The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Taiwan has made advance arrangements for the 2022 local elections. President Tsai Ing-wen, who concurrently serves as chairwoman of the DPP, ordered the amendment of the Local Government Act to merge Hsinchu County and Hsinchu City into a municipality directly under the central government. The two-term mayor Lin Chih-chien (a DPP member) of Hsinchu City may potentially serve another eight years as mayor of the newly merged special municipality if the amendment realizes. Despite the detonation of the "setting up a post simply to accommodate a specific person" from the opposition parties, the DPP caucus of the Legislative Yuan used the technique of advancing to the second reading directly and successfully sent the draft to the internal administration committee for review. The DPP does not rule out that the bill may be included in the extraordinary session’s agenda in January next year to accelerate the completion of the third reading, so that the revised Local Government Act will be effective before the 2022 election.

…read more

From: https://www.chinatimes.com/newspapers/20211225000352-260118

Within just a few days right after the referendum, the administration of President Tsai Ing-wen has successively put forward two controversial policies: the merger and upgrade of Hsinchu County and Hsinchu City into a new special municipality and the direct submission of the 2022 general budget bill to the plenary session (second reading) of the Legislative Yuan, without going through first reading. Although the latter was withdrawn by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DDP) due to high-pitched public criticism, the Tsai administration’s abuse of power had reached the highest point where it could do whatever it wanted. The incompetence and indifference of the three opposition parties had played the best role in prodding the Tsai administration into acting so recklessly.

…read more

Some American scholars suggested Taiwan could use a “scorched earth strategy” by threatening to destroy facilities belonging to the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to deter China from invading Taiwan and to accept the “status quo”. Is this “unheard of” suggestion from scholars an idea of insight or ignorance?

…read more