Published since 2019 by the Fair Winds Foundation and Association of Foreign Relations, Taiwan Weekly provides in-depth report and analysis of the major issues facing Taiwan.

President Lai All-Out on Eliminating Opposition, Triggering Public Backlash

President Lai All-Out on Eliminating Opposition, Triggering Public Backlash

The Kuomintang’s (KMT) massive “Fight Against Dictatorship” rally on April 26 drew significant momentum, but President Lai Ching-te mocked it by saying protesters “should go to Tiananmen Square.” It turns out he had already issued strict orders demanding all 35 recall motions against KMT legislators be passed. At a time when U.S.-China trade tensions are escalating, and U.S. President Donald Trump’s new tariffs threaten to devastate Taiwan’s exports, the Lai administration has shown no interest in an economic response. Instead, it is fully consumed with suppressing the opposition—unsurprisingly drawing public resentment.

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President Lai's Democratic Values Bemchmark Against China's Autocracy

President Lai's Democratic Values Bemchmark Against China's Autocracy

When 200,000 citizens took to Ketagalan Boulevard to “oppose DPP Communists and fight dictatorship,” President Lai Ching-te responded coldly: “If you’re fighting dictatorship, go to Tiananmen!” Such disregard for public sentiment is detestable. Even more alarming is President Lai’s cynical use of Communist China as both a weapon and a shield—an ugly mindset. His administration has recently cracked down on mainland Chinese spouses and carried out intrusive household inspections, labeling the opposition as “fellow Chinese Communist sympathizers.” In this, China becomes a weapon to attack dissent. But when the public protests, President Lai turns around and uses China as a scapegoat to deflect criticism of his own authoritarian rule.

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Mainland China Has No Option to Annex Taiwan

Mainland China Has No Option to Annex Taiwan

At the symposium marking the 20th anniversary of the “Lien-Hu Meeting,” Vice Chairman Andrew Hsia of the Kuomintang (KMT) stated that historical experience shows that as long as both sides of the Taiwan Strait adhere to the Constitution of the Republic of China and the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area—both of which define cross-strait relations as “one China” rather than state-to-state—then the use of non-peaceful means as outlined in mainland China’s Anti-Secession Law would not apply. His remarks sharply exposed the blind spot in the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) anti-China narrative.

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250,000 People Rise Up Against Dictatorship; Eric Chu: Recall Lai Ching-te on May 20

250,000 People Rise Up Against Dictatorship; Eric Chu: Recall Lai Ching-te on May 20

Over the weekend, the Kuomintang (KMT) held a rally titled "Oppose the Green Communists, Fight Dictatorship—Stand Together on Ketagalan Boulevard!" in front of the Presidential Office, attracting a crowd of 250,000. KMT Chairman Eric Chu declared that ever since President Lai Ching-te was elected on May 20 last year, he has been dividing and destroying Taiwan. Chu announced that the Legislative Yuan will initiate a recall motion against Lai Ching-te on May 20, and called on people across Taiwan to use the power of the people to bring Lai down.

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President Lai Heading Down the Path of Becoming a Dictator

President Lai Heading Down the Path of Becoming a Dictator

On April 26, the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) will hold a joint rally on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei under the banner of "fighting autocracy." In response, Premier Cho Jung-tai criticized KMT vice chairmen for visiting China and "shaking hands with an authoritarian regime." The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) rebutted, "If this were truly a dictatorship, how could you march on the streets?"

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Judiciary Cooperating with Ruling Party's Political Purge, Forcefully Criminalizing the Opposition

Judiciary Cooperating with Ruling Party's Political Purge, Forcefully Criminalizing the Opposition

"Political persecution, judicial injustice, interference in party primaries"—these are not accusations made by the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) or Taiwan People's Party (TPP) but by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lin Tai-hua. She was actively running in the DPP's Kaohsiung mayoral primary when prosecutors summoned her for questioning and searched her office on allegations of illegal political donations and assistant salary fraud. Legislator Lin claims this was retaliation from the New Tide faction—a political purge disguised as legal action—and that she has become a casualty of intra-party factional warfare.

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Measures to Respond to Reciprocal Tariffs Inconsistent, Sneaking in Budget Items Previously Rejected by the Legislative Yuan

Measures to Respond to Reciprocal Tariffs Inconsistent, Sneaking in Budget Items Previously Rejected by the Legislative Yuan

The Executive Yuan approved a sprawling NT$410 billion (about US$12.6 billion) special budget yesterday, ostensibly in response to opposition parties' calls to address the impact of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff war. However, behind this move lies a political maneuver to quietly revive budget items previously cut by the legislature. From Premier Cho Jung-tai's local tours denouncing the opposition for slashing the general budget to his recent surprise announcement of submitting a report to unfreeze funds and now bundling blocked allocations into a special budget to force the opposition to swallow it whole—this strategy reeks of political scheming aimed at preserving narrative control.

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Central Bank Should Grasp Risks and Reduce U.S. Bond Holdings

Central Bank Should Grasp Risks and Reduce U.S. Bond Holdings

The Central Bank has long demanded that the financial sector maintain a strong sense of risk awareness. Yet now, it finds itself heavily exposed to U.S. Treasury bond risk—making this the moment to self-examine and adjust its asset allocation.

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NSC Secretary General Surrounded by Communist Spy: How to Ensure National Security？

NSC Secretary General Surrounded by Communist Spy: How to Ensure National Security？

The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is facing a string of espionage scandals, with confirmed infiltration reaching the Office of the President, Legislative Yuan, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs—even national security officials have a Chinese Communist spy in the midst. While mainland China's infiltration of Taiwan's national security core warrants alarm, what’s more disturbing is the DPP's response: either sleeping soundly through the crisis or diverting attention by indiscriminately accusing others and painting the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) as traitors to fuel the recall campaign.

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DPP Uses Prosecutors and Investigators to Support Recall Campaign and Infiltrate Campuses

DPP Uses Prosecutors and Investigators to Support Recall Campaign and Infiltrate Campuses

As steep tariffs announced by U.S. President Donald Trump draws international attention, Taiwan is simultaneously witnessing another political drama—a wave of recall campaigns. Despite waning public enthusiasm, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) remains steadfast, pushing what was once framed as a movement of “civic autonomy” increasingly off the tracks of democracy and the rule of law.

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