Articles by Yoshiyuki Ogasawara

Can Kuomintang’s new chairwoman unite the party and reconcile the China question?

Beijing welcomes her victory, while Kuomintang insiders express unease. The rise of the KMT’s new chairwoman, Cheng Li-wun, reflects shifting identities, widening generational divides, and Beijing’s recalibrated approach to Taiwan’s opposition. With her clear pro-China stance, what impact will her leadership have on Taiwan’s politics and society? Japanese scholar Yoshiyuki Ogasawara offers his perspective.

Yoshiyuki Ogasawara

What does 'Taiwan independence' mean?

Japanese academic Yoshiyuki Ogasawara notes that while there has been much talk of "Taiwan independence", it seems that there is actually little understanding of what the term really means, and what making any changes to Taiwan's status would entail.

Yoshiyuki Ogasawara

'Scepticism about the US' spreading in Taiwan

Japanese academic Yoshiyuki Ogasawara notes that there is growing scepticism about the US in Taiwan - the longer the Ukraine war drags on, the more the Taiwanese people are anxious about the US's help in the event of a Taiwan crisis. These sentiments will have an impact on the Taiwan presidential election in 2024.

Yoshiyuki Ogasawara

Japanese academic: Taiwan's national referendum vote shows democracy at work

​Taiwan's four-question referendum did not pass, to the relief of the DPP and disappointment of the KMT, says Professor Yoshiyuki Ogasawara of the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. That the motion to reinstate an import ban on pork with ractopamine, namely US pork, did not go through is significant, as it is an election issue that could have a detrimental impact on the DPP. Results aside, the referendum itself was a show of democracy at work and in some ways a bulwark against reunification with the mainland.

Yoshiyuki Ogasawara