In her National Day Address on Oct. 10 last year, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said: “As we face unique international circumstances and rapidly changing challenges, if we do not move forward, we will move backward.”
She admitted that there had been areas of her governance that had not met expectations. She said that those in power in a democratic country can never be complacent, and that “each act of governance must bring the people greater satisfaction.” She said that although her term would soon come to an end, Taiwan would continue moving forward.
As Monday’s inauguration of incoming president William Lai (賴清德) and his new administration approaches, let us call upon everyone in Taiwan to fully support the government.
Since legislators elected in January were sworn in three months ago, there has been a series of chaotic situations in the Legislative Yuan.
Everyone concerned should bear in mind that the most crucial factor for Taiwan’s social stability is trust.
Our current in-person voting system is still the best option, and it would be very unwise to push for the highly controversial option of absentee voting.
With regard to major bills, the Democratic Progressive Party should seek the support of the majority of legislators, and should not limit itself because it holds a minority of seats.
As to how, if at all, the Legislative Yuan should be reformed, any such reform should be centered on the values of democracy, freedom, independence and self-determination.
The Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) practice of putting China’s interests above those of Taiwan should be firmly opposed.
When it becomes necessary, the nation’s Constitution should be rewritten to solve Taiwan’s long-standing constitutional problems.
The importance of pension reform should also not be overlooked. The government must forge ahead with reform to safeguard Taiwan’s development and long-term interests.
Furthermore, the large number of Chinese spouses and family dependents coming to Taiwan would increase the burden on healthcare services, so the government must take a rational view of proposed legal amendments regarding the National Health Insurance program, so as to safeguard Taiwan’s healthcare resources and personnel.
In the field of education, we need to teach the next generation to understand Taiwan’s multicultural values.
The education system should clearly explain the importance of Taiwan’s sovereignty, democracy and freedom. It should encourage students to participate in civil society. Education should emphasize respect and equality between genders.
The young generation should understand environmental protection and the challenges facing sustainable development.
National defense is essential for ensuring Taiwan’s security. Strategic goals, policies and their implementation should stand above party-political positions.
All parties should work to promote and strengthen the policy of all-out defense and establish an all-out defense promotion committee.
Let us hope that the new Cabinet, with its emphasis on artificial intelligence and innovation, would promote Taiwan’s humanistic education, and use cultural and creative industries to promote local creativity.
As Taiwan’s democracy grows more resilient, it would make Taiwan stronger and more prosperous as it marches toward a new age of artificial intelligence.
Pan Wei-yiu is the secretary-general of the Northern Taiwan Society.
Translated by Julian Clegg
The term “assassin’s mace” originates from Chinese folklore, describing a concealed weapon used by a weaker hero to defeat a stronger adversary with an unexpected strike. In more general military parlance, the concept refers to an asymmetric capability that targets a critical vulnerability of an adversary. China has found its modern equivalent of the assassin’s mace with its high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) weapons, which are nuclear warheads detonated at a high altitude, emitting intense electromagnetic radiation capable of disabling and destroying electronics. An assassin’s mace weapon possesses two essential characteristics: strategic surprise and the ability to neutralize a core dependency.
Chinese President and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Chairman Xi Jinping (習近平) said in a politburo speech late last month that his party must protect the “bottom line” to prevent systemic threats. The tone of his address was grave, revealing deep anxieties about China’s current state of affairs. Essentially, what he worries most about is systemic threats to China’s normal development as a country. The US-China trade war has turned white hot: China’s export orders have plummeted, Chinese firms and enterprises are shutting up shop, and local debt risks are mounting daily, causing China’s economy to flag externally and hemorrhage internally. China’s
When a recall campaign targeting the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators was launched, something rather disturbing happened. According to reports, Hualien County Government officials visited several people to verify their signatures. Local authorities allegedly used routine or harmless reasons as an excuse to enter people’s house for investigation. The KMT launched its own recall campaigns, targeting Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers, and began to collect signatures. It has been found that some of the KMT-headed counties and cities have allegedly been mobilizing municipal machinery. In Keelung, the director of the Department of Civil Affairs used the household registration system
During the “426 rally” organized by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party under the slogan “fight green communism, resist dictatorship,” leaders from the two opposition parties framed it as a battle against an allegedly authoritarian administration led by President William Lai (賴清德). While criticism of the government can be a healthy expression of a vibrant, pluralistic society, and protests are quite common in Taiwan, the discourse of the 426 rally nonetheless betrayed troubling signs of collective amnesia. Specifically, the KMT, which imposed 38 years of martial law in Taiwan from 1949 to 1987, has never fully faced its
RSS