Kuomintang

Taiwan's compulsory servicemen demonstrate their combat skills to the media at a military base in Taichung, Taiwan, 23 November 2023. (Ann Wang/Reuters)

Taiwan Strait situation might worsen after 2024 Taiwanese presidential election

Lianhe Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong notes that the so-called Blue-White alliance seems to have broken down, and the DPP has a good chance of winning. With DPP leader William Lai a self-proclaimed advocate for Taiwan independence, that would likely mean strained relations with Beijing, or even armed reunification.
Military personnel take part in the Double Ten Day celebration ceremony in Taipei, Taiwan, on 10 October 2023. (Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters)

Taiwan presidential election 2024: What truly matters

As the world is set up for a chess match between the global powers, the tussle surrounding the upcoming Taiwan presidential election next year is a preview of what is to come. Commentator Wei Da explores how Taiwan can make decisions at the election that would optimise Taiwan’s long-term and fundamental interests, and draws some lessons from history.
Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Ko Wen-je on stage at a celebration of the party’s fourth anniversary at the Taichung International Exhibition Center, Taiwan, 6 August 2023. (CNS)

Can Ko Wen-je shake up Taiwan's political scene with his 'one-man party'?

As Taiwan’s presidential election approaches, Democratic Progressive Party candidate William Lai is firmly in the lead. However, Taiwan People’s Party candidate Ko Wen-je is also in a solid second place. Academic Lu Xi opines that if Ko survives the election and TPP becomes a key minority in the Taiwanese Legislative Yuan, Ko's influence will gain greater ground in the coming years as young voters' support continues to grow.
Near the end of the Qing dynasty, Sun Yat-sen and three of his friends were collectively known to the Manchu government as the Four Bandits (四大寇). The picture shows the four friends (from left) Yang Heling, Sun Yat-sen, Chen Shaobai, and You Lie, with Guan Jingliang standing behind. This photo was taken at the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese (香港华人西医书院), established in 1887, now the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong.

[Photo story] Taiwan and the ROC: Same, yet different

Taiwan’s current situation is the result of historical factors and developments, including Sun Yat-sen’s revolution and the ensuing rivalry between the Kuomintang and Chinese Communist Party. Historical photo collector Hsu Chung-mao re-examines that era with his collection of old pictures.
This picture taken on 14 April 2023 shows people walking down a street at the Ximen district in Taipei, Taiwan. (Sam Yeh/AFP)

Why Taiwan’s future is no longer just a dispute of sovereignty

Wei Da explains why issues such as Taiwan’s chosen civilisational path, great power competition and geostrategic rivalry are critical in the Taiwan issue. In the end, the question of the superiority and inferiority of civilisational development will determine Taiwan's future.
Former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou arrives at Taoyuan International Airport after concluding his 12-day trip to China in Taoyuan, Taiwan, 7 April 2023. (Ann Wang/Reuters)

Ma Ying-jeou offered an alternative vision for Taiwan's future

Former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou’s visit to China showed the potential of a peaceful, non-confrontational path to better cross-strait relations. Amid a changed political culture in Taiwan, however, his approach may not enjoy widespread support at the moment. The Taiwanese public will have to decide which vision of the future serves their best interest.
Former Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou speaks to the media at Taoyuan international airport after concluding his 12-day trip to China in Taoyuan, Taiwan, 7 April 2023. (I-Hwa Cheng/Reuters)

CCP achieved its objectives with Ma Ying-jeou's visit

Taiwanese research fellow Tsai Wen-Hsuan sees the recent visit to China by former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou and the courtesies extended to him as a calculated move by Beijing. In the CCP's estimation, Ma’s positions are helpful to China’s narrative of peaceful reunification, and the visit may also quieten some discontent about the party's cross-strait policy.
This handout picture taken and released by Taiwan's former president Ma Ying-jeou's office on 31 March 2023 shows former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou (centre) visiting his mother’s school, the Zhounan High School, in Changsha in Hunan Province, China. (Handout/Ma Ying-jeou's office/AFP)

Ma Ying-jeou to run for president once more?

With his visit to China trending online and his approval ratings rising, former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou is looking to be a possible candidate for the KMT in the presidential election next year. But the picture is more complicated than it seems, says Zaobao correspondent Woon Wei Jong.
Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou sits down with Straits Times senior regional correspondent Li Xueying for an exclusive interview at the Presidential Palace in Taipei, Taiwan, in April 2016, a month before he steps down as Taiwan president. (Taiwan Office of the President)

Political significance of former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou’s China visit

Zaobao associate editor Han Yong Hong notes that while former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou’s planned visit to several cities in mainland China is deemed an ancestral visit and to lead student exchanges, its political implications cannot be ignored. The trip could be a win for himself and both sides of the Taiwan Strait as the parties involved continue to push for cooperation and peaceful exchanges.