Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Move to Replace Taiwan Editor Spurs Talk

Ting-I Tsai

About two weeks after one of Taiwan’s leading newspapers, the China Times, published a front-page story that called China’s envoy to Taiwan a “C-list politician,” the paper’s editor-in-chief was replaced.

The newspaper said the replacement was a routine rotation. However, it fueled talk at the paper and at the island’s other publications that the move was spurred by anger in China over the story and that it was another sign of China’s increasing clout in Taiwan.

The Taiwan Arms-Sales Equation

Brian T. Kennedy

When most Americans think of China, they recall the majestic 2008 Summer Olympics, cheap goods and some relative or friend who has just returned from visiting the economic wonders of Shanghai or Beijing. When they hear about Chinese protestations over U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, as they did last week, they are often a bit surprised we even do such things anymore.

Yet the recent U.S. sale of Patriot antimissile systems to Taiwan is both strategically inadequate and long-delayed, and should be of great concern not merely to the Taiwanese but to the United States and its allies as well.

DPP sweep boosts Taiwan democracy

Taiwan News Editorial

Following its victory in a critical legislative by-election in Yunlin County in late September and a strong showing in local mayoral elections in December, the opposition Democratic Progressive Party scored another political triumph by sweeping three legislative by-election seats in Taoyuan County, Taichung County and Taitung County Saturday.

These results marked a major step toward the deepening of Taiwan democracy by showing the increasing independence of voters and their capability to exercise an unexpected degree of "check and balance" over the "one party dominant" Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) government of President Ma Ying-jeou.

Taiwan, January 2010: As the World Turns

Jerome F. Keating Ph.D.

Saturday January 9, 2010, a clean sweep for the DPP as it took the three Legislative Yuan positions that were up for re-election when vacated because of among other things previous KMT vote-buying. Ma's new spin-doctor KMT Secretary-General King Pu-tsung is going to be working overtime to try and put a positive spin on this one. All three positions had been KMT held. More by-elections in February, but the immediate damage is that the DPP now has more than one-fourth of the Legislative positions and can officially challenge the President in legislative matters.

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