Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Stepping up exchanges with the EU

Chang Sue-chung 張淑中

On Wednesday last week, the European Parliament passed a resolution, by a large majority, that advanced a proposal for the EU and US to work together to reduce tensions in the Taiwan Strait. The resolution also stated that the EU’s Indo-Pacific strategy being promoted by the political and economic bloc should be augmented to include Japan, Taiwan and other democratic nations that share common values.

The resolution was suffused with meaning as it was passed just several days after a record number of the People’s Liberation Army military airplanes flew into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone. It indicates that the EU is preparing to unveil some form of action to support Taiwan, and demonstrates that the bloc is determined to work together with Asian democracies to maintain the security of the Taiwan Strait and the wider Indo-Pacific region.

TSMC plans new plant in Japan

Taipei Times

The logo of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co is pictured at its headquarters in Hsinchu on Jan. 19.
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday announced plans to build a new plant in Japan next year to produce 22-nanometer and 28-nanometer chips in its latest effort to expand its global manufacturing footprint.

Chen recall shows flawed process

Taipei Times Editorial

The recall vote for Taiwan Statebuilding Party Legislator Chen Po-wei (陳柏惟) on Saturday next week has little to do with his performance as a legislator representing Taichung’s second electoral district. It is a local issue, but not in the way that recalls are intended to be. More significantly, it concerns national, and even international, political power play.

Chen has had a target on his back ever since he won the seat in last year’s legislative elections as a dark-horse candidate against then-Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator Yen Kuan-hen (顏寬恆).

Recall vote: KMT’s pro-China ploy

Liao I-en 廖宜恩

After his election last month as Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman, Eric Chu (朱立倫) led a grandiose delegation of party officials down to Taichung to vilify and spread rumors about Taiwan Statebuilding Party’s only legislator, Chen Po-wei (陳柏惟), to stir up support for a vote to recall Chen. It was a great disappointment to see the leader of the nation’s biggest opposition party behave like this.

Ever since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, democracies around the world have strongly condemned China for concealing facts about the pandemic and shirking responsibility, for its “wolf warrior” diplomacy and for blocking Taiwan’s access to vaccines.

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