Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

TSMC investment the right move

Tommy Lin 林逸民

As an experienced negotiator, US President Donald Trump is accustomed to providing ambiguous answers. When asked by the media how he would respond if China took military action against Taiwan, Trump has always responded by saying that Beijing would never take military action against Taiwan so long as he is in power — therefore, it is a non-issue. Although his response is true, those skeptical of the US argue it demonstrates a lack of a clear commitment.

After Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) on Monday last week announced it would invest an additional US$100 billion into the US — much to Trump’s delight — reporters once again asked Trump about the issue of China invading Taiwan. Trump responded by saying the US would have “a big impact if something should happen with Taiwan.” In other words, when TSMC is willing to become a lifelong partner of the US, Trump’s level of commitment appears to increase.

Taiwan rejects China’s UN claim

Taipei Times

The “status quo” of democratic Taiwan and autocratic China not belonging to each other has long been recognized by the international community, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday in its rebuttal of Beijing’s claim that Taiwan can only be represented in the UN as “Taiwan, Province of China.”

Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) yesterday at a news conference of the third session at the 14th National People’s Congress said that Taiwan can only be referred to as “Taiwan, Province of China” at the UN.

Taiwan is an inseparable part of Chinese territory, which is not only history but a “fact,” he said.

Lessons from Burma’s resistance

Antonio Graceffo

After the coup in Burma in 2021, the country’s decades-long armed conflict escalated into a full-scale war. On one side was the Burmese army; large, well-equipped, and funded by China, supported with weapons, including airplanes and helicopters from China and Russia. On the other side were the pro-democracy forces, composed of countless small ethnic resistance armies. The military junta cut off electricity, phone and cell service, and the Internet in most of the country, leaving resistance forces isolated from the outside world and making it difficult for the various armies to coordinate with one another.

Despite being severely outnumbered and outgunned, the resistance has managed to retake about 80 percent of the country’s territory. While they have not been able to reclaim the largest cities, their resolve in the face of overwhelming odds holds valuable lessons for Taiwan in the event of a war with China.

Stand up and support recall move

Michelle Wang 王美琇

A great wave of recalls is approaching, a grassroots movement initiated by progressive citizens that is both fierce and unstoppable. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) legislators’ destructive constitutional revisions and disruptive politics have plunged Taiwan into its most severe democratic and national security crisis. It is all happening before the public’s eyes.

First, the Constitutional Court would be frozen. The court is the last line of defense for the nation’s democratic system, and the final mechanism for protecting the public’s rights and determining the constitutionality of legislation. If it is effectively frozen, our democracy’s last line of defense would be dismantled, giving KMT and TPP legislators free rein to do as they please. Taiwan’s democratic system would collapse as a result, marking the beginning of a parliamentary dictatorship.

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