With just a year left until he leaves office, President Chen Shui-bian (
Wu's predecessors, Chen Chien-jen (
Since he became president, Chen has sent a number of DPP members to learn the diplomatic ropes as deputy representatives to the US, but has demonstrated his respect for the professionalism required by the job by retaining more qualified Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) members in the top post. However, to train its own members in diplomacy and North American affairs, the DPP has finally sent one of its own. If it hadn't, it would have squandered an opportunity to make its mark on US-Taiwan relations.
When problems arose between Taiwan and the US, there was some mutual distrust between Taipei and the representative office in Washington due to differing political backgrounds. Both Taipei and Washington wondered if their messages were getting through, or whether they were being distorted through the prism of domestic politics. As a result, the Presidential Office often bypassed regular diplomatic channels to contact the Bush administration, leaving the official representative office in charge of administrative affairs only. But as Wu has Chen's trust, he should be able to put an end to the confusion and redundancies.
Although Taiwan-US relations are fundamentally diplomatic affairs, Washington has always been a main battleground during exchanges between China and Taiwan. Since Beijing began enlisting the US' help in restraining Taiwan from changing the "status quo," Washington has become the most direct and effective shortcut for each to exert pressure on the other.
This has been especially true since former US deputy secretary of state Robert Zoellick began encouraging China to become a "responsible stakeholder." For example, during a visit to the US in 2005, Chinese President Hu Jintao (
Chen's appointment of a seasoned veteran in cross-strait affairs to represent Taiwan in Washington clearly demonstrates his view that cross-strait relations are an extension of Taiwan-US relations. In doing so, he has established a strategic triangle between the three countries.
Wu's appointment as Taiwan's most crucial diplomatic officer will be a heavy responsibility and test of his ability. As the first DPP representative to the US and one of Chen's most trusted allies, he will not only be the nation's envoy in Washington, but also a channel of communication and the architect of mutual trust between Taiwan and the US. He will also need to use the US' political leverage to maintain balance among the three players in the Taiwan Strait.
The gutting of Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) by US President Donald Trump’s administration poses a serious threat to the global voice of freedom, particularly for those living under authoritarian regimes such as China. The US — hailed as the model of liberal democracy — has the moral responsibility to uphold the values it champions. In undermining these institutions, the US risks diminishing its “soft power,” a pivotal pillar of its global influence. VOA Tibetan and RFA Tibetan played an enormous role in promoting the strong image of the US in and outside Tibet. On VOA Tibetan,
Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), the leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), caused a national outrage and drew diplomatic condemnation on Tuesday after he arrived at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office dressed in a Nazi uniform. Sung performed a Nazi salute and carried a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf as he arrived to be questioned over allegations of signature forgery in the recall petition. The KMT’s response to the incident has shown a striking lack of contrition and decency. Rather than apologizing and distancing itself from Sung’s actions,
US President Trump weighed into the state of America’s semiconductor manufacturing when he declared, “They [Taiwan] stole it from us. They took it from us, and I don’t blame them. I give them credit.” At a prior White House event President Trump hosted TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家), head of the world’s largest and most advanced chip manufacturer, to announce a commitment to invest US$100 billion in America. The president then shifted his previously critical rhetoric on Taiwan and put off tariffs on its chips. Now we learn that the Trump Administration is conducting a “trade investigation” on semiconductors which
By now, most of Taiwan has heard Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) threats to initiate a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet. His rationale is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government’s investigation into alleged signature forgery in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) recall campaign constitutes “political persecution.” I sincerely hope he goes through with it. The opposition currently holds a majority in the Legislative Yuan, so the initiation of a no-confidence motion and its passage should be entirely within reach. If Chiang truly believes that the government is overreaching, abusing its power and targeting political opponents — then