Oh dear, the government has shot itself in the foot again. On Wednesday the Executive Yuan approved an amendment to the Law on Local Government Systems (
Taipei, Taoyuan, Changhua, Tainan and Kaohsiung Counties -- all of which have populations exceeding 1 million -- are also unhappy and have vowed to fight the central government. A war over jurisdiction is about to begin.
After the downsizing of the provincial government, Taiwan's executive system now only has two layers: the central and local (county and city) governments. All county and city governments, as well as the special municipalities of Taipei and Kaohsiung Cities, answer directly to the central government. But the two municipalities have a higher legal status than the counties and "ordinary" cities. Together they get 43 percent of the Tax Redistribution Fund
On the personnel side, special municipality officials hold higher positions than their counterparts in other county and city governments. The chief executives also enjoy much more freedom in personnel appointments. Mayors of the special municipalities can attend Executive Yuan meetings and participate in government policy-making. They also have much closer ties with the central government and have an easier time getting its support when needed. This is why Taichung City's promotion has its rivals upset.
Taichung City's population has now reached 0.96 million. It is central Taiwan's leading player in the economic, political, consumer and cultural spheres. The upgrade will help balance the development of northern, central and southern Taiwan. The problem lies in the central government qualifying the city purely in terms of population -- a standard that inevitably drew anger from other counties and cities with populations of more than 1 million.
The main purpose of the upgrade was to fulfill one of President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) election promises. The move was also designed to boost the re-election bid of Taichung Mayor Chang Wen-ying (張溫鷹), a DPP member. But Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) also promised Taoyuan County -- her constituency -- that it would get upgraded first. And there is no reason why Taipei County, with its 3 million-plus population, should not demand promotion. So upgrading only Taichung City is certainly questionable.
Reforms are certainly needed at the local political level, however, they should not be based on half-baked solutions. The government should draft an administrative district division law (
The government should also amend the current Law Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures
Upgrading Taichung City into a special municipality will have a major significance for regional development. But remember: Taichung's airports and harbor are located in Taichung County. Without good overall planning and complementary measures, the prospects for a city surrounded by a hostile county are not likely to be good.
The gutting of Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) by US President Donald Trump’s administration poses a serious threat to the global voice of freedom, particularly for those living under authoritarian regimes such as China. The US — hailed as the model of liberal democracy — has the moral responsibility to uphold the values it champions. In undermining these institutions, the US risks diminishing its “soft power,” a pivotal pillar of its global influence. VOA Tibetan and RFA Tibetan played an enormous role in promoting the strong image of the US in and outside Tibet. On VOA Tibetan,
Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), the leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), caused a national outrage and drew diplomatic condemnation on Tuesday after he arrived at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office dressed in a Nazi uniform. Sung performed a Nazi salute and carried a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf as he arrived to be questioned over allegations of signature forgery in the recall petition. The KMT’s response to the incident has shown a striking lack of contrition and decency. Rather than apologizing and distancing itself from Sung’s actions,
US President Trump weighed into the state of America’s semiconductor manufacturing when he declared, “They [Taiwan] stole it from us. They took it from us, and I don’t blame them. I give them credit.” At a prior White House event President Trump hosted TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家), head of the world’s largest and most advanced chip manufacturer, to announce a commitment to invest US$100 billion in America. The president then shifted his previously critical rhetoric on Taiwan and put off tariffs on its chips. Now we learn that the Trump Administration is conducting a “trade investigation” on semiconductors which
By now, most of Taiwan has heard Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) threats to initiate a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet. His rationale is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government’s investigation into alleged signature forgery in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) recall campaign constitutes “political persecution.” I sincerely hope he goes through with it. The opposition currently holds a majority in the Legislative Yuan, so the initiation of a no-confidence motion and its passage should be entirely within reach. If Chiang truly believes that the government is overreaching, abusing its power and targeting political opponents — then
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