The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has recently seen a rise in public support. Deputy Secretary-General Lee Ying-yuan (
Lee's remarks were somewhat impolite but no less true. Lien has generated news throughout his trip, but most of it has been rather negative.
An example: While in the UK, he reportedly complained that Taiwan's representative office there had given him the cold shoulder. While in the Czech Republic, he wrangled with Chen Shih-meng (
Lien's remarks provoked a backlash and accusations that he was airing the nation's dirty laundry overseas. Even Lien's new cross-strait rhetoric has stirred up big trouble. At a meeting held by the US-China Policy Foundation on Capitol Hill on Oct. 21, Lien pushed the line that "one China" refers to the Republic of China, apparently different to the People's Republic of China.
Lien's remarks convey nothing new, nor can they resolve the real-life problems facing Taiwan. Instead, they have created a new dispute within the blue camp. Lien's position -- that "one China" means the ROC -- has been the KMT's traditional position since the party retreated to Taiwan in 1949. But the ROC lost its right to represent China after losing its UN seat in 1971.
Lien's proposal will not find acceptance in China, Taiwan or anywhere else in the rest of the world. This is why former president Lee Teng-hui (
Lien's latest "one China" rhetoric has overturned his previous support for a confederation with China, as well as the People First Party's (PFP) "one China rooftop" framework. This will result in a policy conflict between the cross-strait policies of the KMT and the PFP, thereby heightening tensions within the pan-blue camp.
In fact, Lien's new position is the same as Chen Shui-bian's "one country on each side" of the Taiwan Strait dictum. It came as no surprise then that Premier Yu Shyi-kun welcomed Lien's "change of heart" regarding the nation's status and Lien's "support" for Chen's "one country on each side."
Ever since they teamed up for next year's election, the KMT and PFP have focused on negative campaigning. They have failed to present any concrete policy platform. Meanwhile, Chen and Lee have been presenting a succession of policies -- from introducing referendums to changing the country's name to enacting a new constitution. The KMT and the PFP have shown a pronounced inability to lead policy debate. And the one policy proposed by Lien has turned into a campaign booster for the DPP. The blue camp's lead in the polls may not last for too much longer if this situation continues.
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
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