Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
That was, of course, Ma's attempt on the eve of the second debate to show that he really cared about Taiwan after all. It's interesting that he felt he had to do this. After all, his disproportionately mainlander Taipei constituency doesn't care about Taiwan -- except as a foxhole -- and never has. Could Ma's new-found concern for Taiwan's dignity -- which he has done as much as anyone to trash in the last two years since the KMT fell in love with the goal of Greater China regional hegemony under PRC leadership -- reveal something of his wider ambitions? Being Beijing's stooge might be safe in Taipei but plays very poorly indeed in southern Taiwan, which Ma will need if he wants to oust President Chen Shui-bian (
And so we come to the debate yesterday which was very much of an anticlimax. After the murder of Taipei City Councilor Chen Chin-chi (
One of the best parts of DPP candidate Lee Ying-yuan's (
In all fairness though, what the Chen murder really makes one think about is not a lack of safety on the capital's streets, but the murky world of the City Council and many of those who sit on it -- with their close relationship to organized crime.
Beyond this the debate was rather dull, going on at length about trash bags and commute time to CKS airport. Probably the most interesting question was on renaming Taipei's streets, with their nauseating litany of China-derived names, redolent as they are of KMT colonialism. This was something that should have tripped up Ma, but Lee gave him an easy ride -- as he generally did, in fact, all through the debates.
Another issue which could have been fruitfully pursued was why Ma supports the fetishism of mainland culture by his Bureau of Cultural Affairs, or what his problem might be with flying the flag. But the lasting impression of the debates has to be puzzlement about why it is that the DPP can swing away but never seems to be able to land a punch, even on an opponent as vulnerable as Ma. When will they learn?
In an article published in Newsweek on Monday last week, President William Lai (賴清德) challenged China to retake territories it lost to Russia in the 19th century rather than invade Taiwan. “If it is really for the sake of territorial integrity, why doesn’t China take back Russia?” Lai asked, referring to territories lost in 1858 and 1860. The territories once made up the two flanks of northern Manchuria. Once ceded to Russia, they became part of the Russian far east. Claims since then have been made that China and Russia settled the disputes in the 1990s through the 2000s and that “China
Trips to the Kenting Peninsula in Pingtung County have dredged up a lot of public debate and furor, with many complaints about how expensive and unreasonable lodging is. Some people even call it a tourist “butchering ground.” Many local business owners stake claims to beach areas by setting up parasols and driving away people who do not rent them. The managing authority for the area — Kenting National Park — has long ignored the issue. Ultimately, this has affected the willingness of domestic travelers to go there, causing tourist numbers to plummet. In 2008, Taiwan opened the door to Chinese tourists and in
On Tuesday, President William Lai (賴清德) met with a delegation from the Hoover Institution, a think tank based at Stanford University in California, to discuss strengthening US-Taiwan relations and enhancing peace and stability in the region. The delegation was led by James Ellis Jr, co-chair of the institution’s Taiwan in the Indo-Pacific Region project and former commander of the US Strategic Command. It also included former Australian minister for foreign affairs Marise Payne, influential US academics and other former policymakers. Think tank diplomacy is an important component of Taiwan’s efforts to maintain high-level dialogue with other nations with which it does
Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je’s (柯文哲) arrest is a significant development. He could have become president or vice president on a shared TPP-Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) ticket and could have stood again in 2028. If he is found guilty, there would be little chance of that, but what of his party? What about the third force in Taiwanese politics? What does this mean for the disenfranchised young people who he attracted, and what does it mean for his ambitious and ideologically fickle right-hand man, TPP caucus leader Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌)? Ko and Huang have been appealing to that
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