Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Collapse of the KMT is a historical certainty

Lee Min-yung 李敏勇

Just as the party-state that Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) brought to Taiwan from China ended, the collapse of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is imminent.

The seeds of the KMT’s disintegration were sown in the 1990s, when the election for Taipei mayor was opened up, allowing Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康) — who is now chairman of Broadcasting Corp of China — to challenge the KMT nominee, then-Taipei mayor Huang Ta-chou (黃大洲), as a member of the “Chinese” New Party.

The three-way race handed the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) nominee, Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), the victory.

Taiwan is already independent: Lai

Taipei Times

Taiwan is a “sovereign, independent country,” Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate William Lai (賴清德) told Bloomberg Businessweek in an interview, adding that he had no plans to purse formal independence.

“Taiwan is already a sovereign, independent country called the Republic of China,” Vice President Lai said, echoing a stance President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) made public three years ago, in his first interview with an international media outlet since becoming vice president in 2020.

“And in respect to unifying Taiwanese society, President Tsai has used the term Republic of China (Taiwan) to describe our country. I will continue to do so in the future,” he said. “There are no plans to change the name of our country.”

Aso visit and security concerns

The Liberty Times Editorial

Former Japanese prime minister Taro Aso, who attaches great importance to Japan’s partnership with Taiwan, paid a visit to Taiwan last week. When meeting with Vice President William Lai (賴清德), nominated as the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate for Taiwan’s presidential election in January, Aso said that China’s expansionism has raised tensions in the Taiwan Strait. He stated that he would like to hear the thoughts of presidential candidates about whether Taiwan is determined to use its strength to defend itself should trouble arise, saying, “We are very concerned about this aspect.” Aso, who also serves as the vice president of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), is the highest-ranking incumbent LDP official to visit Taiwan since Japan severed formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1972.

VP William Lai welcomed in New York

Taipei Times

Vice President William Lai (賴清德) was welcomed by overseas Taiwanese upon his arrival in New York on Saturday evening for a stopover en route to Paraguay.

While still on the tarmac at John F. Kennedy International Airport, Lai was greeted by American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Managing Director Ingrid Larson, as well as Representative to the US Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴).

“Welcome to NYC, Vice President @chingtelai, as you transit en route to Paraguay! I’m glad AIT/W Managing Director Larson can host you and your delegation while I am at my sister’s wedding,” AIT Chair Laura Rosenberger wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

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