The furor triggered by shoddy construction at the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant and allegations of corruption surrounding the awarding of construction contracts for the plant may prove to be the most serious political crisis to face the DPP government.
TSU Legislator Su Ying-kui (
The Fourth Nuclear Power Plant has been a deeply divisive issue from the very beginning. Construction began under the KMT government, but was halted in October 2000 by then premier Chang Chun-hsiung (
China Shipbuilding's general manager served as campaign manager for Liang Mu-yang (
The DPP rose to power on an anti-corruption platform. The pervasive corruption of the KMT era was a major reason people refused to vote for the KMT's candidate, Lien Chan (
The shoddy construction of a reactor pedestal for the plant by China Shipbuilding occurred years ago -- while the KMT was still in power -- although it was not reported until recently. A lack of oversight during the KMT era, or perhaps it was the pervasive cronyism that existed back then, apparently allowed China Shipbuilding to think it could get away with such practices -- even for something as potentially dangerous as a nuclear power plant. While it would be easy to lay the blame for such actions at the KMT's door, the DPP must accept political responsibility for ensuring the flaws in the pedestal are corrected and that other such errors do not exist in the materials and equipment being used for the plant.
Corruption and the abuse of power exist all over the world. But it would be a shame if a few black sheep could destroy the future of a government in which so many people of Taiwan have put their hopes in. The DPP government must attach special importance to the moral integrity of its members. Only then will it not disappoint its voters.
For Taipei, last year was a particularly dangerous period, with China stepping up coercive pressures on Taiwan amid signs of US President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline, which eventually led his Democratic Party to force him to abandon his re-election campaign. The political drift in the US bred uncertainty in Taiwan and elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific region about American strategic commitment and resolve. With America deeply involved in the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, the last thing Washington wanted was a Taiwan Strait contingency, which is why Biden invested in personal diplomacy with China’s dictator Xi Jinping (習近平). The return of
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has long been a cornerstone of US foreign policy, advancing not only humanitarian aid but also the US’ strategic interests worldwide. The abrupt dismantling of USAID under US President Donald Trump ‘s administration represents a profound miscalculation with dire consequences for global influence, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. By withdrawing USAID’s presence, Washington is creating a vacuum that China is eager to fill, a shift that will directly weaken Taiwan’s international position while emboldening Beijing’s efforts to isolate Taipei. USAID has been a crucial player in countering China’s global expansion, particularly in regions where
Looking at the state of China’s economy this year, many experts have said that weak domestic demand and insufficient internal consumption might be its Achilles’ heel, with the latter being related to culture and demographics. Since Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) took office in 2013, he has been combating extravagance and corruption as well as rectifying a bad atmosphere. China expert Stephen Roach said the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) regulatory crackdown has been targeting Chinese tycoons, such as Alibaba Group Holding Ltd founder Jack Ma (馬雲), and opposing what the CCP defines as “excessively extravagant lifestyles,” such as playing too
With the manipulations of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), it is no surprise that this year’s budget plan would make government operations difficult. The KMT and the TPP passing malicious legislation in the past year has caused public ire to accumulate, with the pressure about to erupt like a volcano. Civic groups have successively backed recall petition drives and public consensus has reached a fever-pitch, with no let up during the long Lunar New Year holiday. The ire has even breached the mindsets of former staunch KMT and TPP supporters. Most Taiwanese have vowed to use