Foundation.
In a meeting with Haitian Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Victor Harvel Jean-Baptiste on Tuesday, President William Lai (賴清德) vowed to continue providing aid to Haiti. Taiwan supports Haiti with development in areas such as agriculture, healthcare and education through initiatives run by the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF). The nation it has established itself as a responsible, peaceful and innovative actor committed to global cooperation, Jean-Baptiste said. Testimonies such as this give Taiwan a voice in the global community, where it often goes unheard. Taiwan’s reception in Haiti also contrasts with how China has been perceived in countries in the region
On Monday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) delivered a welcome speech at the ILA-ASIL Asia-Pacific Research Forum, addressing more than 50 international law experts from more than 20 countries. With an aim to refute the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) claim to be the successor to the 1945 Chinese government and its assertion that China acquired sovereignty over Taiwan, Lin articulated three key legal positions in his speech: First, the Cairo Declaration and Potsdam Declaration were not legally binding instruments and thus had no legal effect for territorial disposition. All determinations must be based on the San Francisco Peace
On April 13, I stood in Nanan (南安), a Bunun village in southern Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪), absorbing lessons from elders who spoke of the forest not as backdrop, but as living presence — relational, sacred and full of spirit. I was there with fellow international students from National Dong Hwa University (NDHU) participating in a field trip that would become one of the most powerful educational experiences of my life. Ten days later, a news report in the Taipei Times shattered the spell: “Formosan black bear shot and euthanized in Hualien” (April 23, page 2). A tagged bear, previously released
While global headlines often focus on the military balance in the Taiwan Strait or the promise of US intervention, there is a quieter, less visible battle that might ultimately define Taiwan’s future: the battle for intelligence autonomy. Despite widespread global adherence to the “one China” policy, Taiwan has steadily cultivated a unique political identity and security strategy grounded in self-reliance. This approach is not merely symbolic; it is a pragmatic necessity in the face of Beijing’s growing political warfare and infiltration campaigns, many orchestrated by the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS). Taiwan’s intelligence community did not emerge overnight. Its roots
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