The presidential and legislative elections in Taiwan have concluded. The entire world was watching Taiwanese make their own decision. Several Japanese newspapers covered the election and its aftermath on their front pages.
One of Japan’s leading national daily newspapers, the Yomiuri Shimbun, described the election as “a demonstration of Taiwanese public opinion on the alert from China.” The Yomiuri editorial said that despite being under great pressure from China, Taiwanese still decided to continue with their Democratic Progressive Party government.
The editorial urged China to respect the opinion of Taiwanese, saying that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) should refrain from threatening Taiwan through cultural infiltration and the People’s Liberation Army’s military might. It also said that president-elect William Lai (賴清德) would carry on President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) strategy, which is to face China with neither provocation nor submissiveness and to confront Beijing with self-assertion and confidence.
It also said that the Tsai-Lai strategy would deepen relations with the US and enhance Taiwan’s national defense to protect the “status quo.” In contrast, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and its candidates, knowing Beijing’s intention of making Taiwan a part of China, still catered to China. The KMT’s lack of autonomy compelled voters to vote for Lai.
Likewise, the Nikkei Shimbun editorial said that Taiwanese wanted to keep distance from China, and such an opinion must be respected. The Nikkei editorial said that Lai being elected Taiwan’s next president shows that “democratic Taiwan wants to keep its distance from autocratic China.” It said that since Taiwan has been a democracy for more than 25 years, freedom of speech and a robust political environment have been a part of the country for some time. The Nikkei editorial indicated that China should recognize such a reality without ignoring the changes in Taiwan.
The Sankei Shimbun editorial said that Taiwanese demonstrated how a democratic system in full bloom works. According to the Sankei editorial, the election was meaningful, especially at a moment when China clearly shows its intention to annex Taiwan. The Sankei editorial also sent a warning to president-elect Lai, reminding him that “China is not a democratic country, it does not abide by law and it only believes in power.” The editorial said that if Taiwan wanted to negotiate with an autocratic country such as China to keep peace in the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan must enhance its self-defense capabilities.
Russia’s war against Ukraine continues. Particularly at this moment, Taiwan has become a symbol for the world of defending democracy, and it is only natural that the world should pay more attention to Taiwan’s presidential election and what might follow. Newspapers and news media around the world have been reporting the event. Numerous journalists came to Taiwan to cover the election. On the other hand, China has tried every means of blocking such information and news. Nothing related to Taiwan’s elections could be found on the Chinese microblogging site Sina Weibo.
Taiwan’s democracy is functioning smoothly. Before the election, hundreds of thousands of people gathered for the candidates, shouting, yelling, singing along with the crashing and beating of gongs and drums. The election campaigns are indeed carnivalesque, but after the election ends, all the clamor and noise eventually comes to an end. Life goes on as usual. Such a free and democratic Taiwan is indeed like a thorn in China’s side.
Wang Hui-sheng is the chief director of the Kisei Ladies’ and Children’s Hospital in Japan.
Translated by Emma Liu
The US Department of Defense recently released this year’s “Report on Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China.” This annual report provides a comprehensive overview of China’s military capabilities, strategic objectives and evolving global ambitions. Taiwan features prominently in this year’s report, as capturing the nation remains central to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) vision of the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” a goal he has set for 2049. The report underscores Taiwan’s critical role in China’s long-term strategy, highlighting its significance as a geopolitical flashpoint and a key target in China’s quest to assert dominance
The National Development Council (NDC) on Wednesday last week launched a six-month “digital nomad visitor visa” program, the Central News Agency (CNA) reported on Monday. The new visa is for foreign nationals from Taiwan’s list of visa-exempt countries who meet financial eligibility criteria and provide proof of work contracts, but it is not clear how it differs from other visitor visas for nationals of those countries, CNA wrote. The NDC last year said that it hoped to attract 100,000 “digital nomads,” according to the report. Interest in working remotely from abroad has significantly increased in recent years following improvements in
The Legislative Yuan passed legislation on Tuesday aimed at supporting the middle-aged generation — defined as people aged 55 or older willing and able to work — in a law initially proposed by Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Legislator Wu Chun-cheng (吳春城) to help the nation transition from an aged society to a super-aged society. The law’s passage was celebrated by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the TPP. The brief show of unity was welcome news, especially after 10 months of political fighting and unconstitutional amendments that are damaging democracy and the constitutional order, eliciting concern
Following a series of suspected sabotage attacks by Chinese vessels on undersea cables in the Baltic Sea last year, which impacted Europe’s communications and energy infrastructure, an international undersea cable off the coast of Yehliu (野柳) near Keelung was on Friday last week cut by a Chinese freighter. Four cores of the international submarine communication cable connecting Taiwan and the US were damaged. The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) dispatched a ship to the site after receiving a report from Chunghwa Telecom and located the Shunxin-39, a Cameroon-flagged cargo ship operated by a Hong Kong-registered company and owned by a Chinese
RSS