Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Democracy, presidents and Taiwan

Jerome Keating

Double Ten National Day has passed and for a second year President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has conducted the National Day ceremonies with the necessary dignity and focus. Meanwhile, the day did not pass without a certain amount of expected commentary and criticism.

Among issues raised by members of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) were concerns such as how many times the name “Taiwan” was used in place of the “Republic of China” and how certain pronouncements seemed devoid of what might be considered disputed national symbols.

The US rebalances its relations

Taipei Times

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Thursday spoke at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, saying that the US was seeking stronger economic and military ties with India to balance an increasingly defiant China.

“The United States seeks constructive relations with China, but we will not shrink from China’s challenges to the rules-based order and where China subverts the sovereignty of neighboring countries and disadvantages the US and our friends,” he said.

No consensus on ‘1992 consensus’: Lai

Taipei Times

Premier William Lai, left, and Mainland Affairs Council Minister Katharine Chang speak during a question-and-answer session at the legislature in Taipei yesterday.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times

The issue with the so-called “1992 consensus” is that there is no consensus about whether it exists or what it actually means, Premier William Lai yesterday told legislators yesterday, adding that the nation needs to address the problem.

Taiwan, democracy and defense

David Brown

President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) devoted a considerable portion of her Double Ten National Day address on Tuesday last week to Taiwan’s military. She gave her comments pride of place in the section of the address on “Safeguarding Taiwan’s Democracy and Freedom.”

In doing so, she seemed to be defining the goal of Taiwan’s defense policy as defending democracy. She praised “our brothers and sisters” in the armed forces saying: “All of you are staunch defenders of Taiwan’s democracy, freedom and way of life.”

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