Taiwan Weekly is a newsletter released every week by Fair Winds Foundation, Association of Foreign Relations and Taipei Forum that provides coverage and perspectives into the latest developments in Taiwan.
Conscription Extended to 1 Year, President Tsai: Prepare for War to Avoid War
President Tsai Ing-wen held a high-level national security meeting and decided to extend the compulsory military service to one year.
Details
Horrible Truth Behind the Extension of Military Service
Recently, the government formally announced that the compulsory military service will be extended from four months to one year, effective January 1, 2024.
Details
DPP Cross-Strait Narrative："Maintain Peace" to Replace "Resist China" to Protect Taiwan
After the crippling losses in the recent local elections in November, the cross-strait policy narrative of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), "resist China to protect Taiwan," became one of the items for review.
Details
This Week in Taiwan 1225-0103
December 27: The National Development Council (NDC) released business indicator figures for November. Due to the cooling global economy, the comprehensive score plummeted by six points from the previous month down to 12 points, the lowest score in 13 years. The index light signal changed from a yellow and blue light to a blue light representing contraction, a first in nearly four years. The NDC described the current state of the economic downturn as "cold outside" (referring to international markets) and "warm inside" (domestic demand) and expects the business climate to improve in the second quarter of 2023.
Details
Vaccine Procurement Controversy：Terry Gou Denounces Officials as Rotten Wood and Brute Beasts
Terry Gou, the founder of Hon Hai Precision Industry Company (Foxconn), has been in the spotlight recently for crossing sords with Minister of Health and Welfare Hsueh Jui-yuan over the government's role in the delayed procurement of BioNTech vaccines.
Details
Rotten Wood and Brute Beasts：Tsai Administration Shockingly Resembles Late Han Dynasty
Terry Gou, founder of Foxconn, has called for procuring the next-generation BioNTech vaccine, but Minister of Health and Welfare Hsueh Jui-yuan sarcastically compared Gou to a "BioNTech salesperson."
Details
President Tsai Turns Blind Eye to Underworld
The speaker election at the Tainan City Council has been widely reported to pose serious threats to the personal safety of various councilors due to involvement with organized crime syndicates. Councilors affiliated with the Kuomintang (KMT) collectively issued "statements of non-suicide" pressing for protection by the prosecutors.
Details
This Week in Taiwan 1218-1227
December 18: In the postponed Chiayi mayoral election, the Kuomintang's (KMT) incumbent Huang Min-hui won nearly 60,000 votes, about 63.6 percent of the votes, winning a big victory over Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) challenger Lee Chun-yi. Huang was successfully re-elected and set a record of being elected mayor four times.
Details
Judicial Independence Should Not Be Trampled by Dirty Politics
During the Hsinchu mayoral election, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) did not want to lose, used all means to attack the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) candidate Kao Hung-an but still lost.
Details
Economy in Peril, But Officials Are All Talk
After the local elections, a series of indicators show that the economy may be approaching downfall.
Details