Signs suggest that Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (
When the KMT first announced that Lien was going to China, many observers began to suspect that perhaps Lien was not quite ready to ride off into the sunset. The fact that he went on the trip despite threats of criminal prosecution for "treason" by the pan-green camp, suspicions and skepticism within Taiwan, and US concerns reinforced this belief. After all, if he was really ready to step down, his time and efforts would be better spent looking for a suitable nursing home.
Lo and behold, before Lien had even returned from his trip, his cronies within the KMT had began to talk about how Lien should stay in the chairman's post. Of course, he needs justification -- serious justification -- for not stepping down. After all, he suffered two devastating presidential defeats. Under his leadership, the KMT shrank from the nation's biggest political party to an opposition party. It would take some really thick skin to hold onto the office without some excuse. Not even Lien could stoop that low.
At first, the justifications offered by Lien's supporters was that the race between Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
It would be naive to think that Lien would want to compete in the chairmanship. After all, he will probably lose the election. So he can stay on in the post only if his current term is extended or both Wang and Ma back out of the election. The second scenario would be a repeat of the last KMT chairmanship election, in which Lien was the only candidate.
Unfortunately, when asked what he would do if Lien runs for the chairmanship, Ma has consistently said he will run as well. Wang has cunningly said that he would back out of the race -- thus shoving the responsibility for complicating Lien's bid onto Ma's shoulders.
Under the circumstances, the trip to China gave Lien the glimmer of hope that he so desperately needed. So far everything seems to be working out well for him. In a recent poll conducted by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), after Lien's trip to China, the level of the KMT's popular support increased to 34 percent, surpassing the DPP's 33 percent. That, of course, is because a lot of conservative pan-blue supporters switched from supporting the People First Party (PFP) or New Party as a result of this trip, and as a result of the meeting between PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) and President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).
So, as expected, after Lien returned from his trip, even more of his supporters began to openly urge Lien to stay on. As for Lien himself, consistent with the teaching of his mother culture -- the "Chinese culture" -- he lets his gang speak out for him, while himself denying any intention to stay in the chairman's office. This is what the Chinese culture calls the virtue of "humility."
But Lien can only feign humility for so long. On Thursday, while continuing to deny any intention to stay in the chairman's office, Lien let down his guard somewhat and said it may be premature to talk about his retirement just yet.
Two weeks ago, Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh (楊紫瓊) raised hackles in Taiwan by posting to her 2.6 million Instagram followers that she was visiting “Taipei, China.” Yeoh’s post continues a long-standing trend of Chinese propaganda that spreads disinformation about Taiwan’s political status and geography, aimed at deceiving the world into supporting its illegitimate claims to Taiwan, which is not and has never been part of China. Taiwan must respond to this blatant act of cognitive warfare. Failure to respond merely cedes ground to China to continue its efforts to conquer Taiwan in the global consciousness to justify an invasion. Taiwan’s government
This month’s news that Taiwan ranks as Asia’s happiest place according to this year’s World Happiness Report deserves both celebration and reflection. Moving up from 31st to 27th globally and surpassing Singapore as Asia’s happiness leader is gratifying, but the true significance lies deeper than these statistics. As a society at the crossroads of Eastern tradition and Western influence, Taiwan embodies a distinctive approach to happiness worth examining more closely. The report highlights Taiwan’s exceptional habit of sharing meals — 10.1 shared meals out of 14 weekly opportunities, ranking eighth globally. This practice is not merely about food, but represents something more
In an article published on this page on Tuesday, Kaohsiung-based journalist Julien Oeuillet wrote that “legions of people worldwide would care if a disaster occurred in South Korea or Japan, but the same people would not bat an eyelid if Taiwan disappeared.” That is quite a statement. We are constantly reading about the importance of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), hailed in Taiwan as the nation’s “silicon shield” protecting it from hostile foreign forces such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and so crucial to the global supply chain for semiconductors that its loss would cost the global economy US$1
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
RSS