Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Ministry urged to extend military service

Taipei Times

Troops conduct drills on the beaches of Bali District in New Taipei City during the Han Kuang exercises on Sept. 16.
Photo: Tsai Tsung-hsien, Taipei Times

The Ministry of National Defense should extend military service from four months to at least one year, defense experts said yesterday.

The four months of military service in Taiwan are divided into five weeks of basic training and 11 weeks of specialized training at a military branch training center, which is usually near where recruits live.

Facebook moderation in Taiwan

Chiang Ya-chi 江雅綺

Early last month, YouTuber Chen Yen-chang (陳延昶) posted a message on the Taiwan New Constitution Foundation’s Facebook page, saying: “Dear all, I support Taiwanese independence. Taiwan already is an independent country. I am a Taiwanese. I am not Chinese.”

He later said that his Facebook access had been restricted for 30 days.

The revelation prompted numerous complaints from commenters describing how they had been blocked or had their accounts deleted with no reason provided.

Taiwan determined to defend itself: Tsai

Taipei Times

President Tsai Ing-wen, center, meets representatives of the Taiwan Dental Association at the Presidential Office on Monday to thank them for their hard work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Photo: CNA

Taiwan is committed to defending itself if its democracy is threatened, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday, warning of “catastrophic consequences” if it were to fall to China.

Framing cross-strait tensions as a contest between authoritarian and liberal regimes, Tsai wrote in an article in Foreign Affairs magazine that Taiwan “is a liberal democracy on the frontlines of a new clash of ideologies,” but remains committed to “democratic, progressive values.”

Eric Chu’s ties to CCP raise more trust issues

Tzou Jiing-wen 鄒景雯

When asked why the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) did not send him a congratulatory message until the day after being elected chairman of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), Eric Chu (朱立倫) said that the timing of the letter was “a joint decision” by him and the CCP, a response that stunned everyone.

Chu, who lost the presidential election in 2016, is trying to stage a comeback to pave the way for a presidential bid in 2024, so it is quite surprising to see that his political wisdom has declined so incredibly fast. What other surprises can we expect from secret agreements that he might have made in exchange for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) congratulatory letter? Chu has a responsibility to all Taiwanese to offer an explanation.

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