December 2023

Lai and Hou Focus on Cross-Strait Relations, Ko on Appeals to Youth in First Presidential Policy Presentation

Brian Hioe
The first presidential policy presentation took place on December 20th. The format is not strictly a debate, as it offers more limited opportunities for exchanges between presidential candidates. Nevertheless, it usually amounts to a de facto debate, and candidates usually do attack each other in the course of the policy presentation...
December 2023EnglishPolitics8 min read

One Thousand March in Taipei Calling For End To Broker System

Girard Mariano Lopez
During International Human Rights Day on December 10th, an estimated one thousand migrant workers from Southeast Asia together with Taiwanese labor and human rights activists marched on the streets of Taipei for the second biannual migrant worker rally with the theme “No Justice in Cross-Border Employment, Where is the Responsibility of the Government?”. The protest was to call for the abolishment of the private broker system and direct government to government hiring between Taiwan and the nation of origin, as well as strengthened public services for migrant workers especially for those that face abuse from employers...
December 2023EnglishLaborSocial Movements7 min read

Ko Claims That He Will Follow the Tsai Administration’s Foreign Policy

Brian Hioe
In a surprise move, TPP presidential candidate Ko Wen-je has stated that he intends to maintain the current foreign policy of President Tsai Ing-wen, except that he would place greater emphasis on exchanges with China. This seems to be an attempt by Ko to swerve after the embarrassing debacle in which he rowed with KMT presidential candidate Hou You-yi, as well as independent candidate Terry Gou on live television...
Cross StraitDecember 2023EnglishInternationalPolitics5 min read