ISSUE 204                                                                                   August 3, 2023
In This Issue
● This Week in Taiwan: 
Other Important Events This Week




Publishers

How Can the Opposition Form a Victory Alliance?
taiwanweekly2019@gmail.com
According to a commentator, the change in attitude of Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu from initially suppressing the idea of a grand alliance to defeat the ruling party to then actively favoring a "grand governing alliance" is quite interesting.
(Photo from: United Daily News)
Featured Opinion

Governing Coalition: Each Party Has a Different Vision

By Chang Ching-wei

China Times, July 25, 2023

 

After the Kuomintang’s (KMT) National Congress successfully eliminated internal dissents that demanded replacing the party candidate for the next presidential elections, Chairman Eric Chu for the first time shouted out the campaign slogan of forming a “grand coalition for governing." However, Chairman Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan's People's Party (TPP), who is the main prospective coalition partner of the KMT, stated that "the discussion of policies, values, and ideas is more important than the allocation of power" in response to suggestions of a coalition. Previously, various forms of coalition have been discussed and dissected and talks of coalition have become a hot topic for discussion. However, the various discussions about forming coalitions don't focus on the same things.

Featured News
taiwanweekly2019@gmail.com
According to media commentary, the Han Kuang exercise this year featured different simulations than those in previous years. Having the Marine Corps serve as the beach-landing attacking force face the defense force head-on may have been an arrangement led by the United States.
(Photo from: United Daily News)

Anti-China Landing Wargame Produces Realistic Experience

United Daily News, July 25, 2023  

 

The Han Kuang military exercises' live-fire drills have always provided a glimpse into Taiwan's military preparedness and strategic considerations for both domestic and international observers. Even though their perspective may be constrained, it is a demonstration of Taiwan's readiness and resolve amidst threats. This year's exercise features a noteworthy change as it portrays the Marine Corps assuming the role of the attacking force and storming the beachfront to confront the defense forces. It created a palpable sense of "under siege" for the nation to see. What could be the rationale behind this year’s specific presentation?

read more

From: https://udn.com/news/story/10930/7322488 

Featured Editorial
taiwanweekly2019@gmail.com
According to media commentary, the new semiconductor ban by the United States may accelerate the development of China's chip industry and in turn hurt related U.S. industries.
(Photo from: The Storm Media)

New U.S. Semiconductor Ban Hurts U.S. Companies and TSMC

The Storm Media Editorial, July 25, 2023 

 

As a new U.S. semiconductor ban against China looms, American semiconductor companies have issued statements opposing such a ban. While a new ban could indeed strike another blow to China’s semiconductor industry, it would also cause losses and risks for the United States. Even Taiwan’s most valuable company the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is prone to said risks.

read more

From: https://www.storm.mg/article/4839289?mode=whole 

This Week in Taiwan
taiwanweekly2019@gmail.com
According to American media, President Joe Biden's announcement to provide Taiwan with $345 million in defense supplies and military training may anger mainland China.
(Photo from: China Times)

July 25: The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) announced that it will spend NT$90 billion (about US$2.86 billion) to build an advanced packaging plant in the Tongluo Science Park, a branch of the Hsinchu Science Park. Sources indicate that this move is to cooperate with heavyweight customers including Advanced Micro Devices, NVIDIA, Apple, and Xilinx, to provide back-end advanced packaging for advanced logic chip manufacturing processes so that production capacity can be sustained to ensure advanced process chip production plans for the Kaohsiung 2nm plant and Longtan 1.4nm plant can be executed and the Tainan Science Park 3nm plant expanded.

 

July 25: A mortar round explosion occurred in the Hsienfeng camp of the Army in Keelung. Nine officers and soldiers were injured, possibly during the carrying of mortar rounds. Seven of them sustained minor injuries while two officers were severely injured and had partial amputations. 

 

July 26: The labor insurance fund has a hidden debt of nearly NT$12 trillion (about US$382 billion) in 2022 and may go bankrupt in 2028. Worker groups are dissatisfied that the labor insurance annuity benefits are not adequate to meet the needs of workers' retirement life, and the government has made no progress in labor insurance annuity reform. Groups assembled outside the Executive Yuan to criticize the government for six years of inaction and dereliction. 

 

July 26: At the party's National Congress, Chairman Eric Chu of the Kuomintang (KMT) proposed to promote a "non-green" alliance as a foundation for a ruling coalition. However, King Pu-tsung, executive director of the Hou Yu-ih presidential campaign, questioned that he does not know what the proposal is and even blasted legislator candidates supporting a grand coalition of opposition parties. After the National Congress created an atmosphere of internal unity, critical voices emerged on King's comments on party members. According to Hou's campaign, internal issues must be settled first before fighting external ones.

 

July 26: Ko Wen-je, chairman of the Taiwan People's Party and former Taipei mayor, criticized the central government's track construction under the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program for crushing local government finances. Among the 38 sub-projects of the track construction plan, the implementation rate was only 5.3 percent. Due to inflation and job shortages, the self-raised funds for already-begun construction by local governments have skyrocketed from NT$390.9 billion (about US$12.4 billion) to NT$551.8 billion (about US$17.5 billion). A report by the National Audit Office also indicated that the special budget was normalized during the administration of President Tsai Ing-wen. As many as 11 special budgets were proposed within seven years, totaling NT$2.1 trillion (about US$66.8 billion). The outstanding debt balance will reach nearly NT$5.7 trillion (about US$181.3 billion) by the end of 2022. 

 

July 27: The United States House of Representatives passed the Taiwan International Solidarity Act, arguing that United Nations (UN) General Assembly Resolution 2758 passed in 1971 did not deal with the issue of Taiwan's representation in the UN or related organizations; nor did it take a position on the relationship between the People's Republic of China and Taiwan or contain any statement on Taiwan's sovereignty. According to the legislation, the United States opposes any initiative to change Taiwan's status without the consent of the people of Taiwan. 

 

July 28: KMT legislator candidate Lin Chin-chieh was suspected of defecting to Terry Gou after sharing the stage with him. The KMT gave him a stern verbal warning and asked him to be careful not to repeat such conduct; otherwise, he may face harsher discipline. This is the first case in which a KMT member sharing the stage with Gou has faced party discipline. 

 

July 29: The United States announced that it would provide Taiwan with US$345 million in defense supplies and services, as well as military training and education. This is the first time that the United States has invoked presidential allocation powers to provide military aid to Taiwan after passing the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2023. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it appreciates the long-standing U.S. commitment to Taiwan's security under the Taiwan Relations Act and Six Assurances. American media opine that the move may anger mainland China.

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

The conclusions and recommendations of any Taiwan Weekly article are solely those of its author(s) and do not reflect the views of the institutions that publish the newsletter.

This message was sent to kitty@fairwindsfoundation.org by taiwanweekly2019.gmail.com@email.benchmarkapps.com
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