ISSUE 245                                                                                      May 23, 2024
Taiwan Weekly
Reliable report and analysis of the most important issues in Taiwan
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In Inaugural Address, Lai Pivots Towards Taiwan Independence and "Two-State Theory"
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Lai Ching-te was sworn in as president of the Republic of China (Taiwan). In his inaugural address, Lai stated that the R.O.C. and the People's Republic of China are not subordinate to one another.
(Photo from: United Daily News)
Featured News

Lai: R.O.C. (Taiwan) and P.R.C. Not Subordinate to One Another

United Daily News, May 21, 2024   

 

President Lai Ching-te was inaugurated yesterday and declared in his inaugural address that the new administration will uphold the "Four Musts" with a stance of neither submission nor arrogance, aiming to maintain the status quo. Unlike former President Tsai Ing-wen, who emphasized handling cross-strait affairs in accordance with the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area during her inauguration eight years ago, President Lai stated that sovereignty is fundamental to a nation. According to the Constitution of the Republic of China, the sovereignty of the R.O.C. belongs to all its people. Those with R.O.C. nationality are citizens of the R.O.C. "This clearly shows that the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China are not subordinate to each other." 

Featured News
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The opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People's Party (TPP) proposed a package of five legislative reform bills, but they were blocked by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators, leading to ongoing physical conflicts within the Legislative Yuan.
(Photo from: China Times)

Opposition Pushes Legislative Reform, Boycotted by DPP Minority

China Times, May 18, 2024  

 

The Legislative Yuan is fighting again! On May 17, there was a battle over the vote on the five legislative reform bills in the chamber. The ruling and opposition party legislators continued to clash from morning to night. A total of six Kuomintang (KMT) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators were sent to the hospital. The DPP first used a siege strategy, trying to occupy the speaker’s rostrum from all directions, while the KMT clung to the rostrum and protected Speaker Han Kuo-yu. In the end, the DPP resorted to demanding repeated votes to delay the proceedings. Later, Speaker Han announced the adjournment of the meeting at noon, and the chamber will continue voting on May 21. 

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From: https://www.chinatimes.com/newspapers/20240518000381-260118 

Featured Editorial
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According to media commentary, whether the president responds to comments by legislators when he delivers his state report at the Legislative Yuan, there is no constitutional violation.
(Photo from: United Daily News)

Legislative Yuan Has Power to Ask President to Deliver State Report

The Storm Media Editorial, May 16, 2024 

 

With the presidential inauguration on May 20 approaching, the Legislative Yuan is abuzz with discussions on parliamentary reform, with a primary focus on how the  president should deliver his State of the Nation report to the Legislative Yuan. Amidst the political tussle, "unconstitutional" has become a key term, while the position of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus that the president is not subject to Legislative Yuan supervision has drawn attention. 

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From: https://www.storm.mg/article/5123483?mode=whole 

Featured Opinion
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According to a commentator, President Lai should be a "pragmatic worker" on the South China Sea, prioritizing sovereignty and management of the South China Sea, including Taiping Island and the Pratas Islands.
(Photo from: The Storm Media)

Lai Should Take Pragmatic Approach on South China Sea

By Hu Jui-chou

United Daily News, May 18, 2024  

 

What should President Tsai Ing-wen do before she steps down? Visiting Taiping Island (also known as Itu Aba) and pardoning Chen Shui-bian were the most debated topics. As the chances of a pardon decreased, there was still a possibility of Tsai giving Taiwan her "final mysterious gift.” It is beyond doubt, however, that she will not visit the island. Moreover, the lawmakers of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) mocked those planning to visit the island as "clinging to China's thigh and creating trouble,” making it impossible for Tsai to suddenly "cooperate with China's performance" at the last minute.

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From: https://udn.com/news/story/7339/7971841 

This Week in Taiwan
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The case for pardoning former President Chen Shui-bian hit a roadblock. According to media reports, the reason is that Chen has not expressed any remorse to the public for the harm caused by his corruption.
(Photo from: China Times)

May 12: Due to geo-political tensions, U.S.-China trade competition, and downturn risks associated with the Chinese economy, the Financial Supervisory Commission reported a first-quarter exposure of NT$1.3 trillion (about US$42.6 billion) to mainland China. This represents a decline compared to the same period last year and the previous quarter, with expectations that the figure will fall below the trillion mark this year.

 

Since the U.S.-China trade war in 2018, financial exposure to the Chinese mainland has been gradually decreasing, signaling a cautious approach to the mainland market.

 

May 13: The World Health Assembly will be held May 27 in Geneva, Switzerland, but an invitation was not extended to Taiwan. Notwithstanding, the new Minister of Health and Welfare Chiu Tai-yuan will lead a delegation to Geneva for exchanges. He plans to express concerns that the exclusion of Taiwan as an observer is detrimental to the health rights of Taiwan's 23 million people.

 

May 15: According to information cited by Reuters, the United States and Taiwan navies conducted joint military exercises in the Western Pacific in April. The exercises, lasting several days, included tactical drills such as underwater target searches.

 

The U.S. Department of Defense declined to comment, while Taiwan's Navy adhered to the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES) proposed by the United States.

 

May 15: The Taiwan Affairs Office of mainland China’s State Council announced the implementation of "punitive measures" against five Taiwanese political commentators and their families. The five were accused of deliberately spreading false information about the mainland, allegedly misleading some Taiwanese citizens. The announcement emphasizes that public opinion is not beyond legal consequences, marking a notable move by the mainland against Taiwan media figures.

 

May 16: Plans to pardon former President Chen Shui-bian's corruption cases have hit a roadblock. According to the Office of the President, all relevant procedures must follow the law, and no decision has been made. Reports stated the administration of President Tsai Ing-wen has spent over six months simulating scenarios related to pardoning the former president and considered the possibility of pardoning without exemption from guilt. The decision to halt the process is due to Chen's failure to express any remorse for the harm caused to the nation.

 

Chen Chih-chung, the former president's son, responded by asserting that their overseas assets are not ill-gotten gains, and his father cannot plead guilty. However, if the Chen family ultimately has the freedom to decide how to use the funds, they are willing to contribute the entire amount to national social welfare.

 

May 16: Designate Minister of Economic Affairs Kuo Chih-hui, during a discussion with the Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association, revealed that the new administration plans to establish technology parks in key regions where Taiwan businesses have a global presence, such as Japan, the United States, and Mexico. These parks will provide services related to foreign affairs, reducing obstacles for small and medium-sized enterprises expanding overseas.

 

May 17: The Legislative Yuan saw a chaotic scene during a debate on legislative reform bills, resulting in several lawmakers being injured. After a marathon 15-hour session, the bill to normalize the president delivering a state report to the Legislative Yuan passed the second reading. Remaining bills related to investigative powers and hearing rights will continue to be discussed the following Tuesday.

 

The bill which has passed the second reading mandates that a state report takes place annually on March 1 and adds a requirement that the president delivers a state report at the Legislative Yuan within one month of inauguration and address questions from legislators for the president extemporaneously.

 

May 18: A delegation of legislators visited Taiping Island to assert national sovereignty. Deputy Speaker Johnny Chiang of the Legislative Yuan shared a photo on Facebook of himself mailing a letter at the Taiping Island post office, urging President-elect William Lai to publicly affirm Taiping Island as a territory of the Republic of China (Taiwan) at his inauguration ceremony. Notably, no ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker participated in this visit. The DPP maintains that Taiping Island is already a part of Taiwan's territory and that a public declaration during the visit could exacerbate sovereignty disputes in the South China Sea.

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.

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