Taiwan Weekly is a newsletter released every week by Fair Winds Foundation and Association of Foreign Relations that provides coverage and perspectives into the latest developments in Taiwan.

Lai's Governing Direction

At the National Congress of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on July 21, President Lai Ching-te, who also serves as party chairman, delivered his entire speech in Taiwanese, emphasizing building a “Taiwan-centric” national identity.

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Trump Would Like Taiwan to Pay More for Protection

Bloomberg Businessweek published an exclusive interview with U.S. Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump on July 16, in which he clearly discussed his Taiwan policy after returning to the White House if he wins the election.

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DPP Heavyweight Sacked for Corruption

Both the Office of the President and Executive Yuan respect the decision of Cheng Wen-tsan to resign from his position as chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation for alleged corruption during his tenure as Taoyuan mayor between 2014 and 2022.

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Taiwan Fishing Vessel Crossed Boundary, Detained by Mainland China

Taiwanese fishing vessel "Da Jin Man No. 88" was boarded, investigated and detained by a mainland Chinese Coast Guard vessel on the evening of July 2, before being taken to Weitou Port in Quanzhou, Fujian Province.

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Lai Administration Raises Travel Warning for China to "Orange"

China's Anti-Espionage Law came into effect on July 1st, and within the past year, eight retired Taiwanese military and police officers have been detained upon entering mainland China.

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First Month in Office: President Lai's Approval Rating Falls 10%

Lai Ching-te is likely the first elected president who has disappointed people in less than a month of taking office.

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Mainland Chinese Speedboat Entered Taipei's River, Roaming Freely for 51 Minutes

During the Dragon Boat Festival long weekend, a mainland Chinese speedboat departed from Ningde in Fujian and sped directly to the Tamsui River estuary, crashing into Fisherman's Wharf.

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New AI Era Highlights Taiwan's Importance

On June 4, the global tech industry spotlight focused on Taiwan, marking two significant events: the annual Taipei International Computer Show and the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's (TSMC) shareholders meeting.

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Ruling DPP Suspected of Monitoring Demonstration Participants

Wang Yi-chuan, policy director of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), publicly stated on a political talk show that they analyzed cell tower signals to determine the composition of the crowd protesting outside the Legislative Yuan, comparing them with participants in other civic movements to see if they overlap.

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Lai's Tough Style Provokes Domestic and Cross-Strait Tensions

On President Lai Ching-te’s fourth day in office, the Eastern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) announced the exercises, code named "Joint Sword-2024A", to combat the arrogance of Taiwan independence and deter the interference and intervention of external forces.

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