The assassination attempt against Chen and Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) was, ironically, a turning point for Taiwan. In the aftermath, the pan-blues threw their chance away by questioning the integrity of Chen and the pan-greens' campaign tactics -- all without regard for due evidence, logic, humanity and above all, respect for a democratically-elected president.
The assassination attempt was abominable to say the least. Yet the pan-blues did not seize the opportunity to show a righteous and empathetic side, for there clearly was none. In response, the electorate clearly revolted and justice has again been served. Regrettably, the melodramas continue to unfold from the pan-blues who simply refuse to respect the values of democracy.
In every democracy, the majority decision wins. Whether this is a system preferred by all is debatable, but under Taiwanese laws at least, Chen has been rightfully re-elected by the electorate regardless of how small the margin of victory. This salient fact is what everyone must come to accept and be at peace with.
On what should have been a day to celebrate Taiwan's slowly maturing democracy, the pan-blues' relentless antics marred even the re-election of the better and evidently more honorable candidate.
Instead of resorting to Oscar-quality performances, Lien and Soong should use legal channels to resolve the issue of the ballot recount -- as any responsible "leader" who claims to respect the laws that govern Taiwan would in the same position -- rather than seeking for the only acceptable election result by any means possible, including creating civil unrest in the country they claim to love.
The pan-blues should tread carefully to ensure their already-shaky existence -- for every step of the way, the Taiwanese electorate will be watching.
Melbourne, Australia
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
US President Donald Trump’s challenge to domestic American economic-political priorities, and abroad to the global balance of power, are not a threat to the security of Taiwan. Trump’s success can go far to contain the real threat — the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) surge to hegemony — while offering expanded defensive opportunities for Taiwan. In a stunning affirmation of the CCP policy of “forceful reunification,” an obscene euphemism for the invasion of Taiwan and the destruction of its democracy, on March 13, 2024, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) used Chinese social media platforms to show the first-time linkage of three new
If you had a vision of the future where China did not dominate the global car industry, you can kiss those dreams goodbye. That is because US President Donald Trump’s promised 25 percent tariff on auto imports takes an ax to the only bits of the emerging electric vehicle (EV) supply chain that are not already dominated by Beijing. The biggest losers when the levies take effect this week would be Japan and South Korea. They account for one-third of the cars imported into the US, and as much as two-thirds of those imported from outside North America. (Mexico and Canada, while
I have heard people equate the government’s stance on resisting forced unification with China or the conditional reinstatement of the military court system with the rise of the Nazis before World War II. The comparison is absurd. There is no meaningful parallel between the government and Nazi Germany, nor does such a mindset exist within the general public in Taiwan. It is important to remember that the German public bore some responsibility for the horrors of the Holocaust. Post-World War II Germany’s transitional justice efforts were rooted in a national reckoning and introspection. Many Jews were sent to concentration camps not
RSS