Democratic Progressive Party

People walk on the street in Taipei, Taiwan, on 25 July 2023. (Ann Wang/Reuters)

Will cross-strait civilian exchange exit from long Covid?

While international tourism and study can be a bridge towards cross-strait understanding and reconciliation, it can sometimes be deployed as a geopolitical gambit. Taiwanese academic Ho Ming-sho shares more.
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.
This file combination of pictures created on 8 June 2021 shows Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) during a welcome ceremony for Bulgaria's President Rumen Radev in Beijing on 3 July 2019, and US President Joe Biden speaking at the White House in Washington, DC, on 17 May 2021. (Nicolas Asfouri and Nicholas Kamm/AFP)

An uptick in US-China relations? Not so fast

After US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited China, US Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen followed suit, while US special presidential envoy for climate John Kerry is also expected to visit Beijing in the coming weeks. Despite the flurry of activity, says US academic Zhu Zhiqun, intractable issues remain in US-China relations.
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.
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.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen arrives for her departure to New York to start her trip to Guatemala and Belize at Taoyuan International Airport in Taoyuan, Taiwan, 29 March 2023. (Ann Wang/Reuters)

The US is just as wary of Taiwan as of China

Academic Deng Qingbo says that US elites are not only in fear of China's rise, but they are also deeply concerned about Taiwan's immense potential in technological advancement, geographical position, and cultural depth and resilience. The two combined will be a nightmare for the US.
Former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou (centre) waves as Taipei mayor Chiang Wan-an (left) follows during a ceremony marking the 76th anniversary of "228 incident" at the 228 Peace Park in Taipei, Taiwan, on 28 February 2023. (Sam Yeh/AFP)

Will former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou’s China visit win support for the KMT?

East Asian Institute senior research fellow Qi Dongtao analyses the significance of former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou’s upcoming visit to mainland China. Could history repeat itself and the visit be a harbinger of a marked strengthening of ties between the mainland and the KMT, leading to a victory over the DPP in the 2024 elections?
Taiwan's armed forces pose for a photo with a Taiwan flag during a routine drills to show combat readiness ahead of Lunar New Year holidays at a military base in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 11 January 2023. (Ann Wang/Reuters)

Can Taiwan stay safe in the next decade?

As the sabre-rattling continues in the Taiwan Strait, there seems to be no clear solution in sight for reunification. Zaobao’s correspondent Woon Wei Jong speaks to commentators and experts to take soundings on feasible solutions.