Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

As the presidential candidates of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) are occupied with putting out fires — the former with preschool drugging, the latter with sexual harassment allegations — one candidate seems to be above the fray: Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) founder, chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲).

However, Ko is still in the limelight after a series of diplomatic blunders. He had a spat with American China specialist Bonnie Glaser. During a Brookings Institution forum, Glaser said that compared with New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) of the KMT, Beijing would be “more comfortable” supporting Ko because he had a track record of handling relations with China. Ko interpreted that to mean that “he is the one most capable of communicating with China and the US.” When Glaser opposed Ko’s misinterpretation, Ko said: “Who gives a damn about her.”

Taiwan can look to Ukraine and Israel to learn about deterrence, which is a better option than war, former US deputy national security adviser Matt Pottinger said during a meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday.

Pottinger, chairman of the China Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, is visiting Taiwan at the head of delegation of US and Israeli security experts who are also members of the foundation.