On Monday, the TAIEX fell 244 points. It's not difficult to fathom that recent political instability has led to poor stock performance, but the decline in shares has also spawned conspiracy theories. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) believes the opposition parties' mobilization to recall the president and topple Premier Su Tseng-chang's (
Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) held cross-party talks on whether to hold an extraordinary legislative session to review some urgently needed bills. Legislators from ruling and opposition parties have agreed to the session, but are split over which bills should be given priority. DPP legislators hope to prioritize budget bills related to people's livelihoods and the economy, while opposition legislators want to prioritize legislation related to the presidential recall campaign and direct links. Given this deep political chasm, the session could simply provide another occasion for pointless political bickering.
The insider-trading case involving Chen's son-in-law Chao Chien-ming (趙建銘) has attracted huge political and media interest. Every development stirs more controversy. Whether Chao is implicated in the scandal or not, the case will have serious implications for the nation's political scene. Nevertheless, the seemingly endless coverage of it is surely abnormal.
The investigation into Chao's case is about to come to a close. The prosecutor will decide whether to present an indictment against Chao. But we cannot start discussing what legal and political responsibility Chen must bear until Chao is found guilty of the charges presented, or Chen and his family members are implicated. Prior to this, any attempt to force the resignation of the premier or recall the president is unwise and will likely plunge the nation into further turmoil.
While the People First Party (PFP) is planning to unseat Chen, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is taking aim at the Cabinet. Since recalling the president requires the approval of two-thirds of legislators, the KMT thinks it doesn't have the numbers. However, the pan-blues do possess enough legislative seats to force the resignation of the Cabinet. If Chen decided to dissolve the legislature in response, this would force an election, which under the Constitution, would be under the new "single-district, two-vote" system. That means half the legislators would be out of a job. While neither KMT nor PFP legislators desire this, the result would be worse for the PFP, which would likely dissolve completely, allowing the KMT to dislodge both of its political rivals in one go. But, unable to put its ideal plan into action, the KMT has settled on launching a petition to recall the president, so that it does not lose support to the PFP.
The scandals surrounding Chen's entourage and his family are extremely regrettable. It is imperative that law enforcement officials conduct a thorough investigation into all the allegations and find out who is responsible. The public should remain cool and not give politicians an opportunity to engage in further strife. While the recall proposal can be discussed at the special legislative session, issues involving people's livelihoods should top the agenda. Otherwise, contention over the recall is likely to overwhelm all other bills, rendering a special session pointless.
US President Donald Trump has gotten off to a head-spinning start in his foreign policy. He has pressured Denmark to cede Greenland to the United States, threatened to take over the Panama Canal, urged Canada to become the 51st US state, unilaterally renamed the Gulf of Mexico to “the Gulf of America” and announced plans for the United States to annex and administer Gaza. He has imposed and then suspended 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico for their roles in the flow of fentanyl into the United States, while at the same time increasing tariffs on China by 10
As an American living in Taiwan, I have to confess how impressed I have been over the years by the Chinese Communist Party’s wholehearted embrace of high-speed rail and electric vehicles, and this at a time when my own democratic country has chosen a leader openly committed to doing everything in his power to put obstacles in the way of sustainable energy across the board — and democracy to boot. It really does make me wonder: “Are those of us right who hold that democracy is the right way to go?” Has Taiwan made the wrong choice? Many in China obviously
US President Donald Trump last week announced plans to impose reciprocal tariffs on eight countries. As Taiwan, a key hub for semiconductor manufacturing, is among them, the policy would significantly affect the country. In response, Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo (郭智輝) dispatched two officials to the US for negotiations, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC) board of directors convened its first-ever meeting in the US. Those developments highlight how the US’ unstable trade policies are posing a growing threat to Taiwan. Can the US truly gain an advantage in chip manufacturing by reversing trade liberalization? Is it realistic to
Last week, 24 Republican representatives in the US Congress proposed a resolution calling for US President Donald Trump’s administration to abandon the US’ “one China” policy, calling it outdated, counterproductive and not reflective of reality, and to restore official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, enter bilateral free-trade agreement negotiations and support its entry into international organizations. That is an exciting and inspiring development. To help the US government and other nations further understand that Taiwan is not a part of China, that those “one China” policies are contrary to the fact that the two countries across the Taiwan Strait are independent and
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