Writing on the morning after the US election, I cannot help but compare the similarities and differences to Taiwan's past election. I am proud of both countries and their ability to grow through democratic processes and difficult situations. However, we can see how a mature democracy can be a great example to Taiwanese politicians.
The difference we can see between the two elections is that no baseless accusations have been levied by any party. No party has accused the other of election fraud. US President George W. Bush extended the courtesy of giving Senator John Kerry more time to review the results before declaring his victory. Many stories also reported that candidates who have lost [in state and congressional campaigns] have made phone calls to the winner to concede defeat and congratulate them.
I hope Taiwanese politicians can learn from our experiences in the US to give confidence to the Taiwanese people. Voters should have the last say in who is elected and politicians should carry themselves with the utmost dignity. In many US states the difference in the votes is less than 20,000 votes. All of these states are now carefully counting the votes but the nation and the candidates must accept the outcome. This is in stark contrast to Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (
I want to encourage Taiwanese to stand up and let their voices be heard. Don't stand for hooligans who want to gain political power through illegal means. As the legislative elections are coming soon in Taiwan, I hope that Taiwan can progress and grow into a beacon of democracy in East Asia. In that way, we can all be proud of our democracies.
Poyao Andy Wang
St. Louis, Missouri
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) were born under the sign of Gemini. Geminis are known for their intelligence, creativity, adaptability and flexibility. It is unlikely, then, that the trade conflict between the US and China would escalate into a catastrophic collision. It is more probable that both sides would seek a way to de-escalate, paving the way for a Trump-Xi summit that allows the global economy some breathing room. Practically speaking, China and the US have vulnerabilities, and a prolonged trade war would be damaging for both. In the US, the electoral system means that public opinion
They did it again. For the whole world to see: an image of a Taiwan flag crushed by an industrial press, and the horrifying warning that “it’s closer than you think.” All with the seal of authenticity that only a reputable international media outlet can give. The Economist turned what looks like a pastiche of a poster for a grim horror movie into a truth everyone can digest, accept, and use to support exactly the opinion China wants you to have: It is over and done, Taiwan is doomed. Four years after inaccurately naming Taiwan the most dangerous place on
In their recent op-ed “Trump Should Rein In Taiwan” in Foreign Policy magazine, Christopher Chivvis and Stephen Wertheim argued that the US should pressure President William Lai (賴清德) to “tone it down” to de-escalate tensions in the Taiwan Strait — as if Taiwan’s words are more of a threat to peace than Beijing’s actions. It is an old argument dressed up in new concern: that Washington must rein in Taipei to avoid war. However, this narrative gets it backward. Taiwan is not the problem; China is. Calls for a so-called “grand bargain” with Beijing — where the US pressures Taiwan into concessions
Wherever one looks, the United States is ceding ground to China. From foreign aid to foreign trade, and from reorganizations to organizational guidance, the Trump administration has embarked on a stunning effort to hobble itself in grappling with what his own secretary of state calls “the most potent and dangerous near-peer adversary this nation has ever confronted.” The problems start at the Department of State. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has asserted that “it’s not normal for the world to simply have a unipolar power” and that the world has returned to multipolarity, with “multi-great powers in different parts of the
RSS