Former DPP chairman Shih Ming-te's (
Dreaming of a Greater China and calling for direct links across the Taiwan Strait, Shih veered away from the DPP's political platform several years ago and he eventually left the party. Surely Shih's chances of winning in December are as slim as those of another former DPP chairman, Hsu Hsin-liang (
movement.
Politicians usually have a strong sense of mission as well as a strong desire for power. It is distressing, however, to see the almost suicidal inclinations of Taiwan's older generation of politicians, no matter what their ideology. In mature democracies, politicians are often take on a completely different role once they leave office -- Jimmy Carter's globetrotting for the Carter Center's programs for peace and better health around the world is a prime example. But for Taiwan's activists and politicians, politics is their lifeblood. A rare exception to the rule so far is former DPP chairman Lin I-hsiung (
The early opposition leaders paid a heavy price for their devotion to democracy. Shih spent more than two decades in prison because of the Kaohsiung Incident. Hsu was blacklisted by the KMT and forced into exile for more than a decade. But now most of the ideals they fought for for so long for have become reality and the party they struggled to build is now in power. Giving orders and engaging in conflict are part and parcel of their personalities, not following orders and coordinating with others. At odds with the current party leadership, they can only search for another battlefield.
But is not just Shih and Hsu who can't let go of politics. Former president Lee Teng-hui (
Shih's defeat in last year's legislative elections highlighted the gap between his views and those of the general public. His chances in the Kaohsiung mayoral race are even slimmer. Only the "pan blue" camp stands to benefit from the situation. It looks as if political ideals have lost out to personal grudges in Taiwanese politics once again.
Concerns that the US might abandon Taiwan are often overstated. While US President Donald Trump’s handling of Ukraine raised unease in Taiwan, it is crucial to recognize that Taiwan is not Ukraine. Under Trump, the US views Ukraine largely as a European problem, whereas the Indo-Pacific region remains its primary geopolitical focus. Taipei holds immense strategic value for Washington and is unlikely to be treated as a bargaining chip in US-China relations. Trump’s vision of “making America great again” would be directly undermined by any move to abandon Taiwan. Despite the rhetoric of “America First,” the Trump administration understands the necessity of
In an article published on this page on Tuesday, Kaohsiung-based journalist Julien Oeuillet wrote that “legions of people worldwide would care if a disaster occurred in South Korea or Japan, but the same people would not bat an eyelid if Taiwan disappeared.” That is quite a statement. We are constantly reading about the importance of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), hailed in Taiwan as the nation’s “silicon shield” protecting it from hostile foreign forces such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and so crucial to the global supply chain for semiconductors that its loss would cost the global economy US$1
US President Donald Trump’s challenge to domestic American economic-political priorities, and abroad to the global balance of power, are not a threat to the security of Taiwan. Trump’s success can go far to contain the real threat — the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) surge to hegemony — while offering expanded defensive opportunities for Taiwan. In a stunning affirmation of the CCP policy of “forceful reunification,” an obscene euphemism for the invasion of Taiwan and the destruction of its democracy, on March 13, 2024, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) used Chinese social media platforms to show the first-time linkage of three new
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