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.
Facing Lin Chih-chien's "Double-Gate" Storm, Tsai Ing-wen Opts for Support and Cut-off at the Same Time
The controversies of DPP Taoyuan mayoral candidate Lin Chih-chien's "thesis gate" and "baseball stadium gate" raged on.
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This Week in Taiwan 0724-0730
July 25: The problem of fraud has been complicated by growth in population of Internet users, in addition to people staying at home to shop online or make friends. According to statistics from the Criminal Investigation Bureau, National Police Administration, Ministry of the Interior, the number of fraud cases continued to rise this year, with 13,300 cases occurring in the first half of the year involving a total amount of NT$310 million (about US$10.3 billion).
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Controversy over Pelosi's Planned Visit to Taiwan
President Joe Biden of the United States stated on July 20 that the military officials believe it’s "not a good idea right now" for Speaker Nancy Pelosi of the House of Representatives to visit Taiwan at the moment.
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White House May Have Leaked Message to Block Pelosi's Taiwan Visit
When asked about his views on Speaker Nancy Pelosi's proposed visit to Taiwan, President Joe Biden of the United States responded that the military thinks it's not a good idea now, but he does not know what the current situation is.
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Turning All the People into Soldiers, Are We Willing to Pay the Price？
Former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper headed a delegation to visit Taiwan.
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This Week in Taiwan 0717-0723
July 19: Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper led the Atlantic Council delegation in its three-day visit to Taiwan. On July 19, he made recommendations on Taiwan’s defense capabilities. First, significantly increase the defense budget to at least the level of the United States at 3.2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). Second, both Taiwanese men and women should serve conscription for at least a year, and reserve mobilization capacity should be concurrently strengthened. Esper stressed that the United States and regional allies will be more confident in defending Taiwan if it sends a signal of active national defense.
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Fear and Subservience：So Challenging to Demand the Truth from the Tsai Administration
More than 10 days after the former Hsinchu mayor and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taoyuan mayor candidate Lin Chih-chien’s double master's thesis plagiarism case was revealed, both National Taiwan University (NTU) and Chung Hwa University (CHU) said they had accepted the accusations and would complete the review and comparison "within two months".
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Case Charging Former President Chen Dismissed：DPP Shames Legislature and Judiciary
The court of the second retrial on misuse of the state affairs fund by former President Chen Shui-bian dismissed the charges against Chen, his wife, and some others; this development is expected.
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Former President Ma：Taiwan Should Not Stick to "Nuclear-Free Homeland" Concept
On July 16, at an energy conference co-hosted by the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation and the Fair Winds Foundation, former President Ma Ying-jeou indicated that Japan has decided to reactivate nine nuclear power units at the end of this year in order to stabilize the energy supply.
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This Week in Taiwan 0710-0716
July 11: Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan was assassinated on July 8. President Tsai Ing-wen, Premier Su Tseng-chang, and Chairman Eric Chu of the Kuomintang (KMT) went to the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association on July 11 to offer condolences.
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