Taiwan has concluded its eighth direct election of the Republic of China President. It was not a pivotal, watershed or critical election, and it was not a contest between war and peace or the embodiment of democracy vs authoritarianism; it was an entirely normal election...
Internet restrictions, AI-driven disinformation, and mass arrests have intensified ahead of major elections across Asia. These attacks undermine freedom of expression at a time when elections are supposed to restore or strengthen democratic rule and counter authoritarianism in the region...
Now that the election results are in, the period of intense suspense and electoral speculation has concluded. The issue of cross-strait relations remains unresolved, as the People’s Republic of China (PRC) insists that the Republic of China (ROC), often known as Taiwan, is a separatist province of the mainland and aims for reunification. For the first time in history, Taiwan has re-elected the same political party to govern the democratic island for a third consecutive term. The election of Lai Ching-te on Saturday signifies a strong counter to the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) forceful stance and intimidation tactics towards the island. The primary challenge now is how Lai’s new government will maintain its relations with Beijing and navigate the complex triangular dynamics of the US, China, and Taiwan...
A number of union groups demonstrated last week to call for inclusion in talks over the new incoming government’s labor policy. This included among Taiwan’s largest coalitions of organized labor groups. The demonstration was fronted by the Taiwan Confederation of Trade Unions, which protested alongside the Kaohsiung City Confederation of Trade Unions, National Federation of Teachers Unions, Taipei Federation of Trade Unions, and Taiwan Federation of Financial Unions...
The contest over who will be the next speaker of the Legislative Yuan is on. The DPP hopes for Yu Shyi-kun to continue serving as president of the Legislative Yuan. By contrast, the KMT has aligned behind a joint ticket of its 2020 presidential candidate, Han Kuo-yu, and its former chair, Johnny Chiang. As part of this ticket, Han would become president and Chiang would become vice president...
The Central Election Commission has moved to file charges against online influencers spreading disinformation about the recent presidential elections. This includes YouTuber Alisasa, who among 25 others is accused of spreading such disinformation...
Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party secured his election as Taiwan’s 16th president on January 13, 2024. As the DPP extends its rule for another four years, the administration is likely to maintain President Tsai Ing-wen’s economic policies, notably diversifying the economy away from China. Navigating Taiwan’s export-oriented economy through the evolving US-China relationship will pose the most significant challenge for the new administration...
The KMT’s 2020 presidential candidate, Han Kuo-yu, has formally announced that he will be seeking the position of president of the Legislative Yuan. If Han becomes president, he will exercise a significant degree of power over the new legislature, seeing as the president sets the agenda for the legislature as a whole...
Taiwan abruptly lost hosting rights for the Asian Men’s U20 Volleyball Championship in the past week. Though the event was originally slated to take place in Taiwan from July 20th to July 27th, reportedly Chinese pressure has led to it being moved to Surabaya, Indonesia. Now, the event will take place from July 23 to July 30th. The volleyball championship is for players under 20...