What is a coup d'etat? It is an assumption of national authority through an illegal procedure. According to Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan's (
He panicked when both President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) pointed out his conspiracy by calling the opposition's mass protests from March 21 through 27 an "aborted coup d'etat." Because of his fear of public criticism, he slyly claimed that Chen viewed the Taiwanese people's expression of opinion as a coup, a statement I think is balderdash! This could be best described as "confusing the public," and "the more concealed, the more conspicuous."
Public demonstrations are considered quite normal in a democratic country. If a demonstration gets out of control when violence occurs, both the law and the police will deal with it. How can a demonstration be mixed up with a coup? Taiwan is already a mature democratic county, and the Taiwanese people do not easily believe in politicians' populism in light of their democratic sensibility. The nationalization of Taiwan's military is laudable, and military officers will never become adventurists' tools for stealing the nation. It's tragic that Lien actually intended to steal the country in the post-election chaos.
Lien's made the attempt because his desire for power blinded his wisdom -- a result of his serious misjudging of the overall situation.
First, for the US, Lien's accusation against Chen of "stealing the nation" was a reflection of his unwillingness to lose the presidential election, as well as his intention of stealing Taiwan by illegal means. He even fantasized that the US would interfere with Taiwan's affairs due to its supposed distrust of Chen. Do not forget that Lien's strategists have constantly urged Washington to announce that the election was invalid, and to send US representatives to monitor a re-election, forcing voters to abandon Chen and vote for Lien. This is an example of Lien's blindness.
Second, for China, didn't Lien's strategist, independent Legislator Sisy Chen (陳文茜), who personally declared war against the president, say that Chen's re-election victory would leave Zhongnanhai no choice but to attack Taiwan?
Third, Lien knows that it's hard to rile Taiwan's military troops, and that a military coup is absolutely impossible. Therefore, his dream was to unite with Washington and Beijing to oppose Chen. If Beijing had clearly announced its intention to attack Taiwan if Chen was re-elected, and Washington announced its distrust in Chen and even canceled its promise to help Taiwan protect itself, the military would have had no choice but to abandon Chen in order to save Taiwan. This is yet another example of Lien's blindness.
The US plays the key role among the three parties that Lien was betting on -- Washington, Beijing and the military. After the US made clear its attitude, Lien could only hold a funeral for his coup on March 27. The ruin of his coup dream was a good thing not only for the Taiwanese people but also for himself. If he can wake up and hand over the party leadership and assets, the KMT's new generation will be able to carry out active reforms, turning the party into a balancing force in Taiwan. It would be a wise choice for Lien to "redeem his sins by good deeds," as the Chinese proverb goes.
Ruan Ming is a visiting professor at Tamkang University and a former special assistant to the late general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, Hu Yaobang.
TRANSLATED BY EDDY CHANG
President William Lai (賴清德) attended a dinner held by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) when representatives from the group visited Taiwan in October. In a speech at the event, Lai highlighted similarities in the geopolitical challenges faced by Israel and Taiwan, saying that the two countries “stand on the front line against authoritarianism.” Lai noted how Taiwan had “immediately condemned” the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas and had provided humanitarian aid. Lai was heavily criticized from some quarters for standing with AIPAC and Israel. On Nov. 4, the Taipei Times published an opinion article (“Speak out on the
The image was oddly quiet. No speeches, no flags, no dramatic announcements — just a Chinese cargo ship cutting through arctic ice and arriving in Britain in October. The Istanbul Bridge completed a journey that once existed only in theory, shaving weeks off traditional shipping routes. On paper, it was a story about efficiency. In strategic terms, it was about timing. Much like politics, arriving early matters. Especially when the route, the rules and the traffic are still undefined. For years, global politics has trained us to watch the loud moments: warships in the Taiwan Strait, sanctions announced at news conferences, leaders trading
Eighty-seven percent of Taiwan’s energy supply this year came from burning fossil fuels, with more than 47 percent of that from gas-fired power generation. The figures attracted international attention since they were in October published in a Reuters report, which highlighted the fragility and structural challenges of Taiwan’s energy sector, accumulated through long-standing policy choices. The nation’s overreliance on natural gas is proving unstable and inadequate. The rising use of natural gas does not project an image of a Taiwan committed to a green energy transition; rather, it seems that Taiwan is attempting to patch up structural gaps in lieu of
News about expanding security cooperation between Israel and Taiwan, including the visits of Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) in September and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) this month, as well as growing ties in areas such as missile defense and cybersecurity, should not be viewed as isolated events. The emphasis on missile defense, including Taiwan’s newly introduced T-Dome project, is simply the most visible sign of a deeper trend that has been taking shape quietly over the past two to three years. Taipei is seeking to expand security and defense cooperation with Israel, something officials
RSS