Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

1624: a year of significance

Taipei Times Editorial

A new exhibition at the National Museum of Taiwan History in Tainan, “Transcending 1624 — Taiwan and the World,” which opened on Feb. 1, offers a rich and evocative interpretation of Taiwanese history. It begins with the question: “How should 1624 be viewed from 2024?”

It was the year Dutch traders landed on Taiwan’s shores, marking the “integration of Taiwan into the Asian-European trade network,” the exhibition said. The 17th century was when “Taiwan became connected to the rest of the world,” the museum added.

The motif of the exhibition is trade, commerce, cultural exchange, assimilation and adoption. In a word: openness.

Credible deterrence against China

Huynh Tam Sang and Chen Kuan-ting 陳冠廷

Amid the intensifying Sino-US strategic rivalry, Beijing has become more vocal about its coercive “wolf warrior” diplomacy.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) condemned the US-led “containment, encirclement and suppression of China” at last year’s annual National People’s Congress in Beijing.

Xi went on to say that China must “have the courage to fight” in the face of complicated changes at home and abroad.

China’s new ‘Cultural Revolution’

The Liberty Times Editorial

The China Media Group New Year’s Gala, which was broadcast throughout China and abroad on the eve of the Lunar New Year, featured an appearance by combat and armored troops of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Was this somewhat jarring segment intended more as a warning to the domestic audience or the international community?

Either way, the inclusion of such a militaristic item in the midst of festive celebrations is quite in keeping with China’s global image.

Last year marked a turning point in the course of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) growing power. Speaking of his government’s achievements over the past year, Xi claimed that employment and prices were generally stable, and that a glance around world showed that “the landscape here is beyond compare.”

Cyberattacks spiked day before vote

Taipei Times

China-affiliated cyberattacks against Taiwan jumped in the 24 hours before Taiwan’s presidential and legislative elections on Jan. 13, a report released on Tuesday by US cybersecurity firm Trellix found.

The report titled Cyberattack on Democracy: Escalating Cyber Threats Immediately Ahead of Taiwan’s 2024 Presidential Election said that malicious cyberactivity targeting Taiwan had jumped from 1,758 detections on Jan. 11 to more than 4,300 on Jan. 12.

The reason behind the activity and its success remains to be determined, the report said.

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