Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Ko Wen-je is not trustworthy

Lai Yen-cheng 賴彥丞

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co founder Terry Gou (郭台銘) might be accused of twice breaking his promises and betraying the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), then launching a signature drive for himself to stand as a candidate in January’s presidential election, only to turn around and quit the race. It clearly shows that rich people are free to do as they like. If that is so, then Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) is the perfect example of a political hack who changes his position as easily as turning the pages of a book.

Taiwanese independence supporters know that it was only with the help of the 2014 Sunflower movement opposed to a proposed cross-strait service trade agreement and thanks to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for not fielding its own candidate that Ko was elected as mayor of Taipei.

Avoiding an at-large Han speaker

Yeh Chi-cheng 葉其政

Under Taiwan’s electoral system, the number of legislator-at-large seats is proportional to the number of party votes a party receives if they exceed the threshold of 5 percent of all party votes cast. Each party is entitled to submit a ranked list of 34 nominees for 34 at-large seats in the 113-seat legislature.

All of the major parties have announced their legislator-at-large lists.

The makeup of the Legislative Yuan is becoming clearer and the future seems anything but promising.

Ten officers charged with espionage

Taipei Times

Ten former and current military officers were yesterday indicted on charges of spying for China, including two who allegedly filmed themselves pledging loyalty to Beijing.

The High Prosecutors’ Office requested life imprisonment for the suspects in light of the severity of the crime.

The 10 active-duty and retired officers included members of the 601st Brigade of the Aviation Special Forces comprising attack helicopter squadrons and elite combat units in charge of defending northern Taiwan, including Taipei.

KMT, Ma, Hou need history lesson

Jan Nilsson

Taiwan has a very important decision to make in the upcoming presidential election. One party stands for protecting the integrity of Taiwanese self-rule, the other two main parties who stand a chance at winning both cater to China and, if elected, would risk locking Taiwan into a position of being annexed by China against the will of a vast majority of the population.

Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential candidate, and the KMT all need a history lesson. Taiwan was never ceded to the Republic of China (ROC). The only treaty regulating the status of Taiwan is the Treaty of San Francisco of 1951. It was ratified in 1952, before the Treaty of Taipei, and thus the Treaty of Taipei only concerns territory not covered in the Treaty of San Francisco. The ROC was tasked with the administration of Taiwan and other named islands, but not the sovereignty.

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