Some of Taiwan's neighbors are continuing to watch closely for further cases of avian flu, but Taiwan itself has remained free of the disease so far. Hopefully such good luck will last so that the nation can avoid human deaths, financial losses to poultry farmers and the slaughter of migratory birds.
But while Taiwan has so far been spared, its political environment seems to get sicker by the day. The governing and opposition parties are growing more confrontational, trading trumped-up accusations and even blows on the legislative floor. This is the political epidemic that always seems to take hold of the nation before elections -- and it could become disastrous.
With the Dec. 3 local government elections drawing near, some politicians are bending over backwards to laud China's rise and denigrate their own nation, completely at ease with the Chinese regime's authoritarian nature. On one television talk show, a caller even suggested using suicide bombing as a political weapon -- without reproach by the host of the program.
If the nation's political climate continues to deteriorate at this level, and if political parties refuse to moderate their behavior, the specter of violence may loom larger.
President Chen Shui-bian (
Chen has thrown himself into the campaign with some verve. But, it should be remembered, his efforts did not help the DPP win a legislative majority last year -- and were probably counterproductive. Will this year's efforts be more successful? So far, it would appear the tenor of his campaign will not help achieve the reconciliation between political parties that he has appealed for.
Ma's performance, meanwhile, has been disappointing. He sidestepped Chen's accusations of involvement in the illegal sale of land belonging to the Institute on Policy Research and Development by flippantly telling Chen to spend less time appearing on television and get a medical check-up. Such impudence damages his own image, and shows his unwillingness to respond to the charges Chen and Hsieh have leveled at him.
Moreover, in supporting pan-blue candidates for the Dec. 3 elections, Ma has repeatedly chanted the slogan, "A pan-green government means a corrupt government." Given the KMT's rotten past during its 50 years in power, does such a statement have any resonance?
Many voters think that the DPP is good at winning elections but lousy at governing. They are also aware of the pan-blue camp's drift toward China. Unfortunately, neither party is willing to take a long, hard look at its own shortcomings. Instead, both devote their energies to smearing their opponent. This is the infection that has caused Taiwanese so much anxiety over so many years -- and there doesn't seem to be any cure in sight.
As strategic tensions escalate across the vast Indo-Pacific region, Taiwan has emerged as more than a potential flashpoint. It is the fulcrum upon which the credibility of the evolving American-led strategy of integrated deterrence now rests. How the US and regional powers like Japan respond to Taiwan’s defense, and how credible the deterrent against Chinese aggression proves to be, will profoundly shape the Indo-Pacific security architecture for years to come. A successful defense of Taiwan through strengthened deterrence in the Indo-Pacific would enhance the credibility of the US-led alliance system and underpin America’s global preeminence, while a failure of integrated deterrence would
It is being said every second day: The ongoing recall campaign in Taiwan — where citizens are trying to collect enough signatures to trigger re-elections for a number of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators — is orchestrated by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), or even President William Lai (賴清德) himself. The KMT makes the claim, and foreign media and analysts repeat it. However, they never show any proof — because there is not any. It is alarming how easily academics, journalists and experts toss around claims that amount to accusing a democratic government of conspiracy — without a shred of evidence. These
Taiwan is confronting escalating threats from its behemoth neighbor. Last month, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army conducted live-fire drills in the East China Sea, practicing blockades and precision strikes on simulated targets, while its escalating cyberattacks targeting government, financial and telecommunication systems threaten to disrupt Taiwan’s digital infrastructure. The mounting geopolitical pressure underscores Taiwan’s need to strengthen its defense capabilities to deter possible aggression and improve civilian preparedness. The consequences of inadequate preparation have been made all too clear by the tragic situation in Ukraine. Taiwan can build on its successful COVID-19 response, marked by effective planning and execution, to enhance
Since taking office, US President Donald Trump has upheld the core goals of “making America safer, stronger, and more prosperous,” fully implementing an “America first” policy. Countries have responded cautiously to the fresh style and rapid pace of the new Trump administration. The US has prioritized reindustrialization, building a stronger US role in the Indo-Pacific, and countering China’s malicious influence. This has created a high degree of alignment between the interests of Taiwan and the US in security, economics, technology and other spheres. Taiwan must properly understand the Trump administration’s intentions and coordinate, connect and correspond with US strategic goals.
RSS