Many people may be unaware that Hong Kong and Chinese intellectuals are now describing the presidential election as one in which voters will decide whether to elect their own president or to elect a "chief executive" who answers to Beijing. Beijing has long made it clear that it opposes any form of referendum or a new constitution in Taiwan. It is also against the idea that there is one country on each side of the Taiwan Strait. If voters elect leaders who meet China's demands, then future presidents will be like the chief executives of Hong Kong and Macau -- at Beijing's beck and call.
When this country held its first ever presidential election in 1996, China fired missiles into the sea off Taiwan's coast. Voters reacted by electing Lee Teng-hui (
Beijing is now ganging up with unscrupulous politicians in a number of other countries -- including some in Paris, Tokyo and Washington -- to try to put enormous pressure on Chen's referendum -- a democratic mechanism that Beijing is most fearful of. Should the electorate choose to give in?
Beijing is against Taiwan's referendum for the simple reason that it fears further consolidation of this nation's democracy. It poses a major threat to the Beijing authorities, who have long been reluctant to carry out democratic reforms. The Chinese people's desire for human rights, democracy and the rule of law will certainly receive a massive boost from the examples set by Taiwan. This country's democratization serves as a mirror that reflects the ugly face of the Chinese Communist Party.
The referendum is politically significant because it will reaffirm the nation's identity -- in addition to expressing the desire of the Taiwanese people to see the removal of hundreds of ballistic missiles that Beijing has deployed against their country. Once the referendum is held, any change to the nation's political structure -- including the enactment of a new constitution and reform of the legislature -- will have to be determined by its people via referendums. This will effectively exclude China's 1.2 billion people from Taiwan's affairs.
This is something that the pan-blue camp's leaders, who share a China complex, can hardly accept. Their sentiments are evident in Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Lien Chan's (
Chen has made it clear that he will ensure that the referendum be held even if it costs him the election. The people of Taiwan can join hands and use their referendum ballots to say "no" to China loud and clear. Such an opportunity has not come easily and it should not be taken for granted.
The pan-blue camp must not get mired in their Chinese nationalist sentiments or try to obstruct the referendum through technicalities. Much less should they instigate riots to threaten the people. Their lack of confidence in the people -- and their blinding indifference to the best interests of the people -- has become their hallmark. The people should prove them wrong.
The gutting of Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) by US President Donald Trump’s administration poses a serious threat to the global voice of freedom, particularly for those living under authoritarian regimes such as China. The US — hailed as the model of liberal democracy — has the moral responsibility to uphold the values it champions. In undermining these institutions, the US risks diminishing its “soft power,” a pivotal pillar of its global influence. VOA Tibetan and RFA Tibetan played an enormous role in promoting the strong image of the US in and outside Tibet. On VOA Tibetan,
Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), the leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), caused a national outrage and drew diplomatic condemnation on Tuesday after he arrived at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office dressed in a Nazi uniform. Sung performed a Nazi salute and carried a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf as he arrived to be questioned over allegations of signature forgery in the recall petition. The KMT’s response to the incident has shown a striking lack of contrition and decency. Rather than apologizing and distancing itself from Sung’s actions,
US President Trump weighed into the state of America’s semiconductor manufacturing when he declared, “They [Taiwan] stole it from us. They took it from us, and I don’t blame them. I give them credit.” At a prior White House event President Trump hosted TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家), head of the world’s largest and most advanced chip manufacturer, to announce a commitment to invest US$100 billion in America. The president then shifted his previously critical rhetoric on Taiwan and put off tariffs on its chips. Now we learn that the Trump Administration is conducting a “trade investigation” on semiconductors which
By now, most of Taiwan has heard Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) threats to initiate a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet. His rationale is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government’s investigation into alleged signature forgery in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) recall campaign constitutes “political persecution.” I sincerely hope he goes through with it. The opposition currently holds a majority in the Legislative Yuan, so the initiation of a no-confidence motion and its passage should be entirely within reach. If Chiang truly believes that the government is overreaching, abusing its power and targeting political opponents — then