Amid what many see as dim prospects for change, Premier Chang Chun-hsiung
Both the timing and the changes made have been quite outside the premier's control. President Chen Shui-bian's
Chang had his own plans, based on the professional skills, performance, popularity ratings and coordination abilities of his Cabinet members. But the reshuffle list obviously has nothing to do with Chang's plan. It tells us nothing about the Cabinet's policy direction. Both Chen and Chang view the economy as crucial, but the premier has not been able to replace any of the economic and financial chiefs because the Presidential Office wouldn't approve such changes. Meanwhile, looking at the profile of the the new Cabinet members leaves us with no clearer idea of the government's policy direction.
If the reshuffle was meant to improve accountability, there is no sign of it. According to Chen, the most inefficient ministry was the transportation ministry. But Yen has retained her job, despite volunteering to go. Instead, EPA chief Lin Chun-yi
If the change was meant to improve consensus within the Cabinet, it will have exactly the opposite effect. Outgoing AEC Chairman Hsia Der-yu
Also, Hau's appointment will not promote harmony between political parties because the New Party will not change its policies just because Hau is now a Cabinet member. That opposition parties do not moderate their behavior when their own are drafted into the Cabinet was quite adequately demonstrated by the melancholy precedent of Tang Fei
The shuffle is perhaps best interpreted as a feeble attempt at crisis management. But this time the crisis is the lack of direction in the DPP government. Like a boat adrift at sea, Taiwan politics is moving beyond the control of the Presidential Office, the Executive Yuan and the DPP. The boat's passengers can be thankful that they have only encountered small squalls so far. They can only pray that they are not hit with a real typhoon.
There is much evidence that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is sending soldiers from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — and is learning lessons for a future war against Taiwan. Until now, the CCP has claimed that they have not sent PLA personnel to support Russian aggression. On 18 April, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelinskiy announced that the CCP is supplying war supplies such as gunpowder, artillery, and weapons subcomponents to Russia. When Zelinskiy announced on 9 April that the Ukrainian Army had captured two Chinese nationals fighting with Russians on the front line with details
On a quiet lane in Taipei’s central Daan District (大安), an otherwise unremarkable high-rise is marked by a police guard and a tawdry A4 printout from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicating an “embassy area.” Keen observers would see the emblem of the Holy See, one of Taiwan’s 12 so-called “diplomatic allies.” Unlike Taipei’s other embassies and quasi-consulates, no national flag flies there, nor is there a plaque indicating what country’s embassy this is. Visitors hoping to sign a condolence book for the late Pope Francis would instead have to visit the Italian Trade Office, adjacent to Taipei 101. The death of
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
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), joined by the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), held a protest on Saturday on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei. They were essentially standing for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which is anxious about the mass recall campaign against KMT legislators. President William Lai (賴清德) said that if the opposition parties truly wanted to fight dictatorship, they should do so in Tiananmen Square — and at the very least, refrain from groveling to Chinese officials during their visits to China, alluding to meetings between KMT members and Chinese authorities. Now that China has been defined as a foreign hostile force,
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