Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Taiwan’s celebrated democracy

Rup Narayan Da

The Democratic Progressive Party’s unprecedented third consecutive presidential election victory and winning of 51 seats in the Legislative Yuan, against 52 seats for the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), is a resounding vindication of the democracy and sovereignty of 23 million freedom-loving Taiwanese, the bulk of whom were born after Chiang Kai-shek’s (蔣介石) regime evacuated to Taiwan in 1949.

The world’s democracies have also rejoiced in the festival of democracy and its triumph in Taiwan. Having failed to influence the election outcome through overt and covert means, Beijing made a virtue out of necessity, saying that it was an internal matter of China. It is high time that China sees the writing on the wall.

Missile command to be set up this year

Taipei Times

The armed forces are to set up the Republic of China Navy Sea Control Missile Command in Yunlin County’s Huwei Township (虎尾) by the end of the year, a defense official said yesterday.

The command would be headed by a rear admiral instead of a captain, underscoring the expanding size and importance of the navy’s anti-ship missile forces, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The headquarters would be comprised of administrative buildings and barracks, but no missile depot, which would be built elsewhere, due to opposition from local residents who did not want the base to be a potential target for strikes should China attack, the official said.

The Formosa Club congratulates Lai

Taipei Times

The Formosa Club — a coalition of Taiwan friendship groups — on Tuesday congratulated Vice President William Lai (賴清德) on his victory in Saturday’s presidential election and voiced concern over apparent Chinese involvement in Nauru severing diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

Nauru switched recognition to China two days after Taiwan’s presidential and legislative elections, which the Formosa Club said in a statement was based on Beijing’s claim that Taiwan is part of China, a misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758.

The incident “highlights the fact that China has utilized the distorted interpretation of this resolution to isolate Taiwan internationally,” wrote 25 cochairs of the club, which comprises cross-party European and Canadian legislators.

Smaller parties are down, but not out

Linus Chiou 邱士哲

The elections Have shown that many voters are willing to support a third party to break the longstanding blue-green deadlock.

Most of these voters have consolidated under the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), which has a capricious platform designed to score easy political points. Its formal and informal ties to several controversial politicians, including former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Tainan City Council speaker Lee Chuan-chiao (李全教) and Chinese Sunshine Promotion and Care Association chairperson Tsai Chun-chou (蔡春綢), weaken its claim to be the sole representative of an incorruptible, new political force that rejects “black gold” corruption.

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