So President Chen Shui-bian (
There are those within the pan-green camp who might be happy at the prospect of Premier Su Tseng-chang (
But the president's decision poses dangers for Su. After all, it is unlikely the move will defuse any of the scandals plaguing the administration. The insider-trading scandal that has ensnared Chen's son-in-law reflects on the first family's honor and integrity.
As Presidential Office Spokesman David Lee (
The stain of corruption has tainted Chen. Even if he is completely honest, he has surrounded himself with the crooked and the corrupt -- and in the case of former top adviser Chen Che-nan (
And this is what brings us back to Su. The premier faces a number of difficulties as he tries to balance his responsibilities as the nation's chief executive with the need to distance himself from Chen.
The basic problem is that, regardless of what happens to Chen, Su is going to be left with the unenviable task of cleaning up the mess. It is Su that must deal with the aftermath of the various scandals that have erupted. It is Su who will have to take the flak for the landslides, floods, typhoons, crop damage, financial problems and myriad other issues that a premier has to deal with each year.
Contrast this with Ma, who has no national responsibilities. As Taipei mayor, he is responsible for the most developed and wealthiest part of the nation, which may have periodic problems, but obviously not on the scale of the rest of the country. So Ma isn't likely to have to make many decisions of national import. He will appeal to voters because all he has to do is sit on the sidelines and snipe at the administration with carefully crafted press releases.
But Su is in the trenches. He has to get himself down in the dirt of the day-to-day operations of the government. Su will have to demonstrate whether or not he has the ability to lead this nation long before he ever has a chance to run for head of state.
One suspects that Ma isn't being entirely sincere when he implies Chen should step down. He must be satisfied with things as they are now: The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration is in disarray, beset by scandal and unable to find its direction. His most likely rival for the presidency is at the mercy of forces beyond his control, and Ma will have ample opportunities to let his henchmen knock the premier down a notch or two whenever a problem erupts.
Of course, what is best for Ma is not necessarily best for the country. The people should ask themselves why it is that Su is where he is now. They should ask themselves if they would prefer a leader who is unafraid to risk his political capital simply to get things done, as is Su, or one who calculates from the shadows and takes advantage of others' mistakes, as does Ma.
If Taiwan chooses the spider, it shouldn't cry when it gets bitten.
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
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
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
Sasha B. Chhabra’s column (“Michelle Yeoh should no longer be welcome,” March 26, page 8) lamented an Instagram post by renowned actress Michelle Yeoh (楊紫瓊) about her recent visit to “Taipei, China.” It is Chhabra’s opinion that, in response to parroting Beijing’s propaganda about the status of Taiwan, Yeoh should be banned from entering this nation and her films cut off from funding by government-backed agencies, as well as disqualified from competing in the Golden Horse Awards. She and other celebrities, he wrote, must be made to understand “that there are consequences for their actions if they become political pawns of
RSS