Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Regional rebalancing and Taiwan

Joseph Tse-Hei Lee 李榭熙

Since her inauguration on May 20, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has embarked on a series of reform initiatives to increase the economy’s capacity-building, strengthen national defense and diversify the school curriculum.

Taiwan’s electorate seems to be willing to give the Tsai administration a reasonable time to formulate, prioritize and implement these new policies. Yet it is important to keep in mind some new exogenous forces that challenge the nation to embrace non-utilitarian thinking on diplomatic and developmental issues.

KMT’s U-turn on Sunflower activism

Taipei Times Editorial

Heralding the tragic demise of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) — which thereafter suffered consecutive electoral routs — the Sunflower movement in 2014 has been like a curse for the party. The curse did not disperse after the change of government; it has continued to haunt the KMT, which has repeatedly evoked the movement to legitimize its own protests, but at the same time doggedly denied the legitimacy of the civic movement.

KMT disrupts proceedings at legislature

Taipei Times

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators, with a polystyrene pig, boycott Premier Lin Chuan’s report to the legislature in Taipei yesterday.
Photo: Lo Pei-der, Taipei Times

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday morning disrupted a presentation Premier Lin Chuan (林全) was giving to the legislature, while outside the Legislative Yuan, a rally supposedly led by pig farmers, fishermen and KMT supporters protested against US pork imports containing ractopamine and “the neglect” of fishermen’s rights.

The need to address historical facts

Hua Yih-fen 花亦芬

In her inaugural address on May 20, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) had her work cut out for her. Not only did she have to address the high expectations Taiwanese have for political reform, but she also had to take on the rather grave responsibility of showing the international community how she was going to further Taiwan’s democracy over the course of her presidential term. At this crucial juncture, the issue of how she would bring about transitional justice is going to be a very important test for the government.

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