KMT

Pan-Blue Attacks on Chen Shih-chung Over Karaoke Video Accused of Being Disinformation

Brian Hioe
Attacks from the pan-Blue camp on Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung, who also heads the Central Epidemic Command Center that coordinates Taiwan’s fight against COVID-19, have become particularly intense in the last few weeks. Criticisms focus on a video of Chen Shih-chung singing karaoke without his mask on, which the KMT alleges to have been a recent video. It is unclear how the video leaked online...
EnglishNovember 2021Politics6 min read

The NPP and DPP Split on the Referendum Vote

Brian Hioe
With the national referendum scheduled for next month, notably, the DPP is the only political party represented in the legislature that will stake out a “no” vote on three of the four referendum questions. This includes the NPP, a fellow pan-Green party, voting in approval of three questions that the DPP intends to call on its supporters to vote down. However, this is probably ultimately driven by the NPP’s need to distinguish itself from the DPP more than anything else...
EnglishNovember 2021Politics6 min read

Huang Kuo-shu Controversy Reveals Issues of Complicity, Collaboration During Authoritarian Times

Brian Hioe
DPP legislator Huang Kuo-shu announced that he would be withdrawing from the party and not pursuing reelection in 2024 earlier this week after the Liberty Times reported that he had served as an informant during the KMT during authoritarian times. According to the report, Huang was involved in spying on fellow students who were involved in political dissidence in university...
EnglishOctober 2021Politics6 min read

Academics Call for Academia Sinica Name Change

Brian Hioe
Proposals for Academia Sinica to change its name have been floated several times in the past. For example, the idea came up in March 2020 in the Taiwanese legislature after the Chinese government sought to take credit for a virus reagent developed by Academia Sinica scientists to test for COVID-19. Since then, pan-Green lawmakers have continued calls for a name change on several occasions. The issue was floated again recently, however, after the circulation of a Chinese-language petition by two dozen Academia Sinica researchers...
EnglishOctober 2021Politics5 min read