President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday suggested that tomorrow’s local elections should be considered a referendum on her leadership, saying a vote for Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidates would be an affirmation of her commitment to “take good care” of Taiwan and ensure peace with China.
The elections for city mayors, county commissioners, local councilors and borough wardens are ostensibly about domestic issues, and those elected do not have a direct say on national policies.
However, Tsai has reframed the campaign to put relations with China front and center.
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
Tsai said in a video message that voting for DPP candidates was the same as voting for her.
“If you have not yet decided which city or county commissioner candidate to vote for, then I ask you to please cast this vote for me, for candidates I am recommending,” she said.
“Thank you for choosing Tsai Ing-wen the last time around, and I believe that I can take good care of Taiwan,” she added. “I am also very conscientious and responsible about Taiwan getting a firm footing internationally, and committed to maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”
The election is happening a month after the end of the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, where Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) secured an unprecedented third term in office — a point Tsai has repeatedly made on the campaign trail.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), which crushed the DPP in the 2018 local elections, has said it also is committed to protecting the nation’s democracy and freedom, but it has criticized the DPP for being overly confrontational with China.
Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who remains a senior KMT member, wrote on Facebook yesterday that voting for the DPP could bring war, and supporting the KMT would ensure peace.
"Choose peace and reject war!" he wrote.
Tsai has repeatedly offered to talk to Beijing on the basis of equality and respect, but has been rebuffed.
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
Taiwan successfully defended its women’s 540 kilogram title and won its first-ever men’s 640 kg title at the 2026 World Indoor Tug of War Championships in Taipei yesterday. In the women’s event, Taiwan’s eight-person squad reached the final following a round-robin preliminary round and semifinals featuring teams from Ukraine, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, the Basque Country and South Korea. In the finals, they swept the Basque team 2-0, giving the team composed mainly of National Taiwan Normal University students and graduates its second championship in a row, and its fourth in five years. Team captain
When Paraguayan opposition lawmaker Leidy Galeano returned from an all-expenses-paid tour of six Chinese cities late last year, she was convinced Paraguay risked missing out on major economic gains by sticking with longtime ally Taipei over Beijing — a message that participants on the trip heard repeatedly from Chinese officials. “Everything I saw there, I wanted for my country,” said Galeano, a member of the newly-formed Yo Creo party whose senior figures have spoken favorably about China. This trip and others like it — which people familiar with the visits said were at the invitation of the Chinese consulate in Sao Paulo
RSS