The last weeks have seen something of a revival of "cosplay" politicking. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Hsiao Bi-khim (
Hsiao, who is one of the DPP's top campaign-chest fillers, must be delighted that she has finally found something to do with her time and money that gets her television coverage as she builds her chunk of the DPP empire -- other than dressing up in the same baseball gear or deflecting anger over pan-blue-camp pilgrimages to Beijing.
But these Charlie's Angels wannabes, like so many other politicians, seem to lack insight into their source material and a sense of irony, which begs the question: Who is their Charlie?
In general, however, cosplay campaigning can be tremendously effective. Before last December's local government elections, the Taipei Times ran a photograph of Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (
On this score, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman and Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
But Ma's baggy shorts and running vest will be good enough to get him into the Presidential Office, unlike former KMT chairman Lien Chan (
Fading, it seems, are the days when a bunch of DPP wowsers can dress up in kinky leather garb while preaching against social vices. Fading also are the days when DPP figureheads can dress as the dapper crew of the JCS (James Cameron Ship) Titanic, apparently entirely oblivious of the subtext -- which was a pity for them, because most of that crew indeed came a cropper, politically speaking.
As the electorate grows more cynical and detached from the political process, we are likely to see fewer Chen Shui-bians daring to dress as Superman, or Lee Teng-huis presenting a hybrid of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Maximus. The Taiwan Solidarity Union's (TSU) late grab for attention with its "Taiwan shirt" -- a disastrous ensemble that inexplicably ripped off Sun Yat-sen (
Still, maybe there's currency in cosplay for warming the permafrost of cross-strait relations. Chinese President Hu Jintao (
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has long been expansionist and contemptuous of international law. Under Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), the CCP regime has become more despotic, coercive and punitive. As part of its strategy to annex Taiwan, Beijing has sought to erase the island democracy’s international identity by bribing countries to sever diplomatic ties with Taipei. One by one, China has peeled away Taiwan’s remaining diplomatic partners, leaving just 12 countries (mostly small developing states) and the Vatican recognizing Taiwan as a sovereign nation. Taiwan’s formal international space has shrunk dramatically. Yet even as Beijing has scored diplomatic successes, its overreach
In her article in Foreign Affairs, “A Perfect Storm for Taiwan in 2026?,” Yun Sun (孫韻), director of the China program at the Stimson Center in Washington, said that the US has grown indifferent to Taiwan, contending that, since it has long been the fear of US intervention — and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) inability to prevail against US forces — that has deterred China from using force against Taiwan, this perceived indifference from the US could lead China to conclude that a window of opportunity for a Taiwan invasion has opened this year. Most notably, she observes that
For Taiwan, the ongoing US and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets are a warning signal: When a major power stretches the boundaries of self-defense, smaller states feel the tremors first. Taiwan’s security rests on two pillars: US deterrence and the credibility of international law. The first deters coercion from China. The second legitimizes Taiwan’s place in the international community. One is material. The other is moral. Both are indispensable. Under the UN Charter, force is lawful only in response to an armed attack or with UN Security Council authorization. Even pre-emptive self-defense — long debated — requires a demonstrably imminent
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) said on Monday that it would be announcing its mayoral nominees for New Taipei City, Yilan County and Chiayi City on March 11, after which it would begin talks with the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) to field joint opposition candidates. The KMT would likely support Deputy Taipei Mayor Lee Shu-chuan (李四川) as its candidate for New Taipei City. The TPP is fielding its chairman, Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌), for New Taipei City mayor, after Huang had officially announced his candidacy in December last year. Speaking in a radio program, Huang was asked whether he would join Lee’s
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