The KMT continues to politicize the issue of vaccines in Taiwan, lashing out at the use of Medigen flu vaccines and framing this as the Tsai administration favoring the vaccine developer. This occurs even as Medigen is just one of a number of brands that will be used domestically...
Former president Ma Ying-jeou announced yesterday that he would not be attending National Day celebrations this year. Ma claimed this to be in protest of the Tsai administration’s deliberate efforts to remove symbolism of the Republic of China (ROC), instead referring to National Day commemorations as “Taiwan National Day,” and primarily using English phrasing...
KMT presidential candidate Hou You-yi recently traveled to the US. Taiwanese presidential candidates traditionally travel to the US ahead of elections. This is not only to meet with US government officials and conduct meetings, but to meet with wealthy members of the Taiwanese diaspora that live in the US, so as to solicit campaign funds. TPP presidential candidate Ko visited the US in April, while independent presidential candidate Terry Gou visited both in April and in late July. Ko has announced another trip for October. DPP presidential candidate William Lai visited the US in September...
The People's Liberation Army set new records yesterday with the number of planes it deployed into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense announced that 103 warplanes were detected around Taiwan in a 24-hour period yesterday. The ADIZ is the airspace in which planes normally identify themselves for security purposes. Aircraft also maneuvered in airspace southeast and southwest of the island...
A recent visit to Taiwan by Paraguayan president-elect Salvador Peña should serve as a reminder of Taiwan’s ties with regimes with questionable human rights records. Namely, even as Peña is feted as an ally of Taiwan, the Colorado Party that he served as the candidate of has ruled over Paraguay in an autocratic fashion for 75 years–if anything, the Colorado Party reminds of the KMT during its many decades of authoritarian rule in Taiwan...
Ahead of elections next year, the Tsai administration has announced a flurry of plans aimed at improving subsidies for education at the high school and college level. As such, it may not be surprising that the pan-Blue camp has criticized the Tsai administration for only announcing such plans to pander to voters...
The Central Election Commission stated in April that a referendum proposal by the Taiwan Lily Justice Association (TLJA) was unlikely to qualify to be put to the vote this year, as part of the national referendum process. The referendum proposal would be to expedite the time that executions take place, in requiring that executions take place within six months of sentencing...
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Taiwan was again denied entrance to the World Health Association, the governing body of the World Health Organization this year...
In a recent interview with Taiwan’s Central News Agency, Thailand’s Move Forward party leader Pita Limjaroenrat stated that Taiwan inspired a number of his policy platforms...
Taiwan's ties with Latin American countries with questionable human rights records has been highlighted by a number of recent events. First, Taiwan recently saw a state visit from Guatemalan president Alejandro Giammattei in late April. Giammattei traveled to Taiwan from April 24th to April 27th, attending a state banquet held in his honor by Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen. Likewise, earlier this month, in Paraguay Santiago Peña of the Colorado Party won election earlier this month. This put an end to speculation that Paraguay would break ties with Taiwan after the election...
