KMT holding Eric Chu back
The Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) decision to lower the flag at its Taipei headquarters to half-staff in honor of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated on Friday last week, has drawn protests from deep-blue supporters. Despite their disapproval, after the Japanese government announced it would hold a state funeral for Abe, rumors began to circulate that KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) would attend it during a visit to Japan.
In response, Democratic Progressive Party Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) said that such a move is the right choice and a good development for Taiwan, adding that he hopes Chu can overcome the obstacles of the extremists inside the KMT.
The KMT said that Chu had long planned to visit Japan this year, but that the exact timing had yet to be decided.
It is unknown whether Chu intends to replicate the recent success of Vice President William Lai (賴清德), who garnered attention after making a diplomatic breakthrough in flying to Tokyo to pay his respects in honor of Abe.
If Chu does make the trip and can attend the state funeral, he would be criticized by deep-blue supporters and Beijing, but he would also gain support from the majority of Taiwanese. This would surely provide a major boost to his presidential bid in 2024. Thus, the decision will be a test to his style, courage and political wisdom.
Since Chu revealed his plan to visit Japan, he has come under fire from deep-blue heavyweights such as former KMT chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱), Broadcasting Corp of China chairman Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康) and Sun Yat-sen School president Chang Ya-chung (張亞中). Will he be able to resist the internal pressure?
If the KMT is determined to oppose his Japanese trip, would Chu dare to disregard its protests? He might be able to resist the pressure internally, because he is the incumbent chairman, but as the party always acts like Beijing’s little brother, the question remains: Will he dare to disobey it?
During Chu’s visit to the US, he said that the “1992 consensus” between Taiwan and China is “a consensus without a consensus.” In doing so, he has created some room for ambiguous interpretation, but he still cannot escape his fate of being manipulated by China.
If he can attend Abe’s funeral in public, amid the Japanese promotion of “pro-US, pro-Taiwan and anti-China” views, the shock of his Japanese trip would be much greater than that of his US visit, not to mention that he would be standing with mainstream public opinion. Whether he can win applause or boos depends on his final decision.
Chen An-wen
New Taipei City
The gutting of Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) by US President Donald Trump’s administration poses a serious threat to the global voice of freedom, particularly for those living under authoritarian regimes such as China. The US — hailed as the model of liberal democracy — has the moral responsibility to uphold the values it champions. In undermining these institutions, the US risks diminishing its “soft power,” a pivotal pillar of its global influence. VOA Tibetan and RFA Tibetan played an enormous role in promoting the strong image of the US in and outside Tibet. On VOA Tibetan,
On a quiet lane in Taipei’s central Daan District (大安), an otherwise unremarkable high-rise is marked by a police guard and a tawdry A4 printout from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicating an “embassy area.” Keen observers would see the emblem of the Holy See, one of Taiwan’s 12 so-called “diplomatic allies.” Unlike Taipei’s other embassies and quasi-consulates, no national flag flies there, nor is there a plaque indicating what country’s embassy this is. Visitors hoping to sign a condolence book for the late Pope Francis would instead have to visit the Italian Trade Office, adjacent to Taipei 101. The death of
By now, most of Taiwan has heard Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) threats to initiate a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet. His rationale is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government’s investigation into alleged signature forgery in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) recall campaign constitutes “political persecution.” I sincerely hope he goes through with it. The opposition currently holds a majority in the Legislative Yuan, so the initiation of a no-confidence motion and its passage should be entirely within reach. If Chiang truly believes that the government is overreaching, abusing its power and targeting political opponents — then
As the highest elected official in the nation’s capital, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) is the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) candidate-in-waiting for a presidential bid. With the exception of Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕), Chiang is the most likely KMT figure to take over the mantle of the party leadership. All the other usual suspects, from Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) to New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) to KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) have already been rejected at the ballot box. Given such high expectations, Chiang should be demonstrating resolve, calm-headedness and political wisdom in how he faces tough