Ko Wen-Je

KMT Leans Into Allegations that Missile Alert was Orchestrated by the DPP

The KMT has begun leaning into political attacks on the national text alert sent out by the Ministry of National Defense yesterday. These attacks have increasingly taken the tenor of alleging that the text message alert was not a mistake, in that the English wording of the alert referred to the satellite launch as a "missile" launch, but a fake incident entirely concocted by the DPP for the sake of elections. The KMT has focused attacks on this rather than criticizing the substance of the text message alert, which led to confusion, or the Tsai administration itself’s apparent confusion. The incident takes place mere days before the presidential election is to take place on Saturday...

A Battle for Survival: The Crossroads of the New Power Party Without Huang Kuo-chang

The 2024 legislative election represents a pivotal struggle for the NPP’s survival. They must not only safeguard the crucial 5% threshold of party votes but also aim for a breakthrough in geographical constituencies amidst competition from other parties. To sustain themselves, they need to ensure at least three legislators remain in their party caucus. The outcome of this election will be decisive for their future...

With Mere Days Before Elections, Missile Alert About Chinese Satellite Launch Leads to Confusion, Panic

A text message alert sounded this afternoon in Taiwan shortly after 3 PM, alerting that a rocket had been fired over Taiwan. What ensued, however, was significant confusion between the English and Chinese. The Chinese stated that a “satellite” had been fired over Taiwan by China. By contrast, the English stated that a “missile” had been fired over Taiwan...

“The Will of the Chinese People”: Beijing’s Narrative of Invading Taiwan

For decades, Taiwan has lived under Beijing’s constant military threat of “reunification.” However, Taiwan is often portrayed by Chinese propagandists as a “troublemaker” capable of destabilizing the Indo-Pacific region or making China “upset about everything we [Taiwan] do, about our existence,” as Taiwan’s ex-ambassador to the United States Hsiao Bi-khim noted. Taiwan’s independence, be it a political appeal or an objective reality, is provocative to the CCP. The CCP’s mouthpieces have effectively convinced numerous international observers to discourage Taiwan’s quest for independence and characterized Taiwan’s autonomy as an affront to the Chinese people....

TPP Seeks to Cut Ties with Former Spokesperson Over Chinese Funding

The TPP has found itself in hot water over Ma Chi-wei, a former party spokesperson who is now running as an independent legislative candidate, who was found to have received funds from the Chinese government to support her campaign. The funds were transferred through cryptocurrency, ironically enough, as the first major public incident in which the CCP has been found to distribute funds through cryptocurrency to candidates it backs in Taiwan...