Monday was the 15th anniversary of the late president Chiang Ching-kuo's (蔣經國) death. Apart from members of Chiang's family, many politicians who claim to follow in his path also went to his mausoleum and paid homage to him. Some even knelt on the floor and kowtowed.
Relatively famous politicians -- such as Lien Chan (
Both the pro-unification and pro-independence camps claim to love Taiwan. Some people even try to use "loving Taiwan" to manipulate public opinion, thereby confusing the public and generating a national identity problem -- a source of endless political wrangling today. We therefore must ask the various opposition parties: exactly where do you want to take Taiwan? One country, two systems? Or independent sovereignty?
Soong once defined Taiwan-China relations as "quasi-international" relations. We hope the PFP can tell us what that means exactly. Otherwise, such "creative ambiguity" can be interpreted as a political conspiracy aimed at deceiving the people of Taiwan.
Similarly, can Lien's advocacy of peaceful unification with China lead to peaceful coexistence with China in the future, without the ROC losing its independent sovereignty and without China rejecting it? The KMT continues to fudge its explanations of such key policy points. It has yet to explain them to the people of Taiwan. Without clear explanations, anyone can pay lip service to "loving Taiwan" while selling out the interests of the Taiwanese people.
Many people in Taiwan remember Chiang for his efforts in trying to develop the country, which caused the economy to soar, thereby creating an enviable economic miracle. However, Taiwan under Chiang Ching-kuo was still overshadowed by the White Terror. Many people fighting for democracy and human rights suffered great harm. Chiang assumed the presidency in 1978. The Kaohsiung Incident and the murder of former DPP chairman Lin I-hsiung's (
Fortunately, Chiang tacitly allowed the establishment of a local political party two years before his death in 1988, thereby allowing Taiwan to move toward democracy. At the same time, he said he was "also a Taiwanese" and vowed not to let anyone from the Chiang family succeed him. He tried to alleviate alienation between mainlanders and local Taiwanese by appointing Taiwanese to official positions. Chiang's political moves in his later years show that he had come to understand the will of the Taiwanese people to become their own masters. He set an example himself to encourage mainlanders to identify with Taiwan and join hands to create a future for Taiwan.
What's worth remembering about Chiang is his grand political awakening in the last two years of his life. We cannot overlook historical reality and blindly worship him. Otherwise, this absurdity would be comparable to the Chinese people worshipping Mao Zedong (
It is employment pass renewal season in Singapore, and the new regime is dominating the conversation at after-work cocktails on Fridays. From September, overseas employees on a work visa would need to fulfill the city-state’s new points-based system, and earn a minimum salary threshold to stay in their jobs. While this mirrors what happens in other countries, it risks turning foreign companies away, and could tarnish the nation’s image as a global business hub. The program was announced in 2022 in a bid to promote fair hiring practices. Points are awarded for how a candidate’s salary compares with local peers, along
China last month enacted legislation to punish —including with the death penalty — “die-hard Taiwanese independence separatists.” The country’s leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), need to be reminded about what the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has said and done in the past. They should think about whether those historical figures were also die-hard advocates of Taiwanese independence. The Taiwanese Communist Party was established in the Shanghai French Concession in April 1928, with a political charter that included the slogans “Long live the independence of the Taiwanese people” and “Establish a republic of Taiwan.” The CCP sent a representative, Peng
Japan and the Philippines on Monday signed a defense agreement that would facilitate joint drills between them. The pact was made “as both face an increasingly assertive China,” and is in line with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s “effort to forge security alliances to bolster the Philippine military’s limited ability to defend its territorial interests in the South China Sea,” The Associated Press (AP) said. The pact also comes on the heels of comments by former US deputy national security adviser Matt Pottinger, who said at a forum on Tuesday last week that China’s recent aggression toward the Philippines in
The Ministry of National Defense on Tuesday announced that the military would hold its annual Han Kuang exercises from July 22 to 26. Military officers said the exercises would feature unscripted war games, and a decentralized command and control structure. This year’s exercises underline the recent reforms in Taiwan’s military as it transitions from a top-down command structure to one where autonomy is pushed down to the front lines to improve decisionmaking and adaptability. Militaries around the world have been observing and studying Russia’s war in Ukraine. They have seen that the Ukrainian military has been much quicker to adapt to