The president is chosen by the people and only has to respond to public opinion. When the president is engaged in dialogue with the public, the media should stay out of the matter.
The pan-blue camp gave 10 reasons for its campaign to recall President Chen Shui-bian (
In his televised response, Chen did not sidestep any of these issues. Rather, he defended himself by using hard facts and history to show that his accusers were applying stricter standards to him than for themselves.
Chen evoked memories of the Chiang family's dictatorship, for the period was not that long ago and still torments Taiwanese. Tailor-made for the Chiang regime and amended by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), the Constitution is the source of the nation's chaos, he said. Using hard data and international ratings, he rebutted accusations that the nation is in an economic slump.
He responded to the allegations of corruption by reiterating that everyone is equal before the law and that crimes committed by his relatives or aides would not be covered up. Regarding the Sogo voucher scandal which has been a focus of breathless media attention but remains unsupported by fact, Chen said repeatedly that he would step down if his wife Wu Shu-jen (
Chen dealt with the routine accusations against his aides by dealing with each and every one of them individually. He said that it is difficult to prevent one's staff from slipping up or sparking controversy, but that it is unethical and unfair to say that every such incident implies administration-wide corruption.
He also said that the smear campaign against Minister of Education Tu Cheng-sheng (
In response to the accusation that Chen should be held responsible for undermining US-Taiwan relations, Chen asked the public to review the latest remarks made by American Institute in Taiwan Chairman Raymond Burghardt. He said that the true diplomatic setback occurred with Chiang Kai-shek's (
Chen stressed that Beijing constantly suppresses Taiwan on the diplomatic front, regardless of the party of Taiwanese officials. For example, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (
Chen can never compromise on clean governance and should candidly face any allegations and not seek to cover up any wrongdoing. He must do his level best to govern the nation, and when the nation faces difficulties, he must insist on Taiwan's view. If he does, he will enjoy public support.
Chen Gau-tzu is deputy director of the Northern Taiwan Society.
Translated by Daniel Cheng
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