Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Why I support Taiwan’s independence

Ian Easton

Loyal readers of this column, which I have had the privilege of contributing to for the past five years, will be aware that I harbor some contrarian views and, on occasion, delight in sharing them.

This is one such moment. The truth is that I support Taiwan’s independence. Prudence would demand, of course, that I camouflage such “politically sensitive” thoughts. But one can deny the existence of an idea for only so long before it becomes unbearable, especially when it is backed by empirical evidence of the type that sticks to grey matter like superglue.

Tsai prioritized security over politics

Tzou Jiing-wen 鄒景雯

Government decisionmaking is never easy, and the hardest part is choosing between what the public demands and what is in the best interests of the nation. The decision to reinstate one-year conscription was one such choice.

Former presidents Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) since 2000 worked toward shortening the mandatory service period while transitioning to an all-volunteer military. President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has decided to restore the mandatory service period to one year and modify the structure of the nation’s military.

Defense loan shows US support

Tommy Lin 林逸民

Following the passage of the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act by the US House and Senate with the support of the Democratic and Republican parties, US President Joe Biden on Friday last week signed the act into law.

Among many other things, the act authorizes the provision of a US$2 billion loan to Taiwan every year for five years from next year to 2027 through the US Department of State’s Foreign Military Financing, thus implementing the resolution embodied in the Taiwan Policy Act of 2022 to defend Taiwan’s security and support its self-determination.

TSMC to invest US$60bn in Tainan

Taipei Times

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday said that it plans to invest more than NT$1.86 trillion (US$60.5 billion) on an advanced factory in Tainan to expand 3-nanometer chip capacity, after its plans to produce chips in the US triggered concerns at home over technology outflow and talent drain.

The world’s biggest contract chipmaker in 2018 said that it plans to spend NT$700 billion on a “giga-fab” in Tainan, dubbed Fab 18, to produce 5-nanometer chips, and establish a research and development (R&D) team. The company at the time said that it would reserve half of the facility’s space for the production of 3-nanometer chips.

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