Recently, a memorable election campaign video was uploaded. In this short clip, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is driving on “Democracy Road,” with Vice President William Lai (賴清德) sitting in the front passenger seat. They discuss all kinds of issues related to Taiwan. In the end, Tsai passes the key to Lai, who continues the journey with Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) vice presidential candidate Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴).
The video has been well received. Many comments said that the promotion is unique and not only meaningful, but also touching.
NO ANTAGONISM
In this video, no criticism is made against the DPP candidates’ rivals. The video does not show any antagonistic elements; the atmosphere is far from aggressive or antagonistic. Instead, it is a lighthearted, tranquil campaign video in which Tsai, Lai and Hsiao demonstrate their devotion to Taiwan as they continue their journey on the road of democracy.
As they talk and laugh together, they show their tenderness and determination.
With a pleasant landscape in the background, the car goes from the highways in city areas to narrow paths in the countryside and lastly, it reaches the shore.
The road to democracy cannot be as glamorous and smooth as portrayed in the video. The journey would be full of thorns and hardship, just as how Taiwan has been over the past few years. It has never been easy for Taiwan in the international community, nor has it been unchallenging to deal with domestic issues. Yet eventually, the campaign video displays the most beautiful and charming aspects of Taiwan.
TAIWANESE SPIRIT
Lai and Hsiao are to take Taiwan and move forward with smiles on their faces.
This is precisely the Taiwanese spirit. No matter how many difficulties we have been through, and no matter the price we have had to pay, we will keep pursuing freedom and adhere to democratic values. No matter how turbulent the times are, we can remain positive and hand the baton over to the next generation.
The idea of handing over the baton reminds me of the eve of the 2012 presidential election. That evening, former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) — whose health was failing at the time — attended a DPP campaign event and gave a moving speech. Lee said that for decades, Taiwanese were ruled by a number of different governments, but thanks to our predecessors’ efforts and perseverance, Taiwan could finally be governed by our own president, elected by Taiwanese.
Lee concluded his speech in Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese): “I now hand over the baton to you. You are in charge of Taiwan.”
Some voters might be hesitant about the decision we should make. Some might even feel reluctant to cast a ballot.
Yet in a way, voting is just like driving a car. Compared with the moment when we drive up a hill, we might have a stronger and better feeling when we start the car and begin to drive, but to move forward, we must continue to drive rather than stop by the side of the road.
Many of us are getting too used to driving on “Democracy Road,” but we should remember that the road was built through the great efforts of our predecessors.
We must not take it for granted; we should believe in the faith and values of democracy and freedom.
Most importantly, we need to believe in ourselves, taking great care of the baton that has been handed to us.
Ko Chia-wei is a former president of the National Chengchi University Student Association.
Translated by Emma Liu
Trying to force a partnership between Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) and Intel Corp would be a wildly complex ordeal. Already, the reported request from the Trump administration for TSMC to take a controlling stake in Intel’s US factories is facing valid questions about feasibility from all sides. Washington would likely not support a foreign company operating Intel’s domestic factories, Reuters reported — just look at how that is going over in the steel sector. Meanwhile, many in Taiwan are concerned about the company being forced to transfer its bleeding-edge tech capabilities and give up its strategic advantage. This is especially
US President Donald Trump’s second administration has gotten off to a fast start with a blizzard of initiatives focused on domestic commitments made during his campaign. His tariff-based approach to re-ordering global trade in a manner more favorable to the United States appears to be in its infancy, but the significant scale and scope are undeniable. That said, while China looms largest on the list of national security challenges, to date we have heard little from the administration, bar the 10 percent tariffs directed at China, on specific priorities vis-a-vis China. The Congressional hearings for President Trump’s cabinet have, so far,
The US Department of State has removed the phrase “we do not support Taiwan independence” in its updated Taiwan-US relations fact sheet, which instead iterates that “we expect cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means, free from coercion, in a manner acceptable to the people on both sides of the Strait.” This shows a tougher stance rejecting China’s false claims of sovereignty over Taiwan. Since switching formal diplomatic recognition from the Republic of China to the People’s Republic of China in 1979, the US government has continually indicated that it “does not support Taiwan independence.” The phrase was removed in 2022
US President Donald Trump, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth have each given their thoughts on Russia’s war with Ukraine. There are a few proponents of US skepticism in Taiwan taking advantage of developments to write articles claiming that the US would arbitrarily abandon Ukraine. The reality is that when one understands Trump’s negotiating habits, one sees that he brings up all variables of a situation prior to discussion, using broad negotiations to take charge. As for his ultimate goals and the aces up his sleeve, he wants to keep things vague for
RSS