While attending the funeral of anti-nuclear activist Chen Ching-tang (
Chen's message can be interpreted in two ways -- that even though construction of the plant has resumed, Taiwan society has already reached a consensus on a nuclear-free homeland or that the movement against the plant will surely succeed. Ever since the government was forced to resume the plant's construction, the DPP has continually tried to rekindle debate on the issue, demanding a halt to the construction and suggesting that the plant be turned into a nuclear energy museum instead of being made operational. Given the DPP's anti-nuclear-power stance, questions have been raised about the government's supervision of the construction. Four companies subcontracted by China Shipbuilding (
Another uproar was sparked Sunday when the government announced the administrative penalties that those linked to the substandard construction would receive. China Shipbuilding's general manager Chiang Yuan-chang (
But the damage to both the government and the DPP's reputation will be harder to repair. The government should severely punish all officials who are found guilty of dereliction of duty, no matter who they are. The DPP must investigate whether its lawmakers were indeed involved in influence-peddling and mete out severe punishments to those found guilty.
Even though the DPP is not happy about the plant, it must face reality. If the government tries again to halt construction, its credibility will go down the drain and the negative impact on domestic and foreign investment will be profound. The most responsible strategy for the government is to ensure the plant is built well and operates smoothly and safely. The government is already working to set up a cross-party task force to monitor the plant. Such a task force should include people from both sides of the nuclear divide in order to ensure the group operates objectively and fairly in overseeing construction, the awarding of future contracts, the plant's operation and the handling of nuclear waste.
The Fourth Nuclear Power Plant has already been a political disaster for the government and the DPP. Both must now do all they can to avert the possibility of a real nuclear disaster.
US President Donald Trump has gotten off to a head-spinning start in his foreign policy. He has pressured Denmark to cede Greenland to the United States, threatened to take over the Panama Canal, urged Canada to become the 51st US state, unilaterally renamed the Gulf of Mexico to “the Gulf of America” and announced plans for the United States to annex and administer Gaza. He has imposed and then suspended 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico for their roles in the flow of fentanyl into the United States, while at the same time increasing tariffs on China by 10
As an American living in Taiwan, I have to confess how impressed I have been over the years by the Chinese Communist Party’s wholehearted embrace of high-speed rail and electric vehicles, and this at a time when my own democratic country has chosen a leader openly committed to doing everything in his power to put obstacles in the way of sustainable energy across the board — and democracy to boot. It really does make me wonder: “Are those of us right who hold that democracy is the right way to go?” Has Taiwan made the wrong choice? Many in China obviously
About 6.1 million couples tied the knot last year, down from 7.28 million in 2023 — a drop of more than 20 percent, data from the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs showed. That is more serious than the precipitous drop of 12.2 percent in 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the saying goes, a single leaf reveals an entire autumn. The decline in marriages reveals problems in China’s economic development, painting a dismal picture of the nation’s future. A giant question mark hangs over economic data that Beijing releases due to a lack of clarity, freedom of the press
US President Donald Trump last week announced plans to impose reciprocal tariffs on eight countries. As Taiwan, a key hub for semiconductor manufacturing, is among them, the policy would significantly affect the country. In response, Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo (郭智輝) dispatched two officials to the US for negotiations, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC) board of directors convened its first-ever meeting in the US. Those developments highlight how the US’ unstable trade policies are posing a growing threat to Taiwan. Can the US truly gain an advantage in chip manufacturing by reversing trade liberalization? Is it realistic to