Taipei mayor Ko Wen-Je seems to intend to evict longstanding political occupations nearby the government buildings around Shandao Temple and NTU Hospital in the near future. Civil society groups have been critical of such plans, seeing them as part of broader attempts by Ko to restrict political gatherings in Taipei...
Sharp divisions seem to be present in both the pan-Green and pan-Blue camp in the lead-up to 2018 Taipei mayoral elections. As a result, it seems increasingly likely that incumbent Ko Wen-Je, a political independent, may win simply on the basis of both the pan-Green and pan-Blue camps being too divided to present any challenge to him...
Divided views on Taipei mayor Ko Wen-Je are evident in what may be the beginnings of a spat between himself and the Tsai administration, with President Tsai Ing-Wen, who is also chair of the DPP, remaining vague in recent comments on whether the DPP will support him in 2018 elections but stressing that a show of common support for “Taiwanese values” is a necessary precondition for support...
It may be that Ko Wen-Je will be, going forward, increasingly be seen as a turncoat by the pan-Green camp following the controversy over Ko’s defense of the Sing! China event which took place in Taipei, as well as recent claims by Ko that imprisoned former Taiwanese president Chen Shui-Bian faked his illness in order to secure release on medical parole...
Questions about attacks last week on students and pro-independence demonstrators at the Sing! China event last week remain unresolved, with collusion between Taipei city officials, pro-China gangsters, and the Chinese government itself now alleged at high levels. Many questions remain to be answered not only by Ko Wen-Je’s political administration and the Taipei city police, but also as to why the Mainland Affairs Council would allow the event to take place...
Anger has ensued from members of Taiwanese civil society following attacks on demonstrators protesting the Sing! China: Shanghai-Taipei Music Festival on National Taiwan University campus yesterday afternoon...
Controversy over the Taipei Dome continues, having dragged out at this point for years, with all members of the Taipei Dome safety review committee listed as defendants in the ongoing criminal investigation into the Taipei Dome’s construction process. The controversy is revealing of the endemic problem of political corruption in infrastructure development projects in Taiwan...
Outrage has ensued in Taiwan with the revelation that the official media guide for the Taipei Universiade refers to Taiwan as “Chinese Taipei”, in fact, rather comically stating that “Chinese Taipei is long and narrow that lies from north to south”...
With Ko Wen-Je and William Lai increasingly taking flak from the public regarding statements that are perceived as too compromising of Taiwanese sovereignty to China, one generally suspects their attempt establish independent foreign relations with China is doomed if they aim to accomplish this through placating China. Both may be misreading current trends in Taiwanese identity and views of what Taiwan's international status should be...
