In the past when Taiwan's diplomatic personnel returned to Taipei for routine consultations, they behaved as if they were vacationing. They wined and dined, filling up their stomachs while emptying out their heads, before going abroad again. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently changed this practice. The ministry rounded up all of its diplomats back in town for routine consultations and herded them into one-week seminars. The diplomats heard some tough talk from Secretary-General of the Presidential Office Chen Shih-meng (
Diplomacy is challenging work to begin with. Due to Taiwan's unique circumstances, enhanced flexibility is needed. But the foreign ministry is plagued by conservativism. Personnel who came up through the ranks under the KMT administration have proven to be stumbling blocks to the DPP's diplomatic efforts. Given that the bulk of the diplomats' work overseas involves dealing with visitors from Taiwan, newcomers quickly lose their enthusiasm. How can individuals with this kind of morale and mentality handle the intensive diplomatic combat needed to counteract China's efforts to constrain Taiwan?
Two years ago the people chose a new navigator, who has taken the country in a new direction. But the ministry's personnel have not kept pace. As a result, the Presidential Office is bypassing the ministry and giving the responsibility for overseeing some foreign affairs to the National Security Council. Actually, the Chen administration is following former president Lee Teng-hui's (
Breaking down the out-dated foreign-affairs mentality is key for the DPP. China is central to Taiwan's diplomacy. Chen Shih-meng's statement that "the two sides of Taiwan Strait are not Siamese twins, but fraternal twins" neatly summed up the historical ties and the independent sovereignties of the two sides of the Strait. His comment should also serve as a wake-up call to those diplomatic personnel blinded by the "Great China" myth.
Given the disparity in their sizes, Taiwan will surely lose out to China under traditional rules. So any hope of victory can only come through unconventional means, the kind of street-fighting strategy the DPP used to beat the KMT. Chiou was the mastermind of the those strategies. He advocates an offensive strategy, more overseas travel by senior ministers -- who face less restrictions than the president, vice president or premier -- and standing up for Taiwan's rights. Only through such methods can Taiwan avoid the kind of bullying it has been subjected to at APEC and the UN in the past.
But an even more fundamental problem hampering diplomacy is a lack of agreement on a national identity and the unification-independence debate. Taiwan's political parties have all demonstrated an inability to place national interests above their own. PFP Chairman James Soong (
There will be a new presidential administration in the United States in January 2025. It will be important for the Lai (賴清德) administration and America’s next administration to get on the same page quickly and visibly in respective efforts to bolster Taiwan’s security, economic vitality, and dignity and respect on the world stage. One key measure for doing so will be whether Washington and Taipei can coalesce around a common narrative for moving US-Taiwan relations forward. In recent years, Washington and Taipei have leaned into fear as a motivator for coordinated action. For a time, both sides publicly reinforced each other’s
Recently, the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) published three of my articles on the US presidential election, which is to be held on Nov. 5. I would like to share my perspective on the intense and stalemated presidential election with the people of Taiwan, as well as Taiwanese and Chinese Americans in the US. The current consensus of both major US political parties is to counter China and protect Taiwan. However, I do not trust former US president Donald Trump. He has questioned the US’ commitment to defending Taiwan and explicitly stated the significant challenges involved in doing so. “Trump believes
The government is considering building a semiconductor cluster in Europe, specifically in the Czech Republic, to support Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC) new fab in Dresden, Germany, and to help local companies explore new business opportunities there. Europe wants to ensure the security of its semiconductor sector, but a lack of comprehensive supply chains there could pose significant risks to semiconductor clusters. The Czech government is aggressively seeking to build its own semiconductor industry and showing strong interest in collaborating with Taiwanese companies. Executive Yuan Secretary-General Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) on Friday said that Taiwan is optimistic about building a semiconductor cluster in
Embroiled in multiple scandals, Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) on Thursday announced that he would apply for a three-month leave of absence from his role as party leader, creating uncertainty about the future of the TPP and the “new politics” that he had promised to bring. Shortly after his announcement, Ko’s home and office were searched and he was questioned by prosecutors over his suspected involvement in a corruption case related to a real-estate development project. He was arrested early Saturday morning after he refused to be questioned at night and attempted to leave the prosecutors’ office. In
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