Opinion | Taiwan’s incoming government faces tough task to win back public

The following week, mainland Chinese coastguard troops boarded and searched a Taiwanese cruise ship near Quemoy. Two Taiwanese fishermen were also detained on March 18, one of whom was handed back. The other remains in mainland custody after being found to be a Taiwanese soldier. Given Quemoy’s proximity to the mainland, Taiwan would probably struggle … Read more

Can Ko Wen-je’s TPP bring meaningful change to Taiwan’s politics?

“I was very, very disappointed. Because the DPP will be in charge, there is a greater chance that Taiwan will go to war,” Weng, 26, said, referring to the ruling Democratic Progressive Party. Despite the loss, he said he remained optimistic about the TPP’s future and Ko’s chances for another presidential run in 2028. After … Read more

Taiwan election 2024: KMT presidential hopeful Hou Yu-ih’s bid as future leader weighed down by party’s past

When public polling stopped in early January, multiple pools reported Hou and his running mate Jaw Shaw-kong trailing Vice-President William Lai Ching-te of the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) by one to five points, while Ko Wen-je, who heads the smaller Taiwan People’s Party was lagging behind both. The middle way Hou’s “middle way” vision … Read more

Can disaffected youth deliver for Taiwan’s third-placed presidential candidate Ko?

“Ah Bei, get elected,” his supporters shouted as Ko boarded the truck to lead a campaign parade of vehicles through his hometown in Hsinchu, south of Taipei on Thursday. “Why do I support Ah Bei? Because he truly understands the difficulties young people have encountered and has promised to improve our plight,” said supermarket cashier … Read more

‘Shameless’: controversy over cuts to classical Chinese content in Taiwan’s schools heats up presidential race

Ko Wen-je, the candidate and head of the smaller opposition Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), set off the debate during a campaign rally in Taipei on December 8, saying he strongly opposed teaching less classical Chinese literature in the island’s high schools. “I studied Tang dynasty poetry [618-907 AD],” Ko told the rally. He said there … Read more

Taiwan election: KMT’s Hou Yu-ih climbs in polls after collapse of joint ticket, but DPP’s William Lai still leads

KMT presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih and running mate Jaw Shaw-kong came in second place with the support of 31 per cent of respondents, while 23 per cent of respondents favoured the TPP’s Ko Wen-je, another Beijing-friendly candidate. Other polls conducted right after talks for the KMT and TPP to run on the same ticket collapsed … Read more

Taiwan’s opposition parties hit with lawsuit over failed joint election deal

The lawsuit was lodged by Taiwan Republic Office, a hardline pro-independence group wary of a possible opposition win. It alleged the agreement included an “illicit deal” over the allocation of government positions if they gained power. The prosecutor’s office said its investigation was proceeding, despite the KMT-TPP agreement falling apart when the two sides failed … Read more