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.
The anticipated People’s Liberation Army (PLA) "Joint Sword-2024B" military exercise took place as scheduled but concluded unexpectedly within a single day. This signals a political message to the United States, the administration of President Lai Ching-te, and the people of Taiwan, which has been widely interpreted. This article focuses on the military strategic implications.
DetailsA high school "Youth Service Consent Form" has stirred up significant concerns, which the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration likely did not anticipate. Despite the Ministry of Education (MOE) announcing on October 17 that the consent form would no longer be used, and that it would adjust the "Youth Service Mobilization Preparation Classification Plan," the mobilization for war and the panic over "student deployment" continues to spread in society.
DetailsMinister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo's statement that "We should build green power plants in the Philippines and transfer the electricity back to Taiwan" has sparked public outrage. Although Minister Kuo has apologized, he did not retract the idea. The Executive Yuan further stated that countries in the region with similar goals could collaborate on carbon reduction, confirming that the proposal to develop energy in the Philippines is not just a personal notion of Minister Kuo’s but a strategic direction that the government is considering.
DetailsOctober 13: The recall vote for Keelung Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang resulted in 86,014 votes (55.1 percent) against and 69,934 votes (44.8 percent) in favor, so the recall was not passed. This case is seen as a prelude to the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) large-scale recall campaign against opposition legislators next year. To prevent malicious political manipulation of recalls, the opposition party plans to push for amendments to the law to raise the recall threshold.
DetailsThe National Day of the Republic of China (Taiwan) on October 10 passed without major incident, marked by President Lai Ching-te's address, which adhered to the familiar new “Two State theory." Under apparent pressure from the United States, President Lai refrained from provocative statements, achieving a balance that left the United States satisfied, Taiwan stable, and mainland China unalarmed. How President Lai's speech is interpreted is critical for future cross-strait relations.
DetailsRecently, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) has been preoccupied with clarifications of and denials on the news reports about the controversies of the U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. What troubles the public the most is the opaque messages presented by the MND, and its shirking of responsibility, attributing to the manipulation of "American-skeptic” theory and the cognitive warfare.
DetailsAccording to the annual survey on cross-strait relations conducted by the United Daily News, 66 percent of the general public believe Taiwan should not lean toward either the United States, or China. If a military conflict occurs between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, 49 percent% of respondents believe that the United States would send troops to defend Taiwan, while 42 percent think it would not.
DetailsOctober 5: During his remarks at a National Day celebration event, President Lai Ching-te stated that the People's Republic of China just celebrated its 75th birthday, while the Republic of China is about to celebrate its 113th birthday. In terms of age, it is impossible for the P.R.C. to be the motherland of the people of the R.O.C. On the contrary, the R.O.C. instead might be the motherland of people over 75 years old in the P.R.C. According to President Lai, however, since the R.O.C. has taken root in Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu for 75 years, there is no need to discuss this relationship anymore.
DetailsU.S. defense contractor Raytheon is facing allegations of overcharging for arms sales to Taiwan, raising international concerns. Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense confirmed that the U.S. Department of Justice has reached a plea agreement with the company, requiring full restitution for the overcharges. This indirectly confirms suspicions of misconduct in Raytheon’s dealings with Taiwan.
DetailsRecently, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) has been preoccupied with clarifications of and denials on the news reports about the controversies of the U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. What troubles the public the most is the opaque messages presented by the MND, and its shirking of responsibility, attributing to the manipulation of "American-skeptic” theory and the cognitive warfare.
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