President Lai Uses Judiciary and Recall Against Opposition
Ko Wen-je, former chairman of the Taiwan People's Party (TPP), and three others have been charged with corruption. On the evening of January 2, the Taipei District Court held its third detention hearing. The prosecution argued that Ko's influence was not diminished by resigning as party chairman, and with his secretary Hsu Tzu-yu, nicknamed "Orange," still at large, the risk of collusion remains. The court ruled late at night to detain Ko and three others. While he can appeal the detention ruling, Ko is likely to face repeated challenges in the future. After being released on bail, Ko resigned as party chairman, acknowledging his inability to lead the TPP effectively under the weight of ongoing legal battles. The future of his one-man party and the direction of its supporters, so-called "little grass,” are now in question, with both the Kuomintang (KMT) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) vying for their support.
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Prosecution Charges Former Presidential Candidate with Bribery, Seeks 28-Year Sentence
After four months of intense investigation, the 100,000-word indictment by the Taipei District Prosecutors Office details facts underlying charges against Chairman Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) and seeks a heavy sentence of 28.5 years. While the gravity of the requested sentence did not shock the public, the indictment not only ruined Ko’s character but also made the prosecution suffer.
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Twin City Forum Opportunity for Cross-Strait Interaction
Thankfully, the administration of President Lai Ching-te did not block the Twin City Forum, otherwise, Taiwan’s tourism industry might have missed this good news: Shanghai plans to actively promote group tours to Taiwan. This move by mainland China is clearly a goodwill gesture aimed at Taiwan, and how the Lai administration handles this will be a critical test of its cross-strait policy.
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Non-Existent "Largest Military Exercise in 30 Years"
Ahead of Taiwan's presidential election in January this year, a nationwide alert was issued, warning mainland Chinese missiles passing over Taiwan, using terms like "missile" and "air raid." However, the satellite launch by the mainland was publicly announced in advance, so why issued an alert? The Ministry of National Defense explained that the rocket, originally expected to fly over the Bashi Channel, had shifted north, but our detection showed that it veered north and flew over southern Taiwan. However, the owner of the "Einstein Probe" satellite, the European Space Agency, immediately announced that the satellite had successfully entered orbit and was operational. Despite deviating over 100 kilometers during launch, it was able to return to its original trajectory, a remarkable breakthrough in space technology. As the elections concluded, more news poured in, and such unreasonable explanations were no longer questioned.
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DPP Social Media Post Backing Martial Law in South Korea Causes Uproar
South Korean President Yoon Seok-youl's sudden announcement of martial law last night shocked the world. Although the Korean parliament overturned it within six hours, a post by Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on the social platform Threads, expressing support for the martial law, was deleted but sparked heated domestic debate. While it's common for individual social media managers to make unauthorized blunders, what’s more surprising is the unexpected support the post received from DPP supporters. The so-called "backlash" might only reflect what many DPP members and supporters truly wish to do—revealing a far more unsettling reality.
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Political Effects of Chinese Olympic Gold Medalist Visiting Taiwan
A group of 40 mainland Chinese students and teachers, invited by the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, arrived in Taiwan. Before their departure, anonymous officials leaked their names and positions to specific media, claiming that all members were selected by Communist China and included Communist Youth League members, reserve party members, or party members. They even noted that Olympic table tennis champion Ma Long was among Communist Party members. Some pro-DPP scholars labeled the visit as propaganda and unification efforts. This visit, which initially went smoothly compared to last year's, was marred by political maneuvering before departure, which is both regrettable and worrying.
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President Lai's Approval Rating Plummets, First "Death Cross" Observed
President Lai Ching-te's approval rating has sharply dropped, with a "death cross" between supporters and opponents. A recent poll by the Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation (TPOF) revealed that President Lai's approval has significantly fallen, with approval and disapproval rates now nearly equal. TPOF Chairman You Ying-lung identified five major reasons behind this decline, citing internal issues as a key factor.
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Impact of Trump Administration Political Appointments on Taiwan
The global impact of President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House is undeniable, with Taiwan’s national security officials rushing to signal allegiance through foreign media, offering NT$500 billion (about US$15.4 billion) for military purchases and emphasizing that Mr. Trump’s national security team is composed of “anti-China, pro-Taiwan” hawks who will not betray Taiwan. However, such shallow and reactive responses only highlight the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) usual tendency to self-deceive and cover up the realities of the situation.
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Taiwan's "Trump Anxiety"
Republican candidate Donald Trump became the first U.S. president in over a century to return to office. The election was smooth and peaceful, demonstrating the superiority of the American political system. However, this does not necessarily signal the "golden era" Mr. Trump promises or a return to American greatness. The ongoing Ukraine war, Middle East conflicts, and the Taiwan Strait remain global hotspots, with Taiwan facing severe security challenges.
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Lai Administration Repalces Nuclear with Thermal Power: Taichung Power Plant Becomes World's Largest
Many may not realize that the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) long-promoted vision of "nuclear-free homeland" has already been achieved! Taiwan is currently in a "nuclear-free" state. However, this isn't due to the closure of all nuclear plants; the last operational unit of the Third Nuclear Power Plant is undergoing maintenance. Seizing this moment, the administration of President Lai Ching-te is letting people experience the "benefits" of a nuclear-free environment for a trial period of 41 days.
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