Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Constitutional system under attack

Chen Chi-nung 陳啟濃

Even those without legal training know that the constitution is the most fundamental law of a country. Since the start of the legislative session, three legislators from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) coalition — KMT Legislator Wu Tsung-hsien (吳宗憲), KMT Legislator Weng Hsiao-ling (翁曉玲) and TPP Legislator Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) — have prioritized the introduction of several amendments that would expand legislative powers.

The goal of these amendments is to help the opposition manipulate the constitutional system, making it easier to comply with the Chinese Communist Party’s requirements for Taiwan and allow the opposition to smoothly seize administrative resources.

Chinese chip access headache

Taipei Times Editorial

A chip made by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) was found on a Huawei Technologies Co artificial intelligence (AI) processor, indicating a possible breach of US export restrictions that have been in place since 2019 on sensitive tech to the Chinese firm and others. The incident has triggered significant concern in the IT industry, as it appears that proxy buyers are acting on behalf of restricted Chinese companies to bypass the US rules, which are intended to protect its national security.

Canada-based research firm TechInsights conducted a die analysis of the Huawei Ascend 910B AI Trainer, releasing its findings on Oct. 9. The device is considered to be the most advanced AI chip available from a Chinese firm. The TSMC chip was part of a multichip system, Reuters reported.

Stop the legislative obstruction

Michael Lin 林正二

Party competition is a normal phenomenon in democratic countries, but no opposition party in any country is so unreasonable as to block the national budget five times, disregard the constitution and undermine the government. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party’s (TPP) coalition is behaving barbarically, hoping to completely paralyze the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) administration for their own political gain. The real victims, however, are the Taiwanese. This not only impacts national defense, diplomacy and economic policy, but also prevents KMT-led local governments from implementing their own projects. DPP supporters are not the only ones harmed — KMT and TPP supporters also suffer as a result.

How to end legislature’s gridlock

Tommy Lin 林逸民

A legislature is the most respected body to represent the public will of a nation, and lawmakers ought to serve as a voice for the public by fighting for its rights and interests, and protecting people’s welfare. Should executive powers stray from this path by making absurd and infeasible policies that are difficult to implement, the legislature would need to use supervisory powers and make revisions.

However, Taiwan’s legislature is a cacophony of bickering voices, often going off the deep end with its ridiculous demands and imposing roadblocks to governance. Lately, it has been threatening the Executive Yuan with cutting its entire budget if it does not implement the legislature’s demands. Such actions do not have the nation’s welfare in mind at all.

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