On Jan. 6, the Liberty Times published an interview with Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮). Lu candidly pointed out that the 2004 presidential election will not be a matter of whether the ruling party should be changed, but a matter of whether the pan-blue camp will be able to make a come back. Lu said that one cannot expect the new government to correct all the wrongs left behind by the 55-year-long KMT rule in but just two-and-a-half years. It definitely would be a serious mistake to welcome back the old power-bearers just because of momentary pan-green setbacks, Lu said.
About a week before Lu's interview was the 15th anniversary of former president Chiang Ching-kuo's (蔣經國) death. The pan-blue camp was quick to mobilize. They lined up to participate in rites held in honor of Chiang. They did not forget to use the opportunity to harshly criticize Chen Shui-bian's (
The show climaxed when General Wang Sheng (
This farce gave the younger generation a needed opportunity to learn about a key player of the White Terror era. Wang also reminded the older generations about the nightmare of martial law, the Garrison Command, Green Island, the assassination of Cheng Wen-cheng (
Wang was already by Chiang's side during Chiang's days as an executive commissioner in China. After the KMT's retreat to Taiwan, pursuant to Chiang's order, Wang organized a school (today's Political Warfare College,
After the US severed its diplomatic relationship with the ROC, Wang organized the "Liu Shao-kang Office" (
Nearly 90 and long forgotten, Wang was invited by the KMT Chairman Lien Chan (
Two weeks ago, Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh (楊紫瓊) raised hackles in Taiwan by posting to her 2.6 million Instagram followers that she was visiting “Taipei, China.” Yeoh’s post continues a long-standing trend of Chinese propaganda that spreads disinformation about Taiwan’s political status and geography, aimed at deceiving the world into supporting its illegitimate claims to Taiwan, which is not and has never been part of China. Taiwan must respond to this blatant act of cognitive warfare. Failure to respond merely cedes ground to China to continue its efforts to conquer Taiwan in the global consciousness to justify an invasion. Taiwan’s government
This month’s news that Taiwan ranks as Asia’s happiest place according to this year’s World Happiness Report deserves both celebration and reflection. Moving up from 31st to 27th globally and surpassing Singapore as Asia’s happiness leader is gratifying, but the true significance lies deeper than these statistics. As a society at the crossroads of Eastern tradition and Western influence, Taiwan embodies a distinctive approach to happiness worth examining more closely. The report highlights Taiwan’s exceptional habit of sharing meals — 10.1 shared meals out of 14 weekly opportunities, ranking eighth globally. This practice is not merely about food, but represents something more
In an article published on this page on Tuesday, Kaohsiung-based journalist Julien Oeuillet wrote that “legions of people worldwide would care if a disaster occurred in South Korea or Japan, but the same people would not bat an eyelid if Taiwan disappeared.” That is quite a statement. We are constantly reading about the importance of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), hailed in Taiwan as the nation’s “silicon shield” protecting it from hostile foreign forces such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and so crucial to the global supply chain for semiconductors that its loss would cost the global economy US$1
Concerns that the US might abandon Taiwan are often overstated. While US President Donald Trump’s handling of Ukraine raised unease in Taiwan, it is crucial to recognize that Taiwan is not Ukraine. Under Trump, the US views Ukraine largely as a European problem, whereas the Indo-Pacific region remains its primary geopolitical focus. Taipei holds immense strategic value for Washington and is unlikely to be treated as a bargaining chip in US-China relations. Trump’s vision of “making America great again” would be directly undermined by any move to abandon Taiwan. Despite the rhetoric of “America First,” the Trump administration understands the necessity of
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